Petroleum Experts

IFM
Integrated FIeld ManageMent

IFM

IFM

Copyright notice
Petroleum Experts Ltd. All rights reserved.
IPM suite, GAP, PROSPER, MBAL, PVTP, REVEAL, RESOLVE,
IFM ModelCatalogue and OpenServer are trademarks of
Petroleum Experts Ltd.
Microsoft (Windows), Windows (XP) and Windows (Vista) are
registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.

An Online Field Management Workflow Platform

OVERVIEW
Integrated field studies are the most effective way for the industry to improve field management both production, and recovery over the life of a field. By integrating reservoir, production, process and
facilities studies, as well as economics and field maintenance models, improved investment decisions
can be made.
Petroleum experts has pioneered this direction with the IPM suite - the only fully integrated reservoir,
well, surface network modelling and production optimisation system in the market today. It relies on
sound engineering models at each level in the system.
Petroleum experts has moved this integrated field study concept forward by developing a Platform
(IFM) that integrates models, data and workflows, allowing field management tasks to be
organized and expedited with maximum efficiency, from real-time field surveillance tasks to
probabilistic forecasting using computer clusters.
Custom workflows can be plugged into IPM, expanding the functionality of the suite so that it can
undertake any task an oil or gas field may demand.
IFM KEY OBJECTIVES
to allow engineers to monitor field performance at any time, with continuous real-time monitoring
and surveillance workflows
to automate repetitive tasks, allowing engineers to focus on added-value tasks
to continuously assess engineering models so that they can be readily updated
to ensure full field optimization and forecasting, including the creation and management of
multiple scenarios
to rationalize all information from the field so that it can be assessed and acted upon quickly and
effectively
KEY BENEFITS TO THE FIELD OPERATOR
One platform that integrates and assesses business workflows, best practices, as well as technical
and operational field management activities
Improved production, reservoir and process engineering productivity
More efficient overall field management
Faster response due to early problem detection (hours versus days)
Focus on exceptions rather than bulk and massive troubleshooting
a unified set of published models for process analysis, forecasting and control
Scenario-based process optimization
applications driven by field data that can send commands to the field, and make recommendations
to engineers and operators
an up-to-date field model throughout field-life
SUMMARY OF SYSTEM APPROACH

IPM engineering Model centric architecture

Field data quality is screened for consistency and accuracy
test models and embedded expert system rules, before they are used within the system
Production system modelling and online optimization with set point downloading to field
controllers
Online analysis and quality control of field production tests and real-time data
Online system for the scheduling, optimization, execution and control of fields
advanced logic, based on physics, to detect patterns in field data that can be related to abnormal
conditions

IFM - Integrated Field Management

INTRODUCTION
IFM's design is rooted in the belief that sound production system models (i.e. reservoir, well, network
and downstream models) can be used to gain an invaluable understanding of the field's behaviour.
Models are a solid basis for field management tasks, such as: field production optimisation; well rate
allocation (and consequently a field-wide production allocation); production forecasts; and real-time
production monitoring and surveillance.
Models provide the basic physics that relate the behaviour of process variables in reservoirs, wells,
production networks and process facilities. However, a producing field is a dynamic process, and
therefore is constantly changing. Well tests, field measurements, and operational events are field
readings that require proper validation before field management tasks can be undertaken.
the increasing complexity of todays engineering models, and the numerous engineering disciplines
involved in their creation, maintenance and use, makes it a challenge to use them to their full
capability. It is imperative to know which is the latest model, track and audit the models changes,
and keep track of historical models so that analysis using historical data can be carried out if
necessary. It is not just a question of maximising efficiency - these issues must be addressed if any
automatic system using these models is to be in place. ModelCatalogue, an integral part of the IFM
Platform, is designed to meet and resolve these challanges and more.
the ModelCatalogue is designed so an engineer can have a structured archiving system for the
storage and retrieval of field models. engineers are able to maintain a complete history of each
version of a model as it is developed and maintained over the field life.
the models being stored and managed by ModelCatalogue can be accessed directly by the engineers
through the ModelCatalogue explorer or an external application, thus becoming the model provider
for any automated workflow within the IFM Platform.

ModelCatalogue explorer

ModelCatalogue interacts with IFM, providing it with accurate models at any time. this interaction
is done automatically, and ModelCatalogue acts as the 'access door' to any models IFM may need.

IFM Components

Where does IFM fit?

Field Management Workflow

IFM - Integrated Field Management

IFM PLATFORM: WORKFLOWS

the IFM Platform is designed so that the aim and scope of a workflow, whether standard or userdefined, relates correctly to the results the workflows are designed to produce. these scopes are:
Workflow Scope

(Context)

Equipment Quality Control

Type of objective
- Batch test data validation (e.g. well test validation)
- detailed diagnostic and troubleshooting of a piece of equipment
(e.g. well test analysis and model calibration)
- Calculations based on a single piece of equipment
(e.g. Well Performance Curve generation)
- Single piece of equipment design

System Quality Control

- Validating the response of the entire Integrated Field Model against

available field measurements
- Calculations/logic involving the entire integrated model

Optimisation

- Field optimisation calculations (single or multiple scenarios)

Forecasting

- Full field forecasts (single or multiple scenarios)

Well Rate Allocation

- Production allocation tasks

Workflows context in

IFM and IFM Flow diagram

equipment Quality Control scope

IFM PLATFORM: WORKFLOWS RUNNING IN REAL TIME (Real-Time Calculator [RTC])

IFM not only triggers workflows from the IFM user interface, it also allows scheduling workflows to
run automatically for automatic real-time field surveillance, monitoring and diagnostics.
this is done through the IFM task Scheduler section, also called the real-time Calculator (rtC).
Several standard workflows are provided to generate real-time well rate estimates (based on the
well models and measurements coming from the field), and expedite automatic production
allocation and automatic well test validation tasks.
REAL TIME FIELD SURVEILLANCE
One key factor in successful field surveillance is having a redundancy of measurement data.
results obtained using different methods can be compared to detect any problem within the field.
this technique can be used, for example, in wells surveillance.
Using pressure measurements (such as: flowing well head pressure; pressure downstream of the
well head choke; and downhole gauge pressure) we can isolate the various sections of the well.
each measurement method will generate an estimated well rate.
If the field is functioning in the way we presume, all the estimated rates should agree. If the
estimates do not agree, something could be happening on the field which our models have not
captured. as the different methods use different sections of the well, the deviations observed can
help us identify both the nature and location of the problem.
Continuous well rate estimation, in combination with automatic production allocation, also allows
us to continuously monitor the state of our reservoir, as reservoir pressure is one of the boundary
conditions used for some well rate estimation methods.

redundancy of data used for early detection and automatic diagnostic

IFM - Integrated Field Management

EQUIPMENT QUALITY CONTROL: BATCH VALIDATION

as well as automatically monitoring field performance using real-time field measurements, IFM
can also be used for detailed analysis of the performance of any piece of equipment, using available
test data (e.g. a well test).

Batch tests can be performed interactively or via a scheduled task to allow engineers to focus
quickly on equipment which requires attention (i.e. where the measured variable's value does not
match the calculated value).

EQUIPMENT QUALITY CONTROL: DIAGNOSTIC WORKFLOWS

detailed diagnostic workflows can be executed within the equipment quality control section of IFM.
a set of standard diagnostic workflows are provided and users can also configure their own
workflows to include specific calculations/logic for more tailored management of their fields.
Workflows can provide suggestions and even modify the models (creating new versions in
ModelCatalogue) to reflect the results of the analysis.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS KPIs

Various KPIs can be plotted so that high impact / high uncertainty wells are prioritized for testing.
Indicators are calculated based on factors such as: time since last tested, results of the last test, and
individual well rate compared with that of the total field.

IFM - Integrated Field Management

WELL RATE ALLOCATION

traditional methods allocate production according to the available well test data. By continuously
assessing well rates through comparison with calibrated well models, production allocation can be
significantly improved.

OPTIMIZATION AND FORECASTING SCENARIOS: SEQUENTIAL OR USING CLUSTERS

IFM allows the creation of single or multiple scenarios for running optimisation or forecasting cases.
the scenario information can be based on different sources of information, from a simple file containing
the required information or a dynamic link to a planning database or other external source.

Once the scenarios are created, they can be run sequentially or using computer clusters. this is
particularly useful when performing probabilistic forecasting where hundreds of runs may be required.

10

Notes

Petroleum Experts

Head office
Petroleum experts ltd.
Petex House
10 logie Mill
edinburgh, eH7 4Hg
Scotland, UK
tel: +44 (0) 131 474 7030
Fax: +44 (0) 131 474 7031
e-mail: edinburgh@petex.com
Regional Office
Petroleum experts Inc.
757 n. eldridge Pkwy.
Suite 510
Houston, texas, 77079
USa
tel: +1 281 531 1121
Fax: +1 281 531 0810
e-mail: houston@petex.com
Petroleum experts ltd.
c/o gnt International group.
6th Floor a Block, Junfenghuating Building,
no.69, BeiChenXi road, Chaoyang district, 100029
Beijing, China.
tel: +86 10 58772166
Fax: +86 10 58772168
e-mail: beijing@petex.com

Web: www.petroleumexperts.com

2010 (R1)