IDOC 2014 closes in Abu Dhabi

The focus of the final day of the conference was on new digital oilfield technology and the management change it requires to be successfully implemented. 

In two main sessions called “Predicting Performance” and “Integrating Reservoir Models and Management into DOF Decisions” speakers from across the industry spoke about the challenges of optimising oil production and how companies can solve those challenges using digital technology. 

David Farrel from General Electrics, who presented on Tuesday, spoke about “the power of prediction and the benefit of achieving true condition based maintenance” by using DOF technology. He highlighted the advantage of having better clarity of gathered data and early warnings and the role that plays to help company managers make informed and uncompromised decisions. 

But to simply buy that technology and start implementing it is often not enough. There is also a number of management changes that need to be made in the process of effectively digitising the oilfield. As Andrew Dennant, who works as a director for oil and gas Middle East and Africa at Emerson, says: 

“This is about much more than technology. It is also about people changing the way they work and people changing their habits and to do that, that’s where you have to look at the shape of the organisation and make sure that your organisation is structured in a way and enabled to do the things that need to be done in the new collaborative digital oilfield environment.”

Overall, experts were positive about the new technology and the level of interest and investment from companies in the region. 

“The technologies in the implementation of digital oilfields have drastically improved within the last decade and regional National Oil Companies are reaping the rewards by being able now to optimize production, increased recovery, and intelligent integrated fields”, said Edgar Antonio who is a business manager for MENA at Wood Group Kenny. 

Some of those who attended or spoke at the conference were industry experts and professionals from Schlumburger, Emerson, PDO, ZADCO, Shell, GE, IBM, Truetech, and others.