Streamlining Digital Modeling and Building Information Modelling (BIM) Uses for the Oil and Gas Projects

The oil and gas industry is a technology-driven industry. Over the last two decades, it has heavily made use of digital modeling and associated technologies (DMAT) to enhance its commercial capability. Meanwhile, the Building Information Modelling (BIM) has grown at an exponential rate in the built environment sector. It is not only a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility, but it has also made an impact on the management processes of building project lifecycle. It is apparent that there are many similarities between BIM and DMAT usability in the aspect of physical modeling and functionality. The aim of this study is to streamline the usage of both DMAT and BIM whilst discovering valuable practices for performance improvement in the oil and gas projects. To achieve this, 28 BIM guidelines, 83 DMAT academic publications and 101 DMAT vendor case studies were selected for review. The findings uncover (a) 38 BIM uses; (b) 32 DMAT uses and; (c) 36 both DMAT and BIM uses. The synergy between DMAT and BIM uses would render insightful references into managing efficient oil and gas’s projects. It also helps project stakeholders to recognise future investment or potential development areas of BIM and DMAT uses in their projects

The Stability of a Pipe Stand Racked in a Derrick, Part 2—A General Pipe-Stand Model

Summary This paper builds on the information contained in Part 1 (the body of the paper preceding the appendices) and presents a general pipe-stand model. The model is based on the Fourier-series solution of the energy equation for calculating the deflection and buckling condition of an inclined, nonuniform pipe stand with an arbitrary number of intermediate loads and stick-up above the top racking board. Full details of the derivation and algorithms are included in the paper. This flexible approach is used to examine more-complex, practical situations that include the buckling sensitivity to the position of the upper support and added loads such as tool joints or running tools racked with the stand. Using a Fourier-sine-series solution avoids dealing with the less familiar higher-order functions encountered in Part 1, so the algorithms can be coded with standard spreadsheet functions. This approach also increases the model's capability and practical worth, providing a tool suitable for field use. The results for loaded, uniform stands compare within 0.01% with the limiting cases represented by the analytical solutions presented in Part 1. Nonuniformity of the stand can add significantly to the number of series terms required. Several practical examples are used to illustrate the model's application, including the analysis of the stand with a heavy intermediate load where buckling occurred. The model successfully distinguishes between the buckled and nonbuckled conditions.</jats:p

Assessing Casing Wear in the Absence of a Baseline Caliper Log

Summary Caliper logs provide valuable information on the shape and wear of casing and tubing strings at various times throughout their operational life. In turn, this information is used to determine the remaining design strength. To clearly distinguish deformation and wear from deviations caused by manufacturing tolerance, the caliper measurements can be compared with a baseline log run soon after a tubular string has been run, or with surface-inspection data. However, a baseline log may not always be available. This paper addresses these situations and provides an assessment of the useful information that one can obtain. A mathematical model, based on the properties of the discrete Fourier transform, is presented to determine the caliper offset center and underlying tubular ovality from six or more equi-angular-spaced caliper readings. The series-expansion approximation enables these parameters to be determined as a best fit from raw, uncentered data to a numerical accuracy of approximately 0.01% in a single pass. This is consistent with the accuracy and resolution of the currently available calipers. Complete numerical results from test cases based on exact geometric shapes, such as an offset circle and centered ellipse, plus field examples, are also included along with implementation notes. The same calculations can also be used to determine the underlying elliptic shape and orientation of an openhole caliper. In the casing specification API 5CT (2011), internal dimensions are indirectly described in relation to the unloaded casing or tubing outer diameter and wall thickness at surface conditions. The manufacturing tolerances and resulting uncertainties may be significant compared with the wear, but in some cases one can obtain useful information with corrections for downhole tension, temperature, and pressure effects. Details of these corrections and a discussion of other sensitivities are also provided. Such algorithms are usually considered by the service provider to be proprietary, and little quantitative material has been published on them or their interpretation. Also, data are often presented to the customer in only center-corrected form, which greatly restricts future reprocessing. This emphasizes the importance of acquiring and retaining the raw data.</jats:p

Drilling-and-Completions-Applications Portfolio Management—Changes and Trends

Summary A drilling-and-completions-applications portfolio and its associated support services require constant attention if the portfolio is to remain up-to-date in both engineering and information technology (IT) terms and continue to serve the needs of the drilling-and-completions engineering community. Over time, this management effort has become more involved and complex as the number of available applications has increased and the technologies have changed. The trend toward tighter integration and data sharing between drilling-and-completions applications and with other disciplines applications such as subsurface, places data management at the heart of the response. For large organizations, in particular, keeping up with the new releases and patches can be a challenge, and the need for backwards compatibility is paramount. Data issues and the poor connectivity associated with physical remoteness and some nonrig-based units also can impede the change out to other systems. Special attention is required for applications that are designated safety-critical or safety-related. This paper describes the way in which a major operator has defined and managed its drilling-and-completion portfolio during the last 20 years, to address the internal and industry changes and trends. The portfolio now serves the needs of more than 2,000 drilling-and-completions engineers worldwide. A wide range of examples, including the operator's WellAdvisor system, engineering toolkit, and wells/subsurface integration project, is presented, together with an evaluation of the portfolio-management challenges and successes that were achieved. It is concluded that integration requires the consistent application of strong data-management principles and a commitment to an underlying architecture to support simplification, reducing the number and complexity of the interfaces that one must manage. However, some flexibility is needed to promote the development of, and access to, new applications, and the concept of niche applications was introduced to address technical specialist's needs. Some applications that are either company-specific or are needed only in special circumstances do not lend themselves to being commercial products, and these tools are provided by custom-built, Web-based applications. The recent focus on real-time data, quality of service, and digital security is merely the latest change that has had to be accommodated. Despite the apparent rate at which technical and commercial changes are occurring, this paper's content illustrates the need to consider the portfolio-management issues over long cycle times. This paper will be of interest to both business and IT managers and engineers tasked with managing drilling, completions, and subsurface applications portfolios.</jats:p