SPE Economics & Management
Volume 3, Number 1, January 2011, pp. 31-44

SPE-127691-PA

Realizing Value From Implementing i-field™ in Agbami--A Deepwater Greenfield in an Offshore Nigeria Development

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DOI  More information 10.2118/127691-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/127691-PA

Citation

  • Sankaran, S., Olise, M., Meinert, D., and Awasthi, A. 2011. Realizing Value From Implementing i-field™ in Agbami--A Deepwater Greenfield in an Offshore Nigeria Development. SPE Econ & Mgmt  3 (1): 31-44. SPE-127691-PA. doi: 10.2118/127691-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 3 Management and Information
  • 5 Production and Operations
  • 6 Reservoir Description and Dynamics

Keywords

  • Digital Oil Field, Integrated Operations, Asset Management, Prodution Optimization

Summary

Digital oil field (DOF) in the upstream industry has gained momentum in the last few years and has transformed from being solely a vision to actual projects that have measurable value. The ultimate goal in DOF projects is an integrated approach toward decision making and control of asset management in relevant time. This paper describes the successful methodology adopted for implementing the i-field™ program (i-field is a trademark of Chevron Corporation) in Agbami--namely, identification, prioritization, and implementation of relevant workflows.

The Agbami field, located in deepwater offshore Nigeria, is a subsea development that incorporates crestal gas and peripheral water injection. It is located in approximately 1500 m of water depth and consists of a 38-well development program to be implemented in three phases. The well completion incorporates intelligent well completions (IWCs)--downhole flowmeters, pressure and temperature gauges, and interval-control valves (ICVs). These downhole accessories are managed using electric and hydraulic controls/instrumentation, with subsurface, subsea, and topside data acquired and transmitted to a central data historian on the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit in relevant time. The implementation of a robust architecture for a data- and information-management system involving acquisition, processing, storage, and replication (from offshore to onshore) is conceived to be the foundation upon which asset-management workflows are implemented.

The expected benefits from implementing the i-field program in Agbami include reduction in lost production opportunity (LPO) through proactive asset management, better long-term reservoir management through time-line management of injection- and production-rate balancing, increased efficiency and reliability through guided workflows, improved ultimate recovery, and better overall performance from standardization of base business work processes. The real value of implementing i-field initiatives in Agbami lies not only in the return on investment but also in providing a benchmark for capturing the value of other assets. Based on field experience, this paper discusses the approach toward value realization of the i-field system, including change-management strategy for end-user acceptance. Critical success factors and lessons learned during deployment are also presented.

© 2011. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 18 January 2010
  • Meeting paper published: 23 March 2010
  • Revised manuscript received: 31 May 2010
  • Manuscript approved: 21 July 2010
  • Published online: 14 January 2011
  • Version of record: 14 January 2011