Schlumberger has introduced a new connected approach to well testing by launching the Concert well testing live performance at ADIPEC. What does this commercialisation bring to operations?

Concert well testing live performance technology brings real-time transparency, collaboration, and accessibility to well testing, cleanup, and production testing operations. This information-centric ecosystem digitally integrates all well tests and process information via ruggedised tablets, wearable technology, wireless sensors, and video cameras. Robust software drives web dashboards and video displays across the tablets and wherever customers specify, with everyone viewing the same data, diagnostics, and analysis. Acumen is accelerated across the wellsite team, remote operations centre (ROC), and customers in conjunction with real-time communication for timely decision making to achieve successful test completion. Data quality and usability are increased while, in turn, personnel exposure and manual measurements are significantly reduced. The Concert technology transforms well testing into a connected live collaboration to more accurately prove reservoir potential, record reserve bookings with greater precision and, ultimately, maximise hydrocarbon recovery.

What are the new technology’s applications?

The application spectrum is multifaceted, spanning land and offshore testing of exploration and appraisal wells, cleanup and flowback tests, and production testing. All applications benefit from real-time, continuous well testing and process monitoring via wireless sensors and HD video cameras. Concert performance’s inline monitoring, data collection and analysis, QC, customisable reporting, and global communications capabilities have been extensively field tested in Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

How does this fit into Schlumberger’s digital roadmap?

Accessibility, transparency and collaboration are at the core of our digital transformation. When these three main attributes are lacking, the well testing approach is dependent on manual processes that can be inefficient and error-prone. The information is concentrated at a single point with the wellsite resources tasked with manually gathering data and distributing it to their team members while working through radio traffic and alarm systems.

Complicated operations involving extensive equipment can pose safety and environmental concerns. In these conventional scenarios, the well testing team and customers are largely disconnected: each person sees only a small part of the big picture, which makes real-time collaboration virtually impossible.

The new system completely changes the rules of the game by digitally, autonomously acquiring data from downhole tools, surface sensors and video and seamlessly making it available to all well testing team members and customers. Concert performance’s transparency means that everyone can see and monitor all data and trends and are instantly notified when an alarm is raised, or an event is predicted by the advanced diagnostics. Data shared in real time drives concurrent analysis and furthers understanding to shape the scope of work
as necessary. Confidence in process control and the test results is raised as tasks are appropriately prioritised and actions taken. Collaboration across the big picture view shared by the well testing team, ROC, and customers ultimately leads to increased efficiency and optimised hydrocarbon recovery.

Where can this new way of well testing find implementation in the Middle East?

At no other time during a well test is access to information by everyone involved more critical than when dealing with sour and acid gas, especially in the region where the world’s largest sour gas reserves are. Data connectivity and communication between people—both at the wellsite and remotely—make it possible to reduce the number of personnel on the rig floor and minimise exposure risks while supporting the buddy system for supervising and monitoring crew safety. Continuous automated monitoring of flare stability and wind speed and direction provides the necessary data for dispersion studies to ensure minimal fallout and mitigated risk to the environment.

A cleanup well test conducted in offshore Australia demonstrates these step-change improvements in safety and operational efficiency. Concert performance was easily integrated aboard the space-constrained platform to monitor burner combustion and provide surveillance for fallout and emissions prevention via real-time streaming. Burner efficiency was well ensured to meet the exacting environmental requirements.