Reducing the "Data Commute" Heightens E&P Productivity

Abstract

Management In information management and decision making, the "data commute" emerges repeatedly as a big problem in achieving more efficient workflows. SPE's Digital Energy Technical Section has conducted several in-depth statistical studies that show an unacceptable amount of time in the E&P workforce lost searching for data, integrating it from multiple sources, and preparing it for analysis in applications (Brulé et al. 2008; Hite et al. 2007; Mochizuki et al. 2006). Once engineering and operational data are in the application package for analysis, any updated or more recent data require a repeat of tedious, barren, and nonproductive processes to prepare and reload the data, a sort of "oilfield entropy" that is a drag on the E&P industry. The time that could have otherwise been spent making operational or project decisions is lost to activity that has nothing to do with engineering and geoscience. Some industry professionals might be resigned to dealing with data as just part of the workday, but most recognize a fundamental tenet: it is not the data per se, but decisions—based on data-derived information—that drive actions and create value(Fig. 1). We acknowledge the importance of engineering techniques, operational effectiveness, risk-factor evaluation, and project methodology, but here we separate them to examine and quantify just one assertion: making informed decisions would be quicker if the underlying necessary data are always ready to go. "If I can make that decision accurately, but a month earlier, and can do this across many projects, many wells, many fields…." Faster decisions with precision have tremendous value and provide much leverage in an industry already hindered by a shortage of qualified people. Contexts of Oilfield Integration Oilfield integration spans all areas of the oil and gas industry, from subsurface to surface to business. International oil companies (IOCs) currently have several oilfield-integration efforts as initiatives. Understanding the context of these oilfield integrations is important to understand what the IOCs are trying to accomplish. When we speak of integration, just what are we actually integrating? There exist several contexts of integration that must be recognized and accomplished to realize the vision of the digital oil field:Data integration—Data accessible to everyone, across disciplines, and consumable in softwareWorkflow and process integration—Combining and automating work processes for greater efficiencyDisciplines integration—The leverage of experts across disciplines like the geosciences, drilling, production, and reservoir (Mochizuki et al. 2006; Sankaran et al. 2009)