Drilling systems automation has been dreamt about since the NADM automated drilling machine was constructed and operated in the early 1980’s. A technology before its time.
Drilling systems automation reappeared in the early 2000’s as an opportunity to realize game changing operations performance and safety in oil and gas drilling. Through periods of derision, experts toiled secretly in their respective companies and publicly through the SPE Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section (DSATS).
Initial advances came in individual systems such as directional drilling and rig floor mechanization. These delivered important performance benefits deriving primarily from more consistent operations. Recently, major advances have been published describing significant accomplishments in implementing systems integration platforms over control systems. Multiple companies have announced collaborations to accelerate digitalization enabling more advanced remote support and rig automation system input. The era of integrated automation drilling systems is upon us.
This presentation provides an overview of the status of implementing drilling systems automation with a short history and a brief forward look.
The format includes company names as now employed in SPE Tech Talks and approved by the SPE Technical Sections Manger (technicalsections@spe.org) under the caveat that inclusion does not mean endorsement and non-inclusion does not mean non-endorsement. The company names are included so viewers can pursue follow up as and where they see fit.