Establishing Sustainable Oil and Gas Industry: Directional Drilling & Measurement/Logging While Drilling Remote Operations to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Future in Indonesia

Abstract

The Indonesian government has a goal to reduce 834 million-tons CO2e emissions by 2030 with 314 million-tons CO2e portion coming from the energy sector. A significant contribution is required from all aspects of the energy sector, including Directional-Drilling (DD) & Measurement/Logging-While-Drilling (M/LWD) activity which traditionally deploys human resources for field execution. With the government’s increased hydrocarbon lifting target, an innovative approach is needed to keep the field carbon footprint low while still maintaining DD-M/LWD operational excellence. Performance-Live is a digitally collaborative service that enables live remote-control of wellsite operations to optimize task distribution between the well site and town thus boosting operational efficiency. As a solid foundation to execute these remote operations, highly skilled Performance-Live Engineers (PLE) are centralized in a Performance-Live Center, monitoring several rigs in parallel, while multiskilled DD-M/LWD Cross Trained (DDX) who are fully competent to handle both competencies are staffed at the well site. This collaboration can be seamlessly achievable by leveraging elevated digital peripheral systems such as advanced, automated internet technology and support centralized in the main Java island to enable robust connectivity. Flexible strategies for remote-operations implementation play a significant role in sustainability. In one of the land projects in Indonesia started from Q3 2020 until Q4 2021, 31 wells are drilled successfully using the Performance-Live service. This reduced headcount from 4 personnel to 3 personnel on board (POB) resulting estimated total of 3.52 metric tons of CO2 emission reduction. Another offshore pilot project in Indonesia for the one-month trial duration in 2021 with the same strategy resulted in the reduction of estimated 0.20 metric tons of CO2 emission. In one of the special projects in the same offshore area, an innovative open-hole drilling using Hydraulic Workover Unit (HWU) is implemented using Performance-Live and combined cabin container unit for DD-M/LWD-Mud Logging as full team collaboration. During this 5-months project, this single combined cabin unit enabled 4 field personnel reductions resulting estimated 4.01 metric tons of CO2 emission reduction. The continuity of this service in Indonesia can be potentially developed by further reduction from 3 to 2 POB (2x DDX with 2x PLE) which may result in double of the CO2 emission reduction, and a pre-prepared BHA model which will minimize POB rig days to reduce further estimated of 18% CO2 emission. This paper presents how the Performance-Live Remote-Operation model contributes to long-term sustainability goals, quantifies the amount of carbon footprint reduction, and speeds up the race toward net zero emissions future accomplishment in Indonesia. This paper will also present strategies for building a digital ecosystem for remote-operations implementation, challenges encountered, and optimization opportunities. DD-M/LWD remote-operations implementation in Indonesia has thus far been successful and will continue expanding to align with the government’s net-zero goal.