US oilfield services heavyweight Halliburton has secured a major contract with Petrobras to develop a digital twin system for a giant pre-salt field offshore Brazil.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of an oil and gas field and its facilities – including wells – that uses real-time data to improve the performance of reservoirs and equipment.
According to Halliburton, the digital twin will help the Petrobras-led consortium in charge of the Mero field in the Santos basin to reduce capital expenditure, accelerate production times and improve crude oil recovery rate using new insights in a real-time environment.
Halliburton will develop an integrated and dynamic digital twin of the production system, including the reservoir, wells and subsea network.
Petrobras is currently producing in Mero via the Guanabara floating production, storage and offloading vessel.
A second unit, the Sepetiba FPSO, is scheduled to produce first oil in the next few days, to be followed by the Marechal Duque de Caxias FPSO in 2024 and the Alexandre de Gusmao FPSO in 2025.
The digital twin will bring together asset sensors, data and models, including 4D seismic, and smart completion systems.
“This dynamic system will empower the consortium with comprehensive, continuous insight around optimisation opportunities, cost reduction potential, and uncertainty migration throughout the asset lifecycle,” said Halliburton’s head of digital solutions and consulting Nagaraj Srinivasan.
Petrobras operates Mero with a 40% stake and is partnered by European supermajors Shell and TotalEnergies on 20% each, while China National Petroleum Corporation and CNOOC Ltd hold 10% each.
The field is estimated to hold 3.3 billion barrels of oil in recoverable reserves, with natural gas to be reinjected back into the reservoir to maximise crude output.
Source: Upstream Online