Collaborative Approach to Implementation Helps Realize Benefits of Drilling Automation
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: August 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 184695, “Development to Delivery—A Collaborative Approach to Implementing Drilling Automation,” by Riaz Israel, SPE, Julian Farthing, SPE, and Hamish Walker, BP; Rodrigo Gallo Covarrubias and Jason Bryant, Schlumberger; and Christian Vahle, KCA Deutag Drilling, prepared for the 2017 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, The Hague, 14–16 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
The application of automated technologies to the process of well construction is emerging as key to improving the overall efficiency of drilling performance. Though not yet mainstream, several recent applications have demonstrated that technology maturity is no longer the limiting factor in accelerating implementation and realizing the benefits of automation. This paper describes a collaborative effort between an operator, a drilling contractor, and a service company to introduce specific aspects of automated technology to a major drilling operation.
Project Context and Technology Business Drivers
In 2012, the company began developing a giant gas greenfield that required nearly 300 wells to be drilled. Among the many challenges on a project of this magnitude was the need to drive well-construction costs down. An important aspect of well-construction cost is the time spent drilling, which is largely influenced by the slow rate of penetration (ROP) prevalent in the field because of the high rock strength. In order to deliver the performance enhancements required, the company set up an integrated hard-rock drilling team.
In addition to the objective of increasing ROP, several other aspects of the technology made it attractive. These include that
Automation presents a systematic approach to improve consistency of performance across multiple rigs and wells.
Automation can supplement the competency and capacity of drillers.
Automation Project Goals
In early 2014, the company agreed on a plan to bring this technology to the field in collaboration with the project’s major drilling contractor and drilling service provider (DSP), the supplier of the drilling automation technology.
Additionally, because the drilling rig was recognized as a major component of the technology delivery, the company engaged in focused discussions to build alignment with the main drilling contractor to ensure that the right resources were available throughout the project.
Finally, the DSP and the drilling contractor implemented a bilateral agreement that covered the scope of work and protected each party’s contribution to the project.
With all this in place, the project deliverables were defined as follows:
Complete three open-loop field trials of the DSP’s ROP-optimization software, and evaluate the opportunities and areas for improvement.
Design, build, and test an interface between the DSP’s automation system and the drilling contractor’s drilling control system.
Install the DSP’s drilling automation systems and interface with operator-designated drilling rigs.
Complete three closed-loop field trials of the DSP’s drilling automation systems, and evaluate the opportunities and areas for improvement.