BP reveals the fieldofthefuture at IPTC 2005

BP's exhibit creates a futuristic scene to illustrate how real-time oilfield data integration is enabling the recovery of more oil and gas from its reservoirs. Using new-to-the-region holopro™ screens, BP portrays a fieldofthefuture™ monitoring centre set in the Middle East region.

'I believe BP is leading the industry in developing fieldofthefuture™ technologies and applying them in our key oil and gas operations and developments around the world', said Dr Andrew Brayshaw, BP's Director for New Business Development, Middle East. He added: 'BP is at the cutting-edge of integrating these new technologies. We currently have five pilot schemes implementing fieldofthefuture™ technologies, with plans to raise that to twelve over the next two years.''

Explaining fieldofthefuture™, Dr. Brian Hunter, Country Manager, BP Qatar, said,

'A combination of new surface and subsurface monitoring techniques, in parallel with latest developments in digital technology communications. This is enabling better decisions to be taken - and acted on - more rapidly and more effectively. It is also leading to a deeper understanding of oil field reserves and how each well is performing; driving increased operating efficiencies, reduced operating costs per barrel, higher production and improvements in ultimate recovery.'

Independent experts believe that such innovative technologies will reduce costs by between 10 and 25 per cent, boost production by as much as seven per cent and improve ultimate oil recovery. Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) estimates that such well-monitoring and petroleum-reservoir imaging technologies could expand global oil reserves by 125 billion barrels by 2013.

'Equally important is how to make better use of our highly trained engineers, geoscientists, researchers and operators. By moving data to people rather than people to data, we can make better use of our experts' know-how, no matter where they are in the world. Through broadband communications, a wealth of global expertise can be brought to bear instantaneously on fields anywhere,' said Dr Hunter.

The BP-Operated Valhall field in Norway is the world's first operational fieldofthefuture™. Regarding the application of such technology in the Middle East, Dr Brayshaw said: 'BP has a proven track record in applying latest technologies in an innovative way to achieve world-class recovery factors on its giant fields - such as at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. If requested, we would be excited to share our technologies and global expertise with National Oil Companies around the region to push the technical limits of oil recovery.'

Pioneering technologies to recover more oil

BP is an industry leader in a range of upstream technologies such as subsurface imaging, iterative reservoir modelling, specialized seismic processing and fieldofthefuture™. These technologies are concerned primarily with increasing the quality and accuracy of data from the subsurface and enhancing the speed at which the data flows from underground oil and gas reservoirs to the desktops of experts who can make better decisions to maximize production - irrespective of where these people are placed geographically. At BP, experts are linked together through unique global technology networks. This enables scientists and engineers to remain connected and to constantly share learnings from fields around the world. BP operates more production than any other international oil company and is therefore well placed to pilot and develop new technologies.

One example is BP's Life-of-Field Seismic (LoFS), where geophones and cables are permanently installed on the seabed or desert floor to relay continuous information about the reservoir to operating centres on demand. The Life-of-Field Seismic system installed in the BP-operated Valhall field is the world's first full-scale system for lifetime seismic. It consists of 9,500 sensors linked to 120 kilometres of cable spread over an area covering 35 square kilometres.

Another fieldofthefuture™ technology is 'intelligent wells'. Here sensors deep in wells capture continuous down-hole reservoir data such as pressures, temperatures and oil flow rates. These data are continuously transmitted to the surface via optical fibres and on to any location in the world via satellite and broadband. These technologies enable real-time monitoring of reservoirs, help to optimise production and maximise recovery. This information also ensures that wells are drilled in the most productive parts of the reservoir, increasing both instantaneous production and recovery.

Getting this mass of information to those who can best interpret it is the role of another fieldofthefuture™ development called ISIS (Integrated Subsurface Information System). ISIS presents real-time data to the user, wherever they may be, and automatically alerts them to changes in the well or reservoir.

Closely linked to ISIS is Data to Desktop, or D2D, which provides information from surface plant and equipment such as oil and water separators, heat exchangers, compressors and turbines.

Worldwide applications

In Norway, fieldofthefuture™ is demonstrating its ability not only to enhance oil recovery but also to break new ground for remote operation. By integrating technology with process and people, BP is already producing increased oil production from the Schiehallion field in the UK North Sea, and 4,000 additional barrels per day from the Marlin development in the Gulf of Mexico.

Elements of fieldofthefuture™ are beginning to be applied both offshore and onshore in Angola, Trinidad and Algeria, while in Azerbaijan, D2D and ISIS will form part of a wider Caspian information management system covering offshore and onshore operations as well as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export pipeline.