Shell
Energy
Case Study

How We Fueled Shell's Digital Oilfield Transformation

We helped Shell design and startup up a new digital oilfield by defining the work processes, people responsibilities, data feed and technology needed to operate Shell’s 1st Smart Field® on a remote island.

$50k
Under Budget
28 Days
Under Budget

Challenges

Shell wanted to build a new oilfield with Insert Fuel. This required the latest tech and impossible engineering. We had to inject water 24/7 into the wells to produce oil. The plant needed 95% uptime at an insanely high water purity level of 90ppm. Never been done before in the industry.

This required intricate data availability, advanced robotics, and real-time collaboration from specialists around the world. Response time needed to be in minutes, not days. To complicate things, this was a legacy oilfield from the 1920s. Poor infrastructure. On a remote island.

24/7 Uptime Availability
Highly Complex Requirements

Solutions

We got involved at an early stage consulting on digital strategy when the financial decision was being made to justify the entire oilfield investment. We defined the budget and field management plan, including operating policies and requirements for successful launch.

People and Process

  • We defined standard operating procedures
  • We wrote job responsibilities for personnel
  • We helped train people on how to mange the field
  • We aligned on protocols for exception handing, decision making, troubleshooting and remote control
  • We revamped work processes to be more efficient, taking a lot of waste out of the process to cut corners

Data and Technology

  • We learned what data was needed to monitor the uptime and availability of the wells
  • We then connected data and interfaces
  • We designed the user experience and built the technology and infrastructure needed

Delivery Leadership

  • We led the entire project and managed several local and remote delivery teams
  • We negotiated with hardware suppliers in Norway
  • We delivered ahead of schedule and under budget

Change Management

  • We coached people what it means to work as a virtual team and operate in the new normal
  • We helped commission and startup the field
  • We trained people to get them comfortable
  • We held people's hands through the change
  • We stayed behind to monitor and ensure results
  • We created a maintenance and support program
  • Finally, we trained locals to take over after we left

Highlights

No items found.

Results

A swooping transformation took place across the lines of people, process and technology that enabled the new oilfield to operate with speed and agility.

The main deliverable was multiple collaborative work environment facilities, connecting the field and office for real-time collaboration, troubleshooting, and data sharing.

With Insert Fuel's help, Shell was able to maintain high production yield with record-breaking uptime, avoiding costly upsets that would disrupt country relations. 1 in every 5 lightbulbs in Tokyo were powered by Shell...so you can imagine.

Shell reports the project paid for itself within 6 months — extremely fast positive ROI. Soon after, Insert Fuel was engaged to perform the same work in Malaysia, Australia, Holland and Saudi Arabia to replicate this success story as the new “gold” standard for digital oilfields worldwide.

This is how a new digital oilfield was fueled to life.

Results

A swooping transformation took place across the lines of people, process and technology that enabled the new oilfield to operate with speed and agility.

The main deliverable was multiple collaborative work environment facilities, connecting the field and office for real-time collaboration, troubleshooting, and data sharing.

With Insert Fuel's help, Shell was able to maintain high production yield with record-breaking uptime, avoiding costly upsets that would disrupt country relations. 1 in every 5 lightbulbs in Tokyo were powered by Shell...so you can imagine.

Shell reports the project paid for itself within 6 months — extremely fast positive ROI. Soon after, Insert Fuel was engaged to perform the same work in Malaysia, Australia, Holland and Saudi Arabia to replicate this success story as the new “gold” standard for digital oilfields worldwide.

This is how a new digital oilfield was fueled to life.

Insert Fuel was tasked with the conceptual design, detailed planning and executive phase for the creation of a Collaborative Work Environment (CWE) for the Darat asset. The team displayed outstanding skills in the areas of project management, stakeholder engagement, process analysis and team leadership. During the design phase, Insert Fuel mastered, mapped out and then simplified complex workflows and interface needs. Their experts were very knowledgeable about well and reservoir management processes and tools. They lead a dispersed team displaying superlative project management skills which resulted in the project being delivered on schedule and under budget.

John Church
John Church
Development Lead
John Church
Development Lead

Results

A swooping transformation took place across the lines of people, process and technology that enabled the new oilfield to operate with speed and agility.

The main deliverable was multiple collaborative work environment facilities, connecting the field and office for real-time collaboration, troubleshooting, and data sharing.

With Insert Fuel's help, Shell was able to maintain high production yield with record-breaking uptime, avoiding costly upsets that would disrupt country relations. 1 in every 5 lightbulbs in Tokyo were powered by Shell...so you can imagine.

Shell reports the project paid for itself within 6 months — extremely fast positive ROI. Soon after, Insert Fuel was engaged to perform the same work in Malaysia, Australia, Holland and Saudi Arabia to replicate this success story as the new “gold” standard for digital oilfields worldwide.

This is how a new digital oilfield was fueled to life.

Insert Fuel was tasked with the conceptual design, detailed planning and executive phase for the creation of a Collaborative Work Environment (CWE) for the Darat asset. The team displayed outstanding skills in the areas of project management, stakeholder engagement, process analysis and team leadership. During the design phase, Insert Fuel mastered, mapped out and then simplified complex workflows and interface needs. Their experts were very knowledgeable about well and reservoir management processes and tools. They lead a dispersed team displaying superlative project management skills which resulted in the project being delivered on schedule and under budget.

John Church
Development Lead
$50k
Under Budget
28 Days
Under Budget
28 Days
Ahead of Schedule
28 Days
Ahead of Schedule

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