Integrated Data Visualization with E-Wellbooks: Gaining Efficiencies to Enable Production in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Bhan Sushma , Kunichoff Raisa , Yousif Majeed , Tiu Lyndon , Leist Gary 
Published: September 2013

Auger, a deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) field, successfully implemented e-WellBook solution enabling its Wells Reservoirs Facilities Management (WRFM) program — providing integrated data visualization and easy access to reservoir, production, petrophysical and geological data. The data challenges commonly encountered in upstream are: 1) technical data is often hard to access all at once being scattered in non-standard data files and repositories, 2) data used in projects maybe unreliable, not current, sometimes lacking quality assurance which may impact decisions and 3) engineers and geoscientists may hold on to technical data, creating discipline data silos and orphan data difficult to gain access to or used sustainably by a multi-discipline WRFM team.

Aiming to add additional barrels with efficiency gains and timely decisions, it was necessary to address the underpinning data challenges. Within Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, the Wells and Surveillance leaders collaborated with Technical Data Management Group (TDM) to drive forward the data integration efforts for past three years. Working with Production Technologists, Reservoir Engineers, Geologists and key stakeholders of WRFM teams, each key field within Gulf of Mexico now has access to integrated data with visualization using an e-WellBook (e-WB). The efforts were replicated and standardized as much possible across upstream Americas, also covering Heavy Oil and Onshore deployments. The business championship, steer from discipline experts, knowledge of holistic data management and data know-how coupled with needed application/ infrastructure support from IT made the e-WellBook deployments sustainable.

Shell's focus on increased production and maximizing value from its existing assets warrants efficient means to support assets in their WRFM reviews. Integrated data within e-WellBooks offers value-add to the teams in gaining efficiencies and helping expedite their decision making. The data integration steps were standardized, and applied to all key fields within Gulf of Mexico within less than three year period. A 50% or more time reduction in data search itself is of great value to the teams actively involved in WRFM efforts. Other added benefits are efficient integrated review with access to "live" integrated multidiscipline data and the visualization of full spectrum of E&P disciplines' data in a single e-WB solution. It eliminates need for paper poster and charts that adorned the walls or slides in the past well reviews. Majority of critical WRFM data — well history, well schematic, production chemistry, cased hole logs and other valuable data, are readily available with a few clicks of e-WellBook on the desktop.

With increased well activity within deepwater, unconventionals onshore, and heavy oil, in addition to heightened access to new tools/technologies, there is a significant increase in volume of data. Moreover, in comparison to a few decades ago, engineers, geoscientists and business leaders are hard pressed to make faster decisions and to manage increased responsibilities. In order to facilitate decision making that supports the industry's aspirations for additional barrels —produced with heightened focus on safety, proper management of technical data quality readability, integration and its ease of use are essential basic steps for success. The paper presents the technical data management functional excellence journey deploying e-WellBooks to support WRFM in Shell's Gulf-of-Mexico Deepwater assets and lessons learnt.