1. Presentation for SPE London Meeting panel discussion on ‘Virtual Teams’
Leading Integrated
Reservoir Studies:
Practical Advice
John H Martin click to advance
presentation
John H Martin Associates Ltd
RESERVOIR DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS
2. ‘Virtual Team’
Geographically
dispersed
Work apart more than
in same location
Primarily interact Free agents
electronically; meet From various ‘expert’
face to face groups
occasionally
Part-time; ad-hoc
Conflicting loyalties
Inter-personal process
absent
Arms-length commitment
3. Integrated Reservoir
Study
Requires significant
effort
Addresses a problem
associated with a
petroleum reservoir
Up to several
months/years
Involves personnel full-field reservoir simulation
from 2+ technical updating STOIIP
disciplines planning a horizontal well
preparing for an equity
selecting core plugs for SCAL
4. All these are PROJECTS
Organised set of planned activities
designed to achieve a set of prescribed
objectives
• Some element of uniqueness
• Goal-oriented
• Consist of connected & interrelated activities
• Specific start & end points
• (usually) cost &/or time constraints………..
5. …….and often cut across functional
and/or organisational lines
transient
RCAL and SCAL pressure tests
Permeability
well log response Model perforation data
depositional
flowmeters environment
(intrawell)
geological model
(interwell)
6. Project B
Flatter
management
structures Project A
for project-
based
organisations
Project E Coordination
____ Control
Project C
- - - - Communication Project D
7. 1.
ESTABLISH
OBJECTIVES Tailoring PM
techniques to assist
2.
PLAN
the project leader
Virtual
3.
SCHEDULE Focus on project definition &
planning
Methods to handle differences
4.
CONTROL between reservoir studies &
‘traditional’ projects
Techniques for integrating the
work of geoscientists & engineers
5.
CAPTURE
LESSONS
8. Fundamental Attributes
Purpose
• statement of business need to
be achieved
Objectives
• quantitative and qualitative
measures by which completion
will be judged
WHY are we doing this project?
9. Objectives of Integrated
Reservoir Studies
Need to be specific and detailed
Define ALL objectives
Consider value of additional objectives
Prioritise
Ensure that objectives are appropriate
10. Scope: also a key element of the
project model
Work anticipated
to fall within the SCOPE
remit of the
project….
Or which will fall
outside its remit Project
Time Quality
Cost
11. Reservoir Management Study
Scope
• Emphasise accurate
reservoir description and
use of reservoir monitoring
results
• Resolve all possible
questions with classical
hand calculations
• Use more sophisticated
techniques if necessary
Objectives
• Reconcile geological model & MB STOOIP
• Assess extent to which all areas/layers are
being waterflooded effectively
• Identify infill drilling locations
• Define long-term depletion strategy
12. ESTABLISH
OBJECTIVES
Identify Activities
Project manager may make first
PLAN pass
• if more experienced than team members
• or when time short
Does not build team spirit
Danger of some activities being
overlooked
13. Brainstorming: by 'planning' team
Use wall, board or flip
chart with 'post-it' stickers
EVALUATE
ZONE Generate as many 'ideas'
RESERVOIR
CORES CALIBRATE as possible
WIRELINE LOGS
Do not worry about what
MAKE EVALUATE order the 'chunks' come in
POROPERM
ISOCHORE MAPS
Include whole project
ANALYSE
initially
SAMPLE CORRELATE
MIN & PET CORES WELLS Don't expect to 'get it
right' first time
DEPTH MATCH
AGAINST LOGS Encourages strategic
DETAILS FOR LATER USE thinking by team
Point-count thin sections
Analyse by XRD
Prepare thin sections
14. Hints on identifying activities
Chose meaningful
description
EVALUATE
ZONE • Each activity should
RESERVOIR
CORES CALIBRATE have name which
WIRELINE LOGS
contains active verb
MAKE EVALUATE and object
ISOCHORE MAPS POROPERM
Include activities which
ANALYSE SAMPLE CORRELATE might not involve much
MIN & PET CORES WELLS effort, but incorporate
waiting time
DEPTH MATCH
AGAINST LOGS Not helpful to get bogged
down in excessive detail
DETAILS FOR LATER USE
Point-count thin sections Also avoid excessive
Analyse by XRD generalisation
Prepare thin sections
15. Plan: ‘a graphical representation of
work to be carried out - a network
Location & ordering of
activities indicates
precedence only
no “looping”
displayed in precedence diagram(s)
shows procedural relationships
• which need to precede
• which can be done concurrently
activities/relationships identified; ambiguity avoided
an effective means of communication
16. Important Events
Activity 2
Activity 1
Burst
Activity 3
Activity A
Activity C Merge
Activity B
Helpful in determining Milestones
‘Nesting’
Networks
18. 1.
ESTABLISH
OBJECTIVES
Define resource availability
2. Identify critical path
Review, revise and agree
PLAN
project schedule
SCHEDULE
19. Critical Activity
vs. Critical Path Activity
Critical Activity
‘activity whose successful completion is
essential to overall success of project’
- formulating geological model
- permeabilities
- relative permeabilities
Critical Path Activity
‘activity whose late completion will delay
completion date of project’
20. Milestone Plan
Measuring points within project
Also decision points
Activities
Milestones
Start End
Result path
21. Prepare a Project Definition
Document
A statement of understanding
• to commence project planning
• to avoid overlap or omission
Important part of documentation
• projects may run for longer than postings
• basic reading for any newcomers
Purpose, scope, objectives,
constraints
Activity descriptions, Essential for a
precedence diagrams, Virtual Team
schedule, milestones
22. 1. Monitor progress against
plan
ESTABLISH
OBJECTIVES
Precedence diagram
2.
PLAN
Gantt chart
Relatively straightforward, but
3.
SCHEDULE
who should be responsible?
CONTROL
23. Why we work on some activities
Interesting?
boss is very interested?
know how to do – experience?
on top of ‘in basket’?
data are readily available?
‘in the mood’
important (critical
activity)?
critical path
activity?
24. Monitoring The ‘S’-curve
against cost Budget
total
Traditional
methods not Planned forecast
suited spend
Timesheeting
actual spend
may not be
sufficient Low value
assigned to
WIP
Cost £K
high value
assigned to
WIP
Simple cost vs.
achievement
method works well
Achievement £K
25. 1.
ESTABLISH
OBJECTIVES Loss of knowledge during
Field Development
2.
PLAN
3.
SCHEDULE Time
Technical reporting
4. • collection of viewgraphs rarely
CONTROL
enough!
CAPTURE
Project templates
LESSONS
27. Objectives less clear at
start of study?
May be critical in
designing the
study correctly
Approach:
Carry out mini-project with objective ‘formulate
detailed objectives of study’
Include activities in network diagram – ‘refine
objectives’ or ‘define additional objectives’
28. Greater
uncertainty as to
approaches to be
taken?
Suggestions:
identify key uncertainties explicitly in precedence
diagrams
• yes/no
• approach #1 or approach #2
• ‘define approach’
plan and schedule critical alternatives
29. Uncertain activity durations
data integration
history matching
development options +
geological uncertainty
Approach:
where uncertainty will
have significant impact on
overall schedule, make
three estimates and assess
effect
30. Greater potential for ‘recycling’
back to an earlier activity
new data from field
information from other fields in basin
improvements in technology
Approach:
identify events that could yield new data
include relevant activities in network diagram
as reminder to stay alert
31. Magnitude of expenditure much less
Need for full-time Project Management staff
difficult to justify
Approach:
train personnel in PM techniques
give ‘lead’ in planning to committed person
use part-time Project Planner
• initial planning
• periodic updates
32. No formal quality control
programmes
Approach:
avoid need for ‘shortcuts’ at end of project
create basis for quality checks through
detailed planning & documentation
conduct external audits at milestones
33. Geological Strategies
Agree specific guidelines
Make results accessible
Reservoir description as simple as
possible but no simpler
Define 'degrees of freedom' in
geological model
Don't underestimate uncertainty
Make use of subsurface analogues
34. Strategies for reservoir engineers
Give geologist specific guidelines
Ensure that assumptions are reasonable
History matching should be collaborative
Revisit geological model prior to acting on
recommendations
35. ‘Designer’ formats: useful Virtual
integration methods
important relationships are
subtle
standard displays are too
‘busy’
• e.g. CPIs; welltest
interpretations, core
descriptions
what needs to be integrated
varies
people ‘see’ results
differently
Design formats for entire
team
36. Team-building
Are ‘team-building’ events really
worthwhile?
Best ‘team-building’ is working
together on an important, well-
defined problem!
Appropriate planning at outset
will benefit all stages of team
work
Virtual
37. Merely forming a Virtual
team doesn't
ensure success -
in integration or
otherwise!
39. Modifications of basic PM
approaches for integrated
reservoir studies
Basic PM courses are just a starting point?
• R&D PM approach
• ‘Rolling Wave’ planning
Using ‘PM’ software is not enough
• fixed dates, Gantt chart displays, rather than
focussing initially on precedences
More effort to ‘capture the lessons’
