Smart Workflows for Well and Facility Surveillance and Optimization: A Burgan Oil Field Experience

Abstract

Kuwait Oil Company started implementing digital oil field technology in 2009, with a vision to achieve integrated operations for measurement, modeling and control of Burgan oil field production. The project involved development of automated workflows connecting real-time data and integrated production models for analyzing asset performance and identifying production optimization opportunities. The workflow calculates variance in daily field production and correlates it to the corresponding well production change alerts attributed to key changes in well and facility parameters. Well health status is determined using key performance parameters and subsequently wells are categorized for planning remedial actions. The workflow further utilizes the integrated surface network model in an automated process to generate production optimization opportunities under various well and plant operating limits and the results are visualized through interactive dashboards in a state-of- the-art collaboration center for quick analysis.

This paper discusses the application of smart workflows for analyzing asset performance and recommending production optimization actions in Burgan oil field. It describes how smart workflows are used to integrate real-time well and facility data with production models to assist the operator in faster diagnostics and improved decision making.

The paper demonstrates through field examples how the application of an automated workflow using real-time data and integrated models has improved the conventional approach for asset performance analysis and optimization resulting in significant cost savings for the operator.