American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2016 - 74

SpecialReport: Big Data & Geostatistics
of its field offices, which Ball describes as hubs of field operations with collaboration tools connecting to the corporate headquarters in Oklahoma City.
"With the DSC project, we upgraded our field sites with highspeed communications, added thousands of Wi-Fi access points
at well locations, and added automation to most of our wells and
other production facilities," she details.
The result is that all Devon assets are highly instrumented and
automated, providing the DSCs with a tremendous amount of realtime data. "This project required automation, real-time data, production, and information technology teams to all work together," says Ball. "We have been able to make measurable production increases and see the inflection points in each of our field
offices within six months of completing each field upgrade to the
DSC model."
Specialists at the centers use analytical software and high-performance computing systems to monitor production operations
around the clock, including visualizing data on large-screen monitors. "The idea is to search continually for anomalies in the data,
and have the expertise immediately available to respond when an
anomaly is identified," Ball remarks.
Analysts are able to see in real time how equipment is performing to ensure all operations are maintained within desired parameters, and to tell operators in the field if, when and what kind of
corrective actions may be needed. "Every element of an asset, including its parts and components, can be monitored remotely,"
Ball notes. "Because of predictive analytics, we can greatly reduce the risk of nonproductive time caused by a rod pump, electric submersible pump, or other equipment failure."
The centers generate exception reports to identify wells that
need immediate attention, including potential well problems that
could cause lost production. In the past, Ball says, field operators
had to visit each well site in sequential order to identify any is-

sues. With centralized analytics, problems are caught sooner and
field operators can focus on only those wells needing immediate
attention, dramatically improving efficiency and productivity.
Devon attributes increases in production from existing wells
to automation and remote monitoring. "Predictive asset failure
is a great example of the Internet of Things in action," Ball offers, explaining that the Internet of Things provides a way to understand how all the component parts in a larger system come together to achieve a desired goal.
"With the Internet of Things, we are looking at the entire system-not just drilling, but how drilling effects completion and production-and how it all fits together," she says. "Then we can figure out how to optimize various aspects to optimize the complete
system. If the analytics team identifies data that could improve predictions, the field team can add technology to collect those data."
Predictive analytics also help Devon maintain its strong environmental performance, she points out. Monitoring equipment
for potential failures provides early warnings of risk related to
emissions, leaks and spills, allowing field teams to be deployed
to mitigate or avert any environmental impacts.
Operational Intelligence
Historically, reservoir simulation has been one of the most advanced applications of analytics in upstream oil and gas operations. Ball says Devon's WellCon center is taking that to the next
level by applying analytics to real-time drilling control and
geosteering, as well as completion and flowback operations.
"For geosteering, we need to know exactly where the bit is and
where it will be within the next few seconds," she states. "Predictive analytics helps us keep the borehole within the targeted
reservoir sweet spot."
All data available are streamed through Devon's real-time network into analytics systems at the WellCon center for analysis and

Devon Energy was an early adopter of advanced analytics, and the company is using the technology in various functions
throughout the organization, including
basin analysis, real-time drilling, asset
monitoring and predictive failure analysis,
portfolio management, and strategic planning. The payoff is measured in metrics
such as reduced drilling costs and increased production.

74 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2016

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