RIASSUNTO
Abstract
The concept of Integrated Operations (IO) has matured significantly over the past eight years since the landmark study by CERA in 2002. Many companies, including Chevron, now have established programs with demonstrated results delivered in multiple assets. With that track record, companies are now asking what's next and how can they build on this foundation for the future.
Given what we've learned to date, how can we accelerate results and where can IO add the most value? What business and technology trends will emerge both to help and hinder integrated workflow solutions over the next 5-10 years? This paper will address these questions by looking at the history of the Chevron i-field program to understand what has been accomplished, the promises realized and the challenges uncovered in the journey. We will examine trends in the industry, to understand future opportunities and challenges more clearly.
The paper will look at how different elements of Integrated Operations can be deployed more effectively, and how to address the challenges of delivering and sustaining the change within the current and future workforce. Delivering solutions is usually difficult, but sustaining and supporting them provide new levels of challenge. How do we ensure that Integrated Operations becomes the way we work in the future instead of a passing technology fashion fad?
Revisiting Expectations: History and Current State of Chevron's i-field™
Chevron's Integrated Operations (IO) program, called i-field™[1], is now in its eighth year (Figure 1). Much has been accomplished in that time. Chevron has to begun to think differently about how to use digital technology and processes to change the way we operate key assets. We are starting to realize the potential of the way we can collaborate and use information to make better investment and operational decisions. Many major operators and service providers in the E&P industry have made similar progress with their own programs.
But a lot more is left to do, before we achieve the ultimate goal of transformation. As we try to forecast the future, it would be prudent to first look back on early industry expectations, to see how well we have done.
An early analysis of the potential of IO came from CERA in the form of a multi-client study on the Digital Oil Field of the Future (DOFF). They predicted DOFF challenges coming in the areas of: technology development, demonstrating business case, workforce adoption, work process redesign, data and application integration and collaboration between service and E&P firms.