A Sustainable Pathway to Achieving Operational Efficiency While Reducing Carbon Emissions Using Remote Operations and Drilling Automation

Abstract

Abstract In recent times, remote operations in drilling and wellsite activities have evolved from a nice-to-have service to a vital solution for delivering world-class logging and well placement management in the oil and gas industry. The drive towards remote operations accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic where it was beneficial to operate with minimal personnel in order to limit their exposure. Moreso, with 2050 being about three decades from now, energy companies are strengthening their commitments to achieving net zero global carbon emissions in solidarity with the Paris agreement of 2015 geared at reducing the impact of climate change. It is safe to say that remote operations services are poised to change the future of oil and gas operations as more operators jump on board and see the true benefit of remote operations from a safety, cost-saving, and carbon footprint reduction viewpoint. In May 2020, as part of Baker Hughes Drilling Services Nigeria's strategy for carbon reduction and carving a road map to automated drilling, the first Remote Operations centre in Sub-Saharan Africa was launched. Equipped with robust high-speed data links to connect to multiple rig sites enabling 24/7 monitoring and control of multiple drilling operations. The centre provides real time unified data streaming and visualisation enabling enhanced well monitoring and management. In addition, it is manned by highly experienced drilling professionals who collaborate with various subject matter experts to optimise overall service delivery. This paper demonstrates the significant value of adopting remote operations in delivering optimized drilling and logging services. Two case studies illustrating the approach and strategies utilised in safely and flawlessly delivering two wells remotely will be elucidated. The technicalities deployed to save one of the operators from shutting down in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the re-manning model utilized, and workflow schematics will be discussed. Finally, it quantifies the amount of carbon footprint reduction achieved, lessons learnt, and optimization opportunities.