Boosting Productivity and Efficiency in Upstream Oil & Gas with Intelligent Field Ticket Software from Engage Mobilize

Boosting Productivity and Efficiency in Upstream Oil & Gas with Intelligent Field Ticket Software from Engage Mobilize

Technology permeates every aspect of the modern oilfield, from traditional SCADA systems to automated drilling rigs, high-tech multi-stage completions, remote operation of production equipment, Optical Gas Imaging for emissions monitoring, big data ERP systems and field service management software. In every major basin, Upstream E&P operators and oilfield service companies are leveraging technology to drive operational efficiencies and reduce costs. 

ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods acknowledged the critical role technology plays in the Energy sector in an interview with CNBC discussing his company’s recent $59.5 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. 

“We are challenging our technology organization to double the recovery rate…There are a number of emerging technologies that we are trialing in the field that we think will continue to improve the recovery rate, we’ve done a lot of work to reduce the cost of that recovery…applying that technology to Scott’s (Pioneer’s) portfolio allows us to more effectively recover more resources and do it cheaper.”

-Darren Woods, CEO, ExxonMobil

Woods effectively summed-up the Energy Tech value proposition – recover, handle and transport more resources to market at a lower cost. The most efficient operators enjoy lower finding and development costs, lower LOE and higher cash flow margins than their less productive peers. We call that a competitive advantage.

In this article, we cover how the Engage Mobilize field service management platform helps Oil & Gas operators and service providers generate operational efficiencies and boost productivity at every phase of the Oil & Gas asset lifecycle, from spud to plug.

Phases of the Oil and Gas Asset Lifecycle

There are three primary phases to the upstream Oil & Gas asset lifecycle:

1. Drilling and Completion: This phase involves the permitting, planning and drilling of new wells, and then preparing to turn them over to production. Priorities in this initial phase include efficient logistics management and maintaining the asset development schedule (drilling plan) for keeping capital costs as low as possible for generating the highest ROI. 
2. Production Phase: Once a well is producing, priorities turn to maintaining ongoing production through the decline curve by maximizing uptime and controlling Lease Operating Expense (LOE) to maximize cash flow and asset value. 
3. P&A Phase (Plugging & Abandoning): When a well reaches the end of its economic life, it must be safely decommissioned in compliance with state requirements.

Engage Mobilize technology can play an important role in every phase of the lifecycle to improve the efficiency, productivity, transparency and visibility of Oil & Gas field services.

Engage Mobilize during Drilling & Completion

The Engage Mobilize platform delivers critical support during the drilling and completion phase, notably in water logistics:

Frac Water Hauling and Logistics: Efficiently managing the logistics of water, including transport and delivery of clean water for well completions and then efficient handling and disposal of flowback water. Efficient movement of water both to and from well sites during this phase is crucial to hydraulic fracturing operations and meeting schedules. Operational bottlenecks can quickly threaten development drilling schedules and budgets. 

Engage E-Ticketing helps operators successfully manage water logistics in the drilling and completion phase of the Oil & Gas asset lifecycle. In one example, Engage Mobilize helped an operator realize a 20% reduction in cost per ticket for water hauling resulting in an estimated annual savings of $1.4 million. That kind of efficiency can have a significant positive impact on drilling economics.

Engage Mobilize during the Production Phase

A well can have a productive life of up to 30 years or more, involving a myriad of tasks over that span of time. The Engage Mobilize platform can simplify the management and delivery of water hauling and field services during the life of a well or facility from Initial Production to decommissioning. 

Produced Water Hauling: E-Ticketing streamlines the transportation of produced water from well sites and facilities, optimizing routes and schedules for environmentally responsible disposal. E-Ticketing helps operators reduce water hauling costs, increase transparency of field operations, enhance safety and improve financial visibility by making water dispatch and transport management more transparent and efficient. Importantly, E-Ticketing for produced water hauling can transform how people work and dramatically improve productivity, allowing dispatchers to focus on more complex, higher-value jobs. 

“We are seeing reduced hours per ticket by continuously (in real-time) monitoring our vendor routes which helps us maintain cost at or below budget in this inflated market.”
-Water Dispatch Foreman

Crude Hauling: Efficient and timely transportation of crude oil is crucial for maintaining production volumes, maximizing revenue and generating cash flow. E-Ticketing helps operators dramatically increase productivity, save time and mitigate risk by unifying them with service companies on a single, digital platform. E-ticketing can help reduce inefficient short hauls, increase crude load volumes and enhance safety by reducing miles driven. 

Workovers and Maintenance: Engage Mobilize aids in scheduling and executing workovers and maintenance activities, including roustabouts, automation techs, LDAR crews and other hourly services to maximize uptime and minimizing downtime.

Chemical Deliveries: Timely and accurate deliveries of chemicals required for various production processes are essential for operational continuity. Engage Mobilize has a proven solution for managing the procurement, inventory management and application of oil and gas chemical treatment. In one example, the Engage Mobilize platform helped an operator realize an average 22% reduction in gallons used. 

“We immediately today can see how effective our chemical treatment was yesterday, that’s powerful.”
-Jason Churchill, CEO of PetroLegacy

Engage Mobilize at End of Well Life

When a well reaches the end of its economic life, it must be Plugged & Abandoned (P&A) in a safe and timely manner. The Engage Mobilize platform simplifies the management of hourly services, roustabouts and workover rigs needed for P&A operations, ensuring safe and environmentally responsible closure of wells. Geofencing technology and GPS-enabled directions in the field friendly Engage Mobilize mobile app gives you complete visibility. Eliminating paper tickets dramatically streamlines field management processes from ticket to invoice, improving productivity and generating real-time data for optimizing operations.

Generating Efficiencies in the Back Office and Compliance

Although field service management (FSM) technology plays a critical role in achieving operational efficiencies and productivity in the field, the Engage Mobilize platform streamlines back-office workflows, too. 

Our E-Ticketing and E-Invoicing solutions eliminate paper field tickets and digitizes key back office and production accounting workflows, delivering these benefits among others: 

• Eliminate manual re-keying of data, removing process bottlenecks and minimizing human error. 
• Reduce time spent proofing tickets and reconciling invoices with automatic Missing Ticket Reports. 
• Upload validated fluids hauling volumes to production accounting systems automatically, dramatically speeding the availability of data for analytics and reporting. 

In addition, GPS capabilities provide actual miles driven by service companies, making Scope 3 emissions reporting easy. This functionality can also help meet compliance with lone worker regulations (stranded workers) and restricted road reporting. 

Analytics for Working Smarter

Power BI Dashboard. An important benefit of the Engage Mobilize platform is that a digitized workflow delivers not only improved productivity and efficiency, but it also generates a significant amount of data in real-time that can be leveraged.. The Engage Mobilize Power BI dashboard helps you organize the flow of data streaming in from the field and put it work helping interpret, analyze and use the information to spot trends, inefficiencies and optimize operations. 

Automating the Routine and Working Smarter. Digital workflows also offer the potential to automate routine tasks, driving efficiency and productivity to new levels. When the manual performance of routine and repetitive tasks is replaced with automated workflows, controls and digital processes, people have more time to use higher levels of cognitive brainpower. That brainpower can be used to analyze information, solve problems, develop new solutions, and adapt to changing conditions. 

Benefits of Engage Mobilize Software

The Engage Mobilize platform helps operators achieve new levels of efficiency and productivity at each phase of the Oil & Gas asset lifecycle by delivering these and other benefits:

Timely and Efficient Completion of Wells: The software streamlines logistics, helping avoid delays and ensures timely drilling and completion of development drilling programs (drilling plans).

Increased Productivity: By optimizing resource allocation and scheduling, productivity in the field is significantly enhanced.

Greater Efficiency: Efficient use of resources and streamlined operations lead to cost reductions and higher efficiency.

Reduced Costs (LOE - Lease Operating Expense): Lower operational expenses result in improved profitability and lower cost of recovering resources over the life of the well.

Lower Emissions (Scope 3): Engage Mobilize's software optimizes routes, leading to less windshield time and lower emissions, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Summary

The Oil & Gas asset lifecycle involves complex work processes, multiple capabilities and an array of service providers over the course of decades, from spud to plug. Leading E&P operators have turned to technology to not just manage operations more efficiently, but also to establish a competitive advantage. 

We expect the consolidation trend in the upstream sector to continue, and for technology to play an increasingly important role in realizing the operational synergies used to justify the valuations paid. As previously noted, the most efficient operators tend to be the most valuable, putting them in the driver’s seat of industry consolidation. 

Contact us today at (720) 575-6695 or Sales@engage-m.com to learn how Intelligent Field Automation Software from Engage Mobilize can help you achieve new levels of operational efficiency and create a competitive advantage.