Case: Deploying Production Engineering Workflows in upstream oil and gas with minimal coding

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Two years ago, a large operator in the United States was struggling with their production management software. The software was custom built for well tests, validation and model management and was initially developed by a US company. It was integrating the modeling software from Petroleum Experts (Petex). Still, as Petex model versions were being upgraded, it became difficult to maintain the custom application and ensure compatibility with the new modeling software. The customer realized that they were stuck with a solution that was not supportable and difficult to develop further. 

IPCOS was approached because of our fantastic track record of using standard technology within the production engineering landscape. The company was looking for an open market digital workflow solution and to move away from custom development. IPCOS is well-known for its independent positioning and specialty integration capabilities for such solutions. We were contacted to do the business analysis and develop a standard solution covering the requirements and the scope of the legacy solution.

Technology selection & project approach

Following the analysis, we determined that the scope could be covered by standard Petex workflow software, IFM/IVM. By leveraging the modern visual workflow technology, we were able to almost configure the solution entirely in the application, requiring minimal coding. The digital workflow solution was complemented by Spotfire, a BI tool to develop flexible visualizations.

Completing the initial project requirements took a little more than six months. The project was delivered and implemented in a true partnership with regular validation by the client. We put together a team of specialists from our European and US offices. We integrated the IPCOS team within the customer’s organization. We worked in close contact with the project manager on the customer side, the technical specialists and the end-users. 

This customer is based in a very remote location. IPCOS team has not been able to visit the site during this project, but we were still very successful through our virtual working practices and integrated operation with the team on-site.

Digital transformation back on track

The success of this project was in retiring the legacy application completely while fulfilling the customer’s requirements and the project scope. But the biggest proof of the success of this project is that we embarked on new improvements measures, building on top of this new foundation. We have started new follow-on projects delivering additional value on top of the original scope. It’s typical for digital oilfield projects that the number of use cases and digital workflows you can cover grow once the basic building blocks are there. And as soon as the user community becomes enthusiastic about the solution, lots of new possibilities emerge.

Right now, IPCOS is developing further the client’s system. We are offering additional support and addressing new requirements as they come. The project’s original goal has been met, but we went beyond that by developing new workflows for new requirements, increasing the system's value. The company has decided to expand the solution to other assets in the same region and potentially to assets in all regions.

Talk to a digital strategy expert

Would you like to know if IPCOS can help you as well? Contact us to get in touch with a digital strategy expert. We can advise you on:

• How to merge new cloud platforms with traditional MES solutions
• How to deliver on digitalization for both large and small sites
• How to better utilize your company’s available tools
• How to select the most appropriate software solutions for your specific situation