As Exploration and Production (E&P) companies look to drill in record-setting water depths, facing extreme conditions and ever-increasing technical challenges, they will need the best people, processes and technology available in the petroleum industry. To compensate for this, Chevron's Deepwater Exploration and Production (DWEP) Business Unit undertook a project to optimize the use of their unique project management process, the Chevron Project Development and Execution Process (CPDEP). This project, called the Well Design, Execution and Collaboration Center (WellDECC), is a combination of people, processes, and technology working to use, align with and augment CPDEP throughout DWEP. This paper outlines the basic CPDEP phases and how WellDECC supports and enhances this process.

The CPDEP consists of five phases: identify and assess opportunities, generate and select alternatives, develop preferred alternatives, execute, and operate and evaluate. Chevron initially developed its current process in the upstream side of the business and ultimately adapted it for all projects. WellDECC was created using this process in 2004 with the primary objective of bolstering CPDEP within DWEP. WellDECC is currently in the last stage, operate and evaluate, as we enter 2008. In recent years, sharply increasing water depths have been accompanied by similar increases in technical challenges and drilling costs; a robust project management process is essential for success in this environment. Chevron Drilling and Completion (D&C) and the Geological and Geophysical (G&G) communities came together and developed the concept of WellDECC to be fully engaged in each of these phases.

One of the important considerations when planning WellDECC was the selection of an operating platform that would seamlessly integrate cross-functionality to best support CPDEP. Halliburton (Landmark and Sperry Drilling Services) was ultimately selected as the primary provider for WellDECC's tools and support. By combining 3-D earth-model visualization, well-construction engineer tools, real-time telemetry functions, real-time drilling parameters, Logging While Drilling (LWD) viewing and data storage, WellDECC has the people, processes and technology to best accomplish its mission.

Keywords:
strategic planning and management, project management, drilling operation, information, Collaboration, customer, WellDECC, drilling parameter, collaboration room, real time system
Subjects:
Well Planning, Drilling Operations, Drilling Measurement, Data Acquisition and Automation, Reservoir Characterization, Strategic Planning and Management, Professionalism, Training, and Education, Information Management and Systems, Seismic processing and interpretation, Project management, Communities of practice
Copyright 2008, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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