About this Workshop

The drilling industry had always emphasised safety through meticulous supervision by experienced hands at rig site, and sufficient personnel to avoid fatigue. This approach, together with much-improved safety processes, have seen the numbers of personnel on rigs rise over the years, to such an extent that today, 30% to 40% of rig operating cost comes from manpower.

While safety records improved significantly over the past decades, it has now reached a plateau while the industry looks for another breakthrough. For a few years now, service providers have developed automation technologies, however, the adoption of these technologies has been significantly slow as operators around the world contemplate the risks of reduced manning.

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, another major flaw with increased manning that has presented itself is that our current drilling operations are not designed for social distancing. To guarantee safe working conditions, social distancing is a must and the only way to achieve that goal with current rig designs is to reduce manning by a minimum of 30%.

The inaugural SPE Virtual Workshop: Joint Industry Solutions Series is a platform for the industry to join hands and prepare for the new norm. The workshop will discuss case studies and technological advancement to go into remote operations safely and efficiently. The main objective is to create a roadmap for the industry, that will provide micro-solutions to reduce rig site manning by 30% within twelve months in the year 2021. This is in line with PETRONAS Wells Department’s core safety agenda, and we invite the industry to champion the same agenda.

Workshop Objectives

Participants will experience a unique programme curated by industry leaders and experts to address challenges in managing the OPEX and CAPEX of wells in the current climate, by contributing in the creation of a working roadmap in remote operations. With a clear agenda to produce an effective roadmap, the programme committee will identify, discuss, and evaluate the value of cost saving for the industry through a comprehensive process.