Automation on the agenda

Automation of more exploration activity remains a desire, and mechanization is a part of the journey, industry experts said on 4 February 2010 at IADC/SPE Drilling Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans.

‘Automation started with mechanization,’ said Tim Juran, an SVP at Seadrill.

David Payne, Chevron’s global drilling and completion VP, said the industry now sees much more mechanization than true automation. ‘Mechanization does set the stage for automation.’ There may be some practical reasons for that. For instance, Payne noted, automated processes may be less efficient though safer.

‘It makes us uncomfortable when we start handing over functions to a computer,’ he added. But by making one segment of workers safer – such as the roughnecks – other segments may face more risk. Lyndol Dew, Diamond Offshore Drilling’s SVP for worldwide operations, said there has been a shift in injuries from roughnecks to the maintenance team.

Hermann Spoerker, head of well engineering at OMV, echoed some of Payne’s concerns.

‘When we start thinking about automating something below the rotary table, we get very hesitant,’ he said, noting that while a plane could probably fly without a pilot, not many would choose to ride in such a plane. ‘I think the oil industry is there now.’

Efforts to automate are also not focused on certain key areas but should be, Payne said, such as pit cleaning.

Dew said the history of dynamic positioning shows the industry can indeed move from a manual task to a fully automated one.

‘We need mechanization. I think the way forward is automation. But we’re not there yet,’ Dew added.

by: Jennifer Pallanich,
jpallanich@offshore-engineer.com