Data Digitalization and Smart Workflows Provides a Powerful Asset Management Optimization Tool in Margarita Field, Bolivia
Authors: Lema Fernando , Mercado Ludwing , Barbarino Sebastiano 
Published: October 2020

This paper explores the results of Repsol Bolivia's successful implementation of a workflow-based solution for real-time production surveillance as part of a digital oilfield initiative on Margarita Field. We will examine the fundamental aspects of data integration across multiple disciplines in the asset and the impact generated when having all the needed information available to rule-based processes in the same environment. This project successfully incorporated the main aspects of the operations. The implementation complements Repsol's Digital Oilfield initiative, started in 2013, with hardware installations for automation of wells, plants and other operational equipment. This paper will discuss the value of an integrated platform (data-processes-people) and the impact on the decision-making process.

Margarita Field produces from ten high-volume gas wells that yield 30% of the gas production in Bolivia. This project targeted real-time well integrity, and operational monitoring to ensure stable production levels while automating a broad suite of best practices to improve efficiency for engineers, avoid production deferments, and enhance safety. This paper details how to leverage data in real-time and fully benefit from it by applying smart engineering workflows designed to integrate modeling tools, data, and engineering best practices.

Prior to this implementation, it was demonstrated that a significant portion of the asset engineers’ time was spent simply gathering data from multiple sources. The previously installed, field data automation and real-time feeds, generated significant analytical benefits. However, the increase in useful data was underutilized and limited by the existing spreadsheets. These activities were manual and error-prone, and routinely led to: data duplications, data inaccuracies, and, most importantly, to delayed or suboptimal decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate information.

The new solution addresses these challenges by providing an integrated environment where engineers have all the information and workflows readily available and automatically executed. To ensure the workflow automation did not mask problems or simply automate error-prone outcomes, validation gates were established to help ensure the engineers that the results were robust and sufficiently checked for quality. Automated, system-based reporting, helped to eliminate weekly manual reporting efforts, support the QC, and eliminate man time previously required to support operational meetings and decisions. The workflows are designed to maintain evergreen models to support the asset surveillance process. "Live links" to all sources ensures data duplication is no longer an issue and helps to establish "one source of the truth". The workflow-based automation has brought the various, pre-existing, well, production network, and reservoir modeling tools "Online" so they can be incorporated into daily operational surveillance activities and decision-making.