Abstract
This paper presents the advances in Production System Optimization for the largest gas field in Mexico. The Burgos Asset is a large gas brown field with reservoir characteristics like gas-loading backpressure, reduced permeability and tight gas formations where production declines rapidly. Due to the large number of wells (more than 3500 active wells) and the fact that 95% of the measured parameters are obtained by field operators, it is difficult to continuously monitor and to plan the usage of operational resources.
To help solve this situation, PEMEX and the service company (Schlumberger) implemented a production surveillance system that gathers all operational information providing storage, quality control, and developed engineering processes to estimate gas rates and liquid loading, monitors KPI and detects anomalies in operational events.
Implementation of this operational surveillance environment started in 2007, with a functionality that has been focused on monitoring KPI calculation and event analysis at well level. Due to the large number of wells and activities carried out by the Asset, the need arose to generate additional workflows that contribute to the production optimization process, candidate selection workflow for workover and artificial lift installation, allowing upscaling of the current solution to a level that supports the technical and economical decisions of the Asset.
As part of this requirement the team took the initiative to incorporate workflows of candidate recognition for workover, de-bottlenecking and optimization of a particular set of facilities, allowing the Asset to take corrective action in these areas and to plan the recommendations accordingly. Additionally, as proof of concept, an intelligent candidate selection system was implemented for artificial lift installation opportunities, using artificial intelligence tools such as data mining, improving decisions and results.
The initiatives mentioned above help to increase, validate and rank the Asset's diverse candidate basket and to integrate the economic constraints into the decision making process. The positive results that have been obtained in these focalized areas show a significant opportunity to be up scaled for the whole Asset.
