As oil and gas producers look to find efficiencies in their production operations, the first and best solution to discuss is adding automation to their well site operations. Traditionally, some may be hesitant to implement a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, due to the initial capital costs involved and complexity. However, when one is looking at reducing total operational costs and increasing recoverable reserves, the positives from investing in SCADA become clear, especially when one considers the increased affordability brought by modern technology.
When starting the discussion to decide on whether or not to invest in SCADA, you should consider these three things:
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Do you require improved operations management?
A SCADA System will allow for improved operations management by streamlining processes to utilize personnel more effectively. The immediate impact of this is to allow the operations team to manage more wells per individual through a reduction in downtime, site visits, and windshield time. A producer can grow their asset base efficiently without having to extend their personnel in the field.
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Are you interested in optimizing your production?
A SCADA system will optimize production by making effective real-time decisions with less operator intervention. Automation will improve production processes leading to increased bottom line production and decreased operator intervention. This reduces the risk of onsite issues leading to downtime. Regular tasks such as production testing and analysis are faster and more precise, allowing a producer to easily meet regulatory body requirements for production accuracy.
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Would you benefit from remote visibility and control of your assets?
Through the use of cellular, satellite or radio telemetry a producer can easily view, analyze and control assets in the field. Producers will see immediate data from their fields no matter how remote the location. This gives an invaluable and readily available view of their entire asset base allowing for informed decisions at all corporate levels.
Operations will be able to take prompt informed actions in regards to well performance through remote visibility and control of processes such as valve position changes, pressure and flow rate set point manipulation, and ESD in emergency situations. Production accounting will be more efficient with the immediate availability of production numbers and automated reporting applications. HSE incidents will be lowered with the reduction in well site trips, creating a safer working environment for the operations team.
Summary
When you take these three questions into consideration, the decision to invest in SCADA becomes much easier. Cutting-edge technology has made SCADA systems an increasingly lucrative investment for producers ready to find efficiencies and optimize production. With the integration of modern communication technologies, the risk of adoption is greatly reduced, making SCADA systems a very affordable option for all tiers of producers.
