Abstract Exploration and Production Professionals are always concerned with setting and optimizing field development plans (FDP). Setting field development plan is not an easy task; it usually requires full knowledge and integration between almost all technical disciplines to build a robust plan with optimum alternatives. Technology is a key, and it has a significant impact of reservoir development. Its impact was proved and identified in previous researches already but has never been quantified before. In this paper, a new methodology to quantify significance of technology is introduced using artificial neural network.
Significance of applied technology is well-proved on field development. Using reservoir-related technology (e.g. 4D seismic, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), Conformance techniques… etc.) or well-related technology (e.g. smart wells, stimulations, artificial lifting… etc.) are believed to have significant impact on recovered hydrocarbon volumes and consequently the overall field development. However these factors cannot be evaluated directly for their impact on field development – there is a pattern but not recognized yet and that's why significance of technology on field development is not quantified till now.
In this research, more than 300 fields’ data have been used from many regions (US, Europe, Middle East and Africa) to give wide applicability of the model. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been used to recognize the pattern relating different "technology" to "field development". After the research, many key observations have been concluded; there were many fields’ types that were found very sensitive for specific technology more than others, other fields were found to have preferable technologies than others (i.e. well stimulation was more beneficial than other well technologies, in certain cases), and eventually statistical reviews, comparisons and conclusions for technologies had been deployed and its significance on field development for different regions.
This research introduces a new concept of quantifying technology and its impact on field development using a new application of ANN in petroleum industry. This paper is not only giving technical recommendations based on significance of each technology but also giving strategic insights for decision makers. E&P companies that are concerned with benchmarking technology should learn more about such approach, and follow guidelines provided so they can select the right technology for the right field.