Back to basics

Mark Niblett, Weatherford, USA, emphasises the need to return to the basics of safety in a new 2021 paradigm.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes regarding health and safety, which everyone endured. On top of all the precautions already observed, companies such as Weatherford now have strict procedures regarding even the simple things, such as riding an elevator, for example.

COVID-19 protocols included new workspace and office procedures, but also covered safety in the field, business continuity, a work-from-home policy and the return-tothe-workplace policy. This was all followed by the return of working-from-home policies – all part of ‘the new normal.’ Unchartered territory was an understatement. And no matter what was pre-planned in the playbook, this was all new, very real, and all on a new playing field no one had ever seen.

However, through all these changes, companies have not only survived, but they have learned a few things. And now, it is time to get back to the basics of improving employees’ well-being and operational safety, as well as better supporting the mental fatigue being witnessed throughout the industry. Before the pandemic

changed the landscape, some would have struggled to appreciate some of the advancements that have been made with seemingly basic protocols around contagions and the measures people would take to protect themselves; e.g. the wearing of masks during travel or while in heavily populated areas.

The new (ever-changing) norm

Attempting to keep up with and adhere to all the new policies that have been written around the pandemic can be confusing, overwhelming and frustrating. But what it should really boil down to is common sense – it does not need to be overthought or made more complicated.

As an example, expecting people to comply with anything extraordinary in an already disrupted daily routine can be a considerable challenge. Simply telling people to just ‘do it’ is not enough – it needs to be expressed why these measures are important, whilst always keeping people’s well-being at the forefront of any decision. The reality is that simple basic safety

policies protect and save lives. Following the mask mandate, for example, may seem like a simple change in a routine for a few days, but continued systemic behaviour change is difficult. However, the pure fact is that these precautions work, and it is the job of safety professionals to ensure everyone complies.

Back to basics

At Weatherford, the company is not only focused heavily on returning to the simple essentials of safety, but it is following through with this concept: ‘Safety starts with management.’ The company believes, whether it is COVID-related or not, that safety policies are in existence because they work.

Fundamentally, basic safety is everyone’s business. However, how does one get everyone to really believe in safety policies and follow them? Staying accountable is one thing, but it must not be forgotten that driving systemic behavioural change and the understanding of accountability is all about leadership.

Furthermore, safety starts, but never ends, with management and the organisation’s top bench. But what does that truly mean to the leaders? In the safety world, it means pragmatism – leading by example, communicating best practices and fundamentally making safety a top priority of the corporate culture. If leaders are not demonstrating passion and comprehensive buy-in, it is unrealistic to expect a culture to flow deep into all facets of an organisation.

Figure 1. By applying artificial intelligence at every stage from pipe manufacturing to well installation, Vero improves connection make-up efficiency and eliminates the inevitable errors associated with human judgement during the connection process.

Figure 2. AccuView is an integral part of the company’s drive for industry-wide digitalisation to save time, add value and increase profitability for any well.

Making the most of remote work: breaking new barriers

Many industries have fully embraced working from home, while others (such as the oil and gas sector) could take advantage of evolving technologies by assimilating them further into their everyday actions. This time represents an outstanding opportunity for the oil and gas industry to rethink the values of remote access.

Traditionally, oil and gas is a hands-on industry. And it seems there is a notion that remote work is impractical or slow to adopt any field operations to a remote setting. This outlook contends that it would be difficult to imagine all rig and drilling procedures being performed remotely; never mind that it is slow to adopt change – especially new processes.

Other reasons operators may think twice about switching to remote operations are concerns over consistency and safety during an emergency. Any deficiency in a direct response to risk could be construed as a larger problem if there is complete reliance on a remote arrangement.

However, it is true that the oil and gas industry has been performing remote operations for many years. Centralised control rooms have already successfully removed hands from the dangers of rigs and its equipment. In many cases, moving forward to a fully remote system could be as simple as adding an additional internet connection.

An ever-changing environment

One thing that is certain is that the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised that every aspect of the oil and gas industry must improve its flexibility and stamina. The continuously shifting circumstances have forced operators to rethink almost every aspect of how they perform any task. It is during times of ambiguity that decision-makers are driven to not only re-evaluate production strategies, but also consider any logistic effects triggered by the circumstances around them. Of course, in regards to the pandemic, social distancing policies have impacted personnel workflows across the board. Remote operations have further reduced onsite personnel in hazardous areas with the introduction of many digitalised and automated processes that allow 100% hands-free activities which once required large crews on the platforms.

In terms of accepting remote controls and communications, it is often believed to hamper work progress. However, remote access can often be more effective than in-person communication. Remote access allows teams to gather from many locations – allowing access to experts and teams with specific knowledge for unique circumstances that emerge infield. This not only increases precision but also speed – enabling operators with better decision-making and improved operational efficiency for a wider array of situations.

Advancements in remote technology

As the industry has continued adapting technologies to these new safety precautions, one thing is becoming clear – some of these innovations and offerings have really come into their own through COVID-19. Several examples have revealed tremendous value as well as safety advantages, while following social distance regulations and travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

Weatherford technologies, such as Vero® automated connection integrity, have delivered over US$500 000 in rig time savings while making up over 15 000 connections in Kazakhstan. This technology has also enhanced safety by decreasing the number of personnel at the rig site and removing numbers from the red zone.

Case study: Australia

In Australia, Vero also eliminated exposure and reduced personnel on board, thus mitigating the risks associated with conventional tubular running. Furthermore, automated makeup and evaluation software enabled operations to continue, even during the most challenging conditions.

Case study: Yemen

Weatherford remotely deployed a 9 5/8 in. whipstock system in Yemen using its AccuViewTM real-time remote-support system. The sidetrack was installed without the need for personnel during ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions. This technology allowed the customer to successfully conclude workover operations while avoiding additional delays and associated rig costs due to the pandemic restrictions.

Case study: Bengal, India

The benefits of AccuView were also realised in the deepwater Bay of Bengal, off the shore of India, where Weatherford liner-running experts in Houston and Abu Dhabi managed the installation of a close-tolerance liner system using around-the-clock support in order to maintain strict compliance with social distancing, as well as other COVID-19 restrictions.

Case study: Colombia

In Colombia, the Weatherford ForeSite® production optimisation platform boosted production by 5% during its Phase-One rollout. The result was US$3.25 million/yr in incremental revenue, all while reducing personnel at the rig site by way of intelligent algorithms and remote monitoring. At the same time, the operator was able to avert a major issue when their asset was impacted by a power outage. They were able to restart all their wells remotely using ForeSite without going to the field. Accountability

If one fails individually, the organisation fails as a whole. There is no question the last 2 years have presented challenges that are difficult to navigate. However, front-line safety leaders should be all be urged to get back to the basics, put on their personal protective equipment, walk the yards and rig sites, engage in the operational environments that they work in and be the example. They should encourage all their teams to deny complacency, adopt the applicable accountability matrix and exercise individual rights of commitment intervention.

Safety leaders can empower workers and drive a new safety culture by reminding employees of their Stop-Work authority and assuring them that it is OK to be curious and ask “Why?” Together, employees can be made to feel safe, supported and encouraged to do so themselves within their peer groups. Everything starts with a company’s culture and its management being committed to supporting its global strengths and people – safety is not a suggestion.

Conclusion

Going forward, especially in the wake of changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the remote control improvements outlined in this article can inspire and accelerate safer, hands-free improvements toward a more productive oilfield environment – spawned by a more interconnected, digitalised oil and gas industry that includes the amazing abilities of remote control.

Case study: North America

ForeSite Edge, the company’s next generation controller for production, was utilised by an operator in North America to run their wells autonomously to boost production by 6%, reduce wellsite visits by 70% and reduce failures by 15% in the first 6 months of deploying the solution.

It is clear that the digitalisation of oil and gas operations offers many advantages for the industry. Improvements include more than production efficiencies and safety improvements. But what can operators do to take advantage of these features and move to remote applications faster?

Implementing remote application

Baby steps

Every day, new and more advanced remote technologies are advancing the capabilities of the oil and gas industry. However, it will take many years for the successful adoption of fully remote-operated oilfields. Until then, operators should begin considering solutions currently offered and begin employing remote improvements in the interim. Furthermore, some remote technologies are easier to implement for certain processes. Solids management, for example, is more consistently produced and transported, which consequently makes monitoring and transport performance easier without dependence on sensors, and therefore simplifies a transition to remote processes. These systems provide low-profile, low-cost modifications that are easily applied to existing wells. Operators now have proven solutions that can improve and sustain production performance using fully digital, fully remote applications.

Figure 3. The ForeSite production optimisation platform delivers insight that enhances production, maximises uptime and improves personnel efficiency.