Abstract
Our industry has embarked largely on implementing the intelligent field initiative in recent years, which is a clear indication of the surge to adapt to new methods, processes and workflows to manage existing and new fields. The capacity at which this technology was implemented worldwide is a sign of a strong buy-in from the industry that this technology will deliver on its promises in terms of maximizing hydrocarbon production, recovery, profits, or health, safety and environmental compliance.
Saudi Aramco is considered to be a leader in deploying and utilizing the intelligent field technology to maximize the value of hydrocarbon reservoirs. This paper discusses the implementation of intelligent field initiative in Saudi Arabian fields and particularly in the world's largest intelligent field, the Khurais complex. It highlights the huge infrastructure to measure and transmit data and to manage and control production in this field. As a result of the lessons learned from this experience, the classical reservoir management concepts are going through a major transformation to adapt to a fundamental change in data acquisition and production controls. Moreover, the engineers were faced with a new challenge in the reservoir monitoring process and overall field optimization, which requires a paradigm shift in analysis, interpretation, and decision making to maximize the value of the intelligent field. So far, the industry's efforts to utilize intelligent field technology are mainly focused at well level to optimize production rate and ensure target rate compliance. Saudi Aramco's efforts are going beyond the well level to optimize reservoir performance and enhance oil recovery. This paper illustrates some of those efforts, which resulted in a better understanding of well deliverability and reservoir connectivity.
In addition, this paper highlights the major challenges facing operating companies, to manage those fields. It provides methods and workflows to mitigate these challenges and maximize the value of intelligent fields and fully utilize the existing infrastructure and capabilities.
