The Benefits of Real Time Monitoring Application Artificial Lifting Parameter for Surveillance, Optimization, and Cost Reduction in Mature Field, Case Study Prabumulih Field

Abstract

Prabumulih Field was located in South Sumatra, Indonesia. It has been developed as an oil field since 1920n (It was categorized as a mature field). At the end of 2019, the amount of oil well production was 149 wells (93% of the producing wells installed artificial lifting). As a consequence, to maintain production, artificial lifting surveillance activities must be a major concern and be managed properly. However, there are some challenges for surveillance, for instance, the location of well spread over a large area, the condition of the access road, and limited human resources. Surveillance activity itself carried out manually required both much time and many human resources, however, acquired data was only once in a week for one well. That condition always emerged undesired occurrence because engineers who were in the headquarter did not obtain notification when producing wells were in trouble or suddenly off producing. In addition, there was a delay in time for evaluation and intervention, which resulted in decreased oil production. Nowadays, application, in order to accelerate the data retrieval process, was much needed, especially real-time acquisition and it could be monitored in several kinds of devices. This paper will be presented about the benefit of real-time monitoring application in mature field, especially for artificial lifting well (ESP and Rod Pump). It has been installed since December 2019. There were several benefits obtained after installing this technology, those were related to surveillance and optimization. For instance, reducing time and human resources needed to obtained pump parameter data, engineers who are in the headquarter could observe everyday using both laptop/personal computer and smartphone, engineers obtained notification immediately when there were wells in a trouble, decision making for optimization and or intervention was faster, increase pump run life, and reducing well service program. Besides, there was another benefit that related to cost reduction, for instance saving rig costs for well service of 350,578 USD in a year because the amount of well service decreased from 49 times to 36 times, and obtained additional gross revenue of 547,945 USD for one year (cost for real-time monitoring for a year is 116,438 USD) because production deferment reduced from 19,577 STB to 5,105 STB. Based on those data, real-time monitoring could increase the economic condition of the mature field, so it was worth applying in a mature field.