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SPE 149758

Digital Oil Field Implementation in High-Pressure, High-Temperature SourEnvironments: Kuwait Oil Company Challenges and GuidelinesQ. Dashti, A. Al Jasmi, and B. Al Qaoud, Kuwait Oil Company; Zaki Ali and J.C.G. Bonilla, Schlumberger

Copyright 2012, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Intelligent Energy International held in Utrecht, The Netherlands, 27 –29 March 2012.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not beenreviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, itsofficers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohi bited. Permission toreproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

AbstractIn 2009, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) launched the Kuwait Integrated Digital Field Jurassic (KwIDF-Jurassic) Project as a

cross-domain solution consisting of a fully integrated infrastructure supporting field instrumentation, automated workflows,

and ergonomic collaboration. The Jurassic gas field is a challenging environment consisting of heterogeneous carbonate

reservoirs with natural fractures that can contribute significantly to productivity. Parts of the Jurassic reservoir consist of a

tight matrix with a high density of connected fractures, but in other areas fractures are sparse and have limited connectivity.

The high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) environment, the near-critical nature of the reservoir fluids, and the presence of

H2S and CO2 are additional challenges for the development of the Jurassic complex.

This project is the first in Kuwait to instrument gas wells with pressure and temperature gauges; H 2S, gas, and corrosion

sensors, and safety and control devices as a first step toward delivering on KOC’s vision for integrated operations. The

application of intelligent automation at the wellhead and advanced instrumentation minimizes the health, safety, and

environmental (HSE) exposure of field personnel. Interventions at the wellsite can be supported by handheld portable devices

embedded with work orders. New digital field work processes, supported by collaboration rooms, enable proactive, real-time

decisions in accordance to the exploitation strategy defined for the field. One outcome is to use technology to leverage the

competence of disciplines, such as the subsurface team, to contribute in real time to production operations as opposed to the

traditional nonoperational role of studies and reviews.

This paper presents a case study demonstrating the methodology and tools KOC has used to achieve timely and reliable data

delivery for the Jurassic asset as part of the KwIDF-Jurassic Project.

IntroductionTo meet increasing domestic energy demands, KOC is supplying nonassociated gas to utilities and domestic industrial

consumers. The discovery of the first nonassociated gas fields in the Jurassic has led to a concerted effort to fast-track a fully

optimized development, resulting in the Kuwait Integrated Digital Field Jurassic (KwIDF-Jurassic) Project. The greenfield

nature of this project lends itself to digital field processes and technologies. This high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT)

field is geologically complex: The fluids are in a near-critical condition and there are elevated concentrations of H 2S and

CO2. The ambition is to maximize ultimate recovery, maintain regular production, and minimize wellsite interventionsneeded to mitigate problems caused by the toxic nature of the flow stream. Optimization and timely decisions are therefore

two key requirements to achieve production targets safely. The KwIDF-Jurassic Project is the cross-domain solution that

leveraged multidiscipline expertise to design a fully integrated infrastructure supporting intelligent workflows and ergonomic

collaboration.

This project is the first in Kuwait that encompasses all components of a digital oilfield solution: surface instrumentation

(SCADA system), comprehensive IT infrastructure (communication, application servers, storage), data cleansing and

management, intelligent workflows, function-relevant visualization, ergonomic collaboration, and change management. KOC

is applying petrotechnical know-how, experience from across its domains, and scientific principles to automate the evolution

of data to knowledge and establish a new standard of asset awareness.



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In addition, KOC has applied a holistic approach to designing the digital infrastructure. This integration facilitates a

collaborative environment that ergonomically ties together work processes from different teams such as production support,

field development, and the facilities operator. This collaboration unifies KOC’s technical resources across business units,

achieving a new level of cooperation around optimized work processes and data flows.

Challenges

The KOC Gas Group, formed in 2007, faced challenges of varying complexity: evolving organizational structure; informal business process (work procedures) definition and documentation; no field instrumentation; poor field awareness resulting

from manual data gathering through daily well visits; unnecessary exposure to dangerous conditions for well checkers;

inadequate formal emergency-response planning; reactive instead of proactive monitoring and surveillance; inadequate data

management; limited capacity to perform root-cause analysis on problems because of lack of historical data; insufficient

capture of expert knowledge; and little collaboration resulting from a siloed work culture.

Since engineers were performing key asset activities manually, most of their time was consumed with routine work such as

data handling, visualization, and reporting. As a result, some events indicative of business opportunities were either missed or

could not be interpreted in time to gain value through operational improvements. Processes like information exchange,

planning, and decision making were hindered by problems in easily transferring data from one location to another and the

often lagging and intermittent communication between remote locations. As a result, teams worked in silos, which limited

access to expertise and resulted in delayed reactions to critical situations.

As a consequence, the team lacked an adequate understanding of their asset and production systems, thus impeding the

adequate distribution of resources. Production and recovery issues were commonplace, and lack of integration resulted in

unrealized opportunities and less than optimal investments.

Table 1 presents the technical and domain challenges that were studied to give context to the general challenges just

described. The items highlighted in red directly relate to health, safety, and security environment (HSSE) issues, which was

the primary objective for the first phase of the KwIDF-Jurassic solution.

Table 1. Challenges faced by team; HSSE-related issues are in red

HPHT gas fields containing near-critical fluids add complexity to the exploitation strategy in terms of resource management.

High drawdown pressures will inevitably lead to condensate dropout in the reservoir structure itself with consequences of

lower ultimate recovery, depletion of reservoir energy, and reduced gas flow potential. In this project, the complex geology is

evidenced by areas with a tight rock matrix associated with a dense network of connected fractures leading to good

production but with a high probability of liquid loading. Other areas in the same structure have very poor reservoir properties



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with a sparse fracture network. To maximize ultimate recovery and maintain production regularity, a clear strategy had to be

developed that was closely associated with an overall change and knowledge management program.

Further, to minimize wellsite interventions needed as a result of the toxic nature of the flow stream, intelligent automation

had to be developed and integrated with advanced wireless instrumentation systems. These were embedded in an intelligent

data management system.

Solution Overview—

A Comprehensive Approach for Maximizing Positive ImpactTo counter these challenges, an experienced and cross-domain team was assembled, incorporating KOC’s Gas Development

Group, Research & Technology, IT, HSE, and Personnel departments, to manage the design and deployment of a

comprehensive solution architecture that itself would be the result of a well-orchestrated collaborative effort. Solution

components included IT infrastructure, data management,

business process and integration, visualization, security,

and system management with an architecture layer

allowing scalability and interoperability. See Fig. 1.

First, let us consider the context of the solution

deployment. KOC’s exploitation strategy was to

concurrently maximize the production of individual wells

while minimizing the liquid dropout in the reservoir

proper. This would enable the maximization of reservesrecovery, thus leading to a new paradigm in resource

management. The goal of production regularity would be

aided by the instrumented wells that addressed the

acquisition of well and reservoir data, additional data

specifically for sour and flammable gas detection, and

video images that directly feed into work routines

governing loss-prevention activities.

Engaging subsurface disciplines into real-time decision

making processes, combined with working in collaboration rooms, was a crucial goal insofar as it would allow the level of

competence needed to ensure that predefined ―rules‖ governing the exploitation strategies were respected. The active

participation of the subsurface team would also ensure these rules were modified as needed during the different phases of

field maturity.

The implementation of an intelligent data management system was important to eliminate the risk of nonvalidated data and

the traditional inefficiencies of data retrieval and utilization.

The solution technology platform consists of three

components as shown in Fig. 2:

Smart views: Web visualization and reporting

Performance engine: Engineering results

calculations, notifications and alerts of anomalies

Data factory: SCADA, production operations

databases, interface to other systems, miscellaneous

manual entries

To achieve the goal of the exploitation strategy, the approach

was to have an expert team of subsurface, automation,

programming, and data management specialists collaborate to

characterize the reservoir and fluid properties. This

knowledge, where applicable, was transformed into rules that

were then embedded into a rules-based application engine that

governs intelligent automation at the wellsite. This process

controls the maximum allowable drawdown to minimize undesirable liquid dropout in the reservoir. To achieve the goal of

production regularity, the integrated network model allows what-if scenarios to be made offline by production technologists

who then set the rules for routines to control the automatic chokes to prevent weak wells in the tight areas of the reservoir

Figure 1 Long-term strategic objectives.

Figure 2 KwIDF-Jurassic solution framework.



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from being overwhelmed by the wells in the densely fractured areas. Features such as alarms embedded in the production

surveillance system allow system upset situations to be flagged and mitigated. Intelligent data management supports all the

goals by democratizing the data in the sense that the raw data are transformed into the right information and pushed to the

target audience in a reliable and efficient manner. Underlying the intelligent data management system are tightly integrated

data mining, predictive modeling, and calculation engines. The output of the intelligent data management system is displayed

online through a Web-based browser system that will be used extensively in the collaboration rooms as well as on individual

user work environments.

The KwIDF-Jurassic solution enables personnel to identify and visualize potential production problems by analyzing data in

the context of operating processes. It further aggregates real-time and other data from multiple sources. Its capabilities give

KOC engineers the flexibility to work the way they think. Intelligent surveillance can give insight into performance issues

when plugged into a comprehensive production suite.

As a result, KOC has been able to make production-related improvements:

Increase awareness of operations through a consolidated view of underperforming assets

Minimize production shortfall

Increase staff productivity by automating routine tasks

Increase effectiveness of analysis of actions and validation of production data

Minimize delay of bringing equipment back online

Reduce time for allocation and reporting from quarterly to daily

Reduce response times to alerts and potential problems

Living Solution

The KwIDF-Jurassic Project is a living program consisting of multiple-phase projects. It is not so much a technology

implementation as a workstyle change for KOC engineers. As discussed in the Change Management section, a key aspect is

leveraging exposure to digital oilfield capabilities and best practices that will improve the work environment.

Implementation MethodologyThe diagram in Fig. 3 presents the approach taken for implementing the project. Moving from the center outward, each set of

components serves as the base for the next value-add layer.

Figure 3 KwIDF-Jurassic project implementation methodology.

At the core is the Gas Group's main business objective to achieve sustained production targets safely and employing industry

best practices for reservoir management, well operations, and facilities management. To achieve this, we begin by building

the foundational layer consisting of infrastructure, instrumentation, and data management. From there, the value-added layer

can be achieved through intelligent workflows, proactive surveillance, and collaboration. Finally, change management allows

KOC as a whole (i.e., all stakeholder levels) to realize the full solution benefits.



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Intelligent Workflows

As part of the first phase of the project, 22 production operations and engineering workflows were integrated into one

scalable and flexible solution platform (Fig. 4). The main objectives were long-term maintainability and user acceptance

achieved through a managed collaboration environment. KOC production workflows have been mapped into a process

automation system equipped with an automation engine and programmable interface. Workflows are not hardcoded in the

visualization layer but can be adapted and extended to changing requirements and operational constraints throughout the life

of the asset.

Closed-Loop Corrosion I njection Optimi zation and

Corrosion-Rate Monitor ing

Corrosion monitoring workflows enable proactive corrosion

management and injection optimization of chemical fluids.

They identify early corrosion signs by monitoring corrosion

rate, wall thickness, and pump injection rates. Based on the

readings from corrosion probes, the injection rate can be

adjusted automatically.

Key KOC benefits are a substantial reduction in manual

effort and the expense required to support stand-alone

corrosion management systems.

Hydrate Control Optim ization Loop

Using facilities and online measurements, a complete

optimization loop has been developed for a) monitoring the hydrate safety margin to optimize inhibitor injection rates

(system determines the amount of inhibitor in the aqueous phase and the degree of inhibition they can offer) and b)

detecting the initial hydrate formation as an early warning system against hydrate blockage.

The main benefits to KOC are minimizing the inhibitor required and preventing pipeline blockages as a result of hydrates.

Hence KOC is seeing an overall reduction in cost of inhibitor, negative impact on the environment, cost of remedial actions,

and deferred production.

Vir tual Downhole Meteri ng (VDM)

VDM automatically generates continuous bottomhole pressure and temperature readings for wells without bottomhole

meters. The main benefit to KOC is the ability to continue its work with calculated values while waiting for scheduled

workovers to install downhole gauges. Output values from this workflow have been tested and verified to be within

acceptable margins by KOC engineers using relevant surface network models.

Focus on Decision Loops: Right Data, Right Format, Right TimeSour gas fields have unique challenges and requirements that must be considered when selecting instrumentation technology.

The role of the user determines the delivery format of the acquired data. Solutions designed for the requirements of a

particular domain activity must supply data in the appropriate format and time frame. Delivery of fit-for-purpose data for

KOC was achieved through alignment of the role and functional objectives of the intended user (Fig. 5).

Figure 4 Intelligent workflows.



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Figure 5 Workflow interrelationships and time sensitivity

Moving from Event-Driven to Closed-Loop Process

KOC’s pr oduction was event driven and not a closed-loop industrial process. To address this, an approach was developed to

enable automated online event processing controlled by customizable business logic. Production key performance indicators

(KPIs) were designed to be available at any time, ranking underperforming and problematic wells in one business intelligence

solution.

KOC also merged data-driven (e.g., artificial intelligence) and deterministic (e.g., production analysis and reservoir

simulation) models into one predictive analytical system. This allows management by exception and capture of knowledge

and impact analysis for maintainable intraday decision support and long-term performance improvements.

Extensible Visualization

Eight modules have been built so far for the KwIDF-Jurassic Project to group the information and help engineers and

managers locate the already configured content (Fig. 6). Screens were designed considering domain, function, and user roles.

Figure 6 Visualization modules home page.

Ergonomic Collaboration: Designing for Multiple OpportunitiesProduction-decision loop concepts were incorporated into the collaboration solution design, ensuring visualization rooms will

be used efficiently and according to best practices. KOC’s processes are represented through automated and guided

workflows enabling decision consistency and impact analysis.



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Change management was an integral part of developing the collaboration center designs. Understanding the asset

organizational structure and operating philosophy was essential to creating an environment that would optimally leverage the

KwIDF-Jurassic solution’s capabilities. From the start there was a clear goal to shift KOC engineers from working in

isolation to collective decision making for daily operations.

Figure 7 Collaboration challenges.

There were three key collaboration challenges (Fig. 7): a) virtual collaboration of field development (corporate office

location) and production support (field operations); b) virtual collaboration of users inside and outside a collaboration center;

c) physical collaboration of users inside a collaboration center.

Overcoming each of these challenges required adapting existing work procedures to new roles, and developing new business

processes for existing functions. This was achieved as part of the overall change management program.

KOC began by applying the ―working in harmony‖ concept (Steelcase Inc. 2007). The drawings in Fig. 8 illustrate how

individuals and groups of varying size can collaborate for decision making.

These concepts were brought together in the final design of main corporate collaboration center as shown in Fig. 9. Different

rooms show various potential furniture layouts to achieve different forms of collaboration. Fit-for-purpose design focuses on

surveillance and operations activities, taking into consideration well-defined user roles and responsibilities.

Figure 8 Approach used for collaboration.



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Figure 9 KOC collaboration center design.

The design includes two decision rooms focusing on medium- and long-term production-decision loops. The short-term loop

is incorporated via remote access to real-time data from the SCADA system in the field and a workstation dedicated to a field

operations liaison whose function is to manage the day-to-day collaborative efforts and decision-making between field

development and operations. Ergonomic concepts were applied throughout, creating a fit-for-purpose center around

technology, applications, data, and facilities.

Change ManagementTo ensure the overall success of this project, a comprehensive change management program was designed with specific

activities defined both during and after implementation (Fig. 10). It bridges people, process, and technology to ensure

complete adoption early in execution. It includes recommendations for the design of a postproject internal framework that

will enable KOC to support and maintain the solution as it evolves.

Figure 10 Change management methodology.

The methodology employed was modified and adapted from the framework presented in previous literature (Ratcliffe and

McMillan 2008). The program anticipated stakeholder expectations, analyzing the impact brought on by new and modified

processes and technologies. Activities were designed to capture information at a detailed level about the future process flow

and the effect on stakeholders, HSE, and the asset. The extent of the impact and likely resistance to change were further

estimated. Through risk assessment, hurdles encountered before and during the KwIDF-Jurassic Project implementation were

identified, as were the unintended consequences of the change. Strategic planning was performed to overcome these hurdles.

Finally, as part of the training plan, a competency analysis focusing on identifying the gap between the current and the future

required level of skills, knowledge, and behaviors of the user-pool of stakeholders was included.

Change Strategy

The following four-step strategy was developed to address the current and future gaps:

1. Develop the Appropriate Corporate Environment. KOC senior management were engaged regarding the impact of

digital oilfield solutions in general and on KwIDF-Jurassic specifically on the existing production business. By

employing a combination technical-business consulting approach, personnel developed appropriate long- and short-

term visions. These visions were used to create a winning project image and set the most efficient terms of

engagement with the various stakeholders.

2. Asset Preparation. This involved working directly with the asset to generate awareness on defining what a digital

oilfield solution entails, its benefits, and implications. Objectives included identifying champions; coaching

individuals and making them believers; launching and maintaining a momentum of change within the asset through



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constant engagement (attending meetings, maintaining a physical presence among the teams, publicity campaigns,

etc.); introducing concepts such as collaboration and mindset change; and examining risks from dependencies such

as data management.

3. Solution Implementation. Optimal opportunities were selected to showcase tangible benefits and positive impacts on

user daily activities (well review and operations meetings to be used as focus for change management and solution

benefits realization). Training and coaching are also critical during this stage.

4. Solution Sustainability. In the interests of preserving momentum and to overcome ―the chasm‖ in technology

adoption (discussed later), change management activities in this step focus on metrics for solution usage and thecollaboration center; ongoing training and development; developing an effective support model; leveraging the use

of solution champions to extol the value proposition; and benefits realization. Adoption will be achieved by

integration into well reviews and operations meetings. For example, creating a dependency on the new tools and

solution by exposing users to what is possible improves the likelihood they will not want to go back to their old

ways of working.

Table 2 lists and describes the general areas targeted as part of the current phase of KwIDF-Jurassic change management.

Area Impact Description

Workflow Process

Automation

Intelligent automation of daily processes enable production engineers to refocus

their effort on analysis and decisions

Well Review & Operations

Meetings

Availability of information and increased asset awareness not only increase the

efficiency of these meetings but also fundamentally changes underlying processes

Safety Increased awareness of asset conditions helps avoid catastrophes and allows faster

and more efficient reaction to emergencies

Collaboration Center Change in daily routines, learning new technology, new process for working together

Production Optimization Part of longer term strategic vision

Data Management Daily reports (data loading to database, and integration to corporate database)

surface network modeling and availability of data for inclusion in analysis

IT Infrastructure Security, communication support, new technology provisioning

Organizational Structure Interrelationship between Research &Technologyteams, Field Development Gas,

Production Support Group as well as corporate IT; defining roles for administrating

collaboration center and the whole solution (support infrastructure, training,

management)

General Operations

Activities

Refocus well checker and other daily activities (data gathering)

Change Readiness

Another aspect of change management has focused on understanding the readiness of KOC in general and the Gas Group

specifically. Although there is normal resistance whenever a new technology or work routine is introduced, KOC and the

asset team were very open and proactive in embracing the solution. From the start various change management initiatives

garnered project support from throughout the KOC organization. Activities such as mindset workshops, awareness

campaigns, and development of the first KwIDF-Jurassic champions were conducted. KOC management was very supportive

of the whole KwIDF-Jurassic vision, thus helping mitigate the risks associated with individual user resistance to the solution.

Developing the Vision



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One of the first KwIDF-Jurassic activities was to develop an overall long-term strategic vision for the solution through a

series of workshops. The purpose was to help align senior management with individual stakeholders (users, support, etc.) to

ensure the project was perceived as one being built on teamwork. It would also serve as a guide for how the solution

continues to develop and evolve into the future, well beyond the initial phase. The following section describes the details of

this vision categorized into three progressive milestones.

M il estone 1: Readily Avail able, Reli able Production I nformation

Comprehensive end-to-end data flow, instrumentation to analysisBuilt-in data quality cleansing and conditioning

Data history by date and time tagging

Delivery and sharing to operational processes

Integration with surveillance and engineering tools

Delivery and display in the appropriate context and format

Intelligent solution that understands the requirements of domain users and applications

Data not simply delivered, but prepared for the user with automated processing and manipulation

M il estone 2: Ensure Conti nuous Asset Awareness

Higher state of consciousness, elevating data beyond information to knowledge

Immersion environment

– Users cognizant of all data resources and able to relate them to their respective disciplines

– Collaborative analysis and decisions

– Proactive engagement by knowing what is needed to allow timely actions

Intelligent workflows that impact performance (HSE, well performance, facilities performance)

Create environment where everyone has access to same data, contributes with analytic capability, and can verify

work history

Convert awareness to reservoir knowledge and understanding

Realization that true value lies in taking advantage of the data, not simply having it

Surveillance data readily available to entire asset, thus evolving the engineering team to higher level of productivity

and efficiency

Move beyond simple storage of data to elevate to engineers’ consciousness

Proactive versus reactive capability

– Leads to well prediction

– Lays foundation for proper reservoir management

– Key asset requirement is ability to control and forecast wells

Milestone 3: Capitalize on Engineer’s Potential

Product of immersion environment

Evolving engineer’s practices

– Automate routine process with technology adoption and efficiency

– Data democratization

– Refocus time and effort from data handling to analysis

– Ongoing transformation through sustained knowledge transfer

Asset-centric change management

– Aligned with asset strategy, practices, and culture

–

Credibility through consistent presence of championsInformation hoarding disappears (individual’s knowledge no longer a bottleneck)

Paradigm shift in the way engineers work

– Change individuals from historian to knowledge, analytics, management culture

– Current employees’ perception is that value is not in what they do but what they individually know about a

particular well

Knowledge transfer sustained through various processes including tiered training, champion selection, and ongoing

awareness activities (e.g., lunch-and-learns)

Make transition from ―what we know about a well‖ to ―what we should do with that well‖

Change from static to dynamic meetings by leveraging data availability and solution capability to challenge

presenters



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Looking Ahead: Sustainability through Adoption and Integration

Understanding all of the people and organizational units involved and/or impacted by this project was essential from the start.

Grasping the extent of the solution’s implications has had a direct effect on the resource requirements. For instance, different

stakeholder groups have different training needs (project leadership, department leadership, end users).

Fig. 11 shows the KwIDF-Jurassic stakeholders divided into various logical groupings. As seen, the complexity of a digital

field solution creates a significant impact.

Figure 11 KwIDF-Jurassic Project stakeholder groups.

Looking at the three key characteristics of KwIDF-Jurassic change management — coordinating structured transition period,

response to introduction of something new or different, intended to be lasting — we find the last is critical to realizing the

value of KwIDF-Jurassic Project and is the focus of the adoption and integration process.

The process by which most people accept change is similar to the well-established process that people undergo when grieving

a loss: despite the benefit the change may bring, something is lost. Regardless of how dysfunctional or antiquated the

previous tool, or process, users have gained comfort from its prolonged use despite the deficiencies. The initial reaction to

most change is resistance.

The time that it will take KOC to go through the change process will vary depending on variables such as the general trustenvironment within KOC, the scope of the change, the perceived strength of the KwIDF-Jurassic solution, and the change

readiness of the KOC organization.

Buil ding Trust

Most organizations want change implemented with the least resistance and with the most buy-in possible. The best way to

achieve this is to include the people who will be impacted by the change in the planning and throughout the implementation

process. The user community will undergo the greatest change and will best know how the transition will work and how it

can be optimally utilized.

Applying this approach allows KOC stakeholders to build trust and a relationship with the solution so that they can develop a

belief in the change that is coming, and most importantly, the motivation to make it work. Trust is vital when making a

change: without it, stakeholders will firmly resist, making it much more difficult to implement the solution, and can even

cause the transition to fail. It makes the difference between simply adopting the change versus actually adapting to the changeto make it work. With trust, the user community will have a willingness to use the change to better their performance, and

with it will come greater job satisfaction.

The Adoption Model

One way to model product adoption is to understand that people's behaviors are influenced by their peers and how

widespread they think a particular action is. Diffusion describes the process by which the KwIDF-Jurassic solution is

accepted by the KOC user community. Adoption is similar to diffusion except that it deals with the psychological processes

an individual goes through rather than the aggregate organizational process.

By applying a well-known technology adoption model (Moore 1991) to the KwIDF-Jurassic solution, an important truth is

highlighted: stakeholders will not embrace change at the same time or in the same way (Fig. 12).



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Figure 12 Technology adoption model.

Each category of the KOC stakeholder community can be described as follows:

Innovators — technology enthusiasts. The first willing to try the solution.

Early Adopters — visionaries. These individuals tend to have high degree of leadership in response to the

introduction.

Early Majority — pragmatists. Individuals who adopt after a varying degree of time. Contact with early adopters is

very important to overcome the chasm.Late Majority — followers. Individuals adopt after the average member of the organization. These individuals

approach an innovation with a high degree of skepticism and adopt after the majority of the user community has

adopted.

Laggards — resisters. The last to adopt. These individuals typically have an aversion to change-agents and tend to be

more focused on ―traditions‖ and preserving the status quo.

The most difficult step will be making the transition between visionaries (early adopters) and pragmatists (early majority).

This is the chasm shown in Fig. 12. The goal is to make the transition create enough momentum within the KOC

organization so that KwIDF-Jurassic solution becomes the de facto standard.

Adoption Versus I ntegration

Addressing the needs implied by the early adopter – early majority differences when designing diffusion strategies can greatly

enhance the likelihood the KwIDF-Jurassic solution will be successfully integrated into the KOC organization by groups

beyond the innovators and early adopters.

However, the adoption and diffusion do not guarantee successful integration into daily work activities or even its continued

use. If the solution’s initial novelty and apparent ease of use are allowed to preempt careful planning, or if users do not

receive proper training in its use, its integration as a comprehensive solution will likely be subverted.

In addition, training in technical aspects and application to real needs is crucial to integration beyond the innovators and early

adopters. Time for experimentation and development of workflows is essential. Successful peer users are needed to lead its

integration into the organizational units. If the solution is perceived as difficult to learn and/or too time-consuming to prepare

and use, or is in some other way perceived as threatening, it probably will not be used. No amount of administrative force

would likely be effective in reversing a negative trend. A perception of value in terms of capability and ease of use feeds into

the benefits realization objectives of KOC. In summary, successful adoption and integration are the product of perceived

solution quality and overall acceptance of the change.

Results: Value for KOC

HSSE is a top priority for KOC; therefore, the KwIDF-Jurassic solution is delivering value through the following

capabilities:

Emergency remote well shut-in

Real-time remote monitoring and surveillance instead of physically checking wells in extreme field conditions

(temperature routinely above 50°C, severe dust storms, other hazards)

CCTV for security surveillance for vandalism and emergency response

Reduced response times



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However, HSSE is only the beginning. Other advantages are seen daily through the reformatted meetings such as well

reviews and operations meetings. Time efficiencies have been gained in reviews of wells, presented in a cross-domain,

collaborative environment, supported by technology delivering a comprehensive view of all the relevant data, in the relevant

format and time requirements.

Group leaders are now discussing wells with KOC domain experts from different teams, taking the participants through an

examination of the well from different perspectives. The format consists of a dynamic discussion in which relevant experts

are called upon to use the newly available data and technology to quickly answer questions and make recommendations.Decisions that used to take days or weeks are now accomplished in minutes. For example, well head pressure data used to be

measured over a three day period, once every month using surface memory gauges installed on individual wells. Today

aggregated data is deliveredin real-time. Data was originally was populated in spreadsheets then extrapolated to determine the

well head flow pressure performance, with the extrapolated pressure used to predict the performance regarding the production

rate. This is all now automated without extrapolation, including sensitivities to choke change. The time saving currently

achieved averages one day per well.

Regarding back allocation, relevant daily operating parameters (hours on, choke setting, downtime, etc...) were previously

extracted manually then fed into a spreadsheet to allocate production per well, per day. This is now fully automated saving an

average of 3 days per well. For Data Mining, engineers used to perform manual extraction of the data for well reviews

(historical production, pressure behavior, etc…), but now these data are all available at the click of a button, with the most up

to date data relevant for troubleshooting and analysis of the well performance. Time savings here averages one week per

well.

As part of the change management program, awareness has been generated around the following key message objectives:

To demonstrate KOC embracing the positive change and benefits of the KwIDF-Jurassic solution

To highlight KOC’s leadership and vision for the future of its production business

To present the solution as an enabling technology tool for enhancing engineer productivity, increasing safety, and

optimizing production through improved, proactive decisions

To highlight cross-domain collaboration and integration of short-, medium-, and long-term production decision

loops

To demonstrate real-time field awareness for safety and production benefits

To show fast, efficient decision-making capability through a reduction from days to minutes

To show collaboration and knowledge transfer — mix of senior and juniors collaborating to achieve a common

objective

Conclusion

Collaboration and change management comprise the real message behind KwIDF-Jurassic. Although focus on each of the

technical components was important, it never replaced the overall objective of transforming the gas group’s work

environment from siloed functions to one of collaborative decisionmaking. As shown in this paper, each aspect of the

solution was designed keeping in mind their interdependencies and respective roles in delivering aggregate value. Many

digital oil field projects consider collaboration to be the end result; however KwIDF-Jurassic used collaboration concepts as

part of the project delivery itself. Rather than relying on the digital field solution to drive work culture change, the approach

presented demonstrates how to use change objectives to enable successful solution design and deployment.

AcknowledgmentSpecial thanks to Rolando Camacho and Tim Lloyd, Schlumberger, for providing many of the diagrams and graphics used

throughout this paper. The authors also appreciate the efforts of both the KOC and Schlumberger KwIDF Jurassic Team

members for their excellent delivery.

ReferencesMoore, Geoffrey A., 1991, revised 1999. Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream

Customer. Harperbusiness.

Ratcliffe, Helen; McMillan, Gary. 2008. Change Management Made Easy, A Practical Approach to Change Management

for Digital Oilfield Programmes. Paper SPE 112041 presented at the Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition held in



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Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25-27 February 2008.

Steelcase Inc., 2007. Working in Four-Part Harmony. 360 Magazine.

digital oil field implementation

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