Rig Automation—Altering the Visage of the Oil Industry

Abstract

Abstract The most important and effective industry response to date has been to replace humans working in most treacherous areas with machines. Automobile industry added robotic arms in the production line long ago. In the oil industry, oil and gas drilling and completion operations, like automobile assembly line work, also used a great deal of repetitive motion that could be automated. Rig automation has the sole purpose to enhance safety and efficiency. Modularized rigs in terms of both hardware and software changes the interaction between rig personnel and equipment. Remote monitoring of this system makes this interaction more seamless. This technology transforms the drilling procedure from reactive to proactive thus saving downtime and reducing maintenance. But case studies have shown that this system is vulnerable to potential errors and can cause accidents unless overridden manually. When the pipe buckles downhole and the hole collapses as result of impact then drilling has to be seized. Can automation handle this? Sometimes there is unwanted deviation in the well path. How can automation counteract this? This paper discusses the pros of the technology not overlooking the cons.