Introduction
There are a variety of reasons why DWOPs are required:
- Increasing scrutiny from the regulatory bodies to ensure that operator’s discharge their duties by conducting due diligence.
- Oil company Well Delivery-Assurance Process that require DWOPs.
- It makes good business sense.
i-DWOPs (improvement DWOPs) also focus unashamedly on performance.
Clients tend to opt for either a DWOP or an i-DWOP, with some clients asking for a DWOP early in the programme and an i-DWOP as the team drills and completes more wells. There is no reason why a client wouldn’t choose an i- DWOP from the start, except that it requires a lot more preparation and discipline.
Difference between a DWOP and an i-DWOP
Drill-well-on-paper (DWOP) is a term that grew through the application of the Technical Limit methodology, which was pioneered by Woodside Petroleum in the mid-1990s. The methodology has been given a variety of names: Shell called it DTL (Drill the Limit) before renaming it Delivering-the-Limit, in recognition of the fact that it about more than ‘just Drilling’. BP called it ‘Tech Limits’ or ‘Tech Limit’. BG called it TVD (Total Value Drilling). TOTAL’s version is called DIP (Drilling Improvement Process) etc.,
rp² have worked with the TL pioneers and all the companies above (and more) and have developed our own tailored offering, Living the Limit.
The original Technical Limit approach had a strong focus on determining theoretical ‘perfect Well’ times, some companies deriving this with an exhaustive ‘engineering’ approach (review of offsets and previous well data) and others using an ‘ask the experts’ by involving the crew/operatives, and often a mix of the two.
However, there has been a dilution of this approach, for a variety of reasons. Nowadays, some DWOPs may not include a single reference to ‘performance’.
An i-DWOP is exactly what it says, and includes a strong focus on performance. It will always include a ‘performance module’ where we (re)introduce some of the critical thinking that is required if teams are to maximise their performance. It will always look back at what lessons have been learnt, and if there is recent team history, it will include discussion on the key learning as it would apply to the forward plan.
The more disciplined clients will use our Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) at their DWOPs. These are similar in layout to the Look-Ahead (LAH) that a Drilling Supervisor would use to plan business and are often derived from the LAH. At the DWOP, the WBS will be discussed in the group-work, with comments added on ‘off critical activity’ and so on.
At an i-DWOP, the WBS will be also be used to stimulate discussion about the ‘perfect time’. Reference times will be provided, and the groups challenged to come up with their own ‘perfect time’. Whilst the times can be quite subjective, the value lies in the conversations about what’s possible and what we need to make it happen.
In summary, an i-DWOP takes us back to the original methodology and unleashes its potential.
Why use us
We commonly hear of clients who undertake to manage DWOPs, CWOPs and other essential meetings internally or using non-oilfield generalist facilitators. Typically, by the time a client contacts us the following concerns will have become apparent:
- Meetings have become routine, drab and lack sparkle – “death on legs”.
- Some strong personalities are allowed to dominate proceedings.
- Key team members have started to miss meetings.
- Facilitators/organisers start to resent the time and effort required to organise the meetings.
- Meeting outcomes are no longer properly captured, actions lack owners and so are not closed out efficiently, if at all.
Often operators cannot remember the reasons that DWOPs were adopted in the first place. The benefits of a well-run, rp²-facilitated workshop include:
- Better team dynamics due to a genuine interest in every voice.
- Complete capture of all questions, lessons learnt, challenges etc.
- Improved idea generation due to motivated delegates.
- Report delivered promptly with LOG sheet of actions and lessons learnt properly assigned with responsible persons and deadlines.
- The facilitator does the donkey-work of preparation, organisation and closes out, leaving the clients team to design the well and prepare the work programme.
- The facilitator can be as firm as is required to get delegates into line without fear of spoiling a working relationship.
This document summarises how we do our DWOPs and i-DWOPs, what you get for your money.
HOW WE DO DWOPs and i-DWOPs
Don’t mistake our DWOPs for a typical “Enhanced Pre-spud” meeting, which is normally conducted a short while before the start of operations, where a few personnel from the Service Companies are invited to a crowded meeting room to “learn” more about the programme. Little surprise that those kinds of meetings generate precious little discussion; they are very much “one way”.
World-class teams use our professionally-facilitated DWOPs instead, making the (separate) ‘pre-spud’ a short meeting held on the rig for all personnel, or a meeting held immediately prior to spud to assure that we have our ducks in a row.
Our DWOP workshops are used to engage as many personnel as possible (particularly the well-site team), to review and improve the programme, whilst there is still time to do something with their input. Nowadays, that includes the obligation to ensure that the risk and mitigations have been discussed.
Attendees :
Oil Company personnel: Drilling Supt, Drilling Engineers, Drilling Supv (Day & Night), Wellsite Drilling Engineers, Logistics personnel (rig and office), Ops Geologist (at the very least), HSE Advisor.
Service Company co-ordinators are invited, but the real value lies in the attendance of wellsite personnel: the cementer, directional-driller, e-line engineer, casing hands, mud engineer etc.,
From the Drilling Contractor, attendees should include Toolpusher, Driller, Asst Driller and could include Derrickmen and Roustabout Foremen. For offshore installations, this should also include Subsea Engineer, Barge Master, DPO (for DP vessels), Crane Operator.
Typical Format :
After the project and safety aspirations are presented, the subsurface objectives and the well design are explained (including risks & opportunities), before breaking into focused groups to discuss the programme/plan in more detail. Typical group material is logistics, drilling various hole sections, casing running & cementing, BOP running and other surface equipment work, formation evaluation (FEWD, coring, logging), flat-spot optimisation (e.g off-critical path); anything that you see is important.
If new/unfamiliar technologies are being used then the Service Co often presents these. We have a template that we email out to ensure that we focus on what’s important.
There are brainstorming sessions as a group and on an individual (onto paper), the latter allowing for the quieter, shy and/or junior delegates to participate. After 2-4 hours of review, everyone comes back together and discusses the top 3-5 items of each group. All items are captured. Typically, 60-80 items are raised.
Additional content :
The more determined clients use Supervisor Alignment Sessions and/or our tailored “Awakening Seminar” to inject additional passion and motivation into the programme. This removes any concern that people may have in participating. Our i-DWOPs include an abridged version of; depending on team maturity this ranges from 20 minutes to 2 hours.
Additional content (i-DWOP): Recent performance will be discussed, and Service Co and Drilling Co are involved in presenting ‘recent learning and how it applies to the forward plan’.
The workshops are always conducted in an informal, fun manner. You will see and feel the team spirit.
WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY
You will get a professionally organised and facilitated Workshop. The planning, facilitation and post-Workshop typing will be done by us so that your engineers can focus on the core business.
You will need to appoint a single point of contact for us to funnel all correspondence and communicate with. Once you commit in writing, a kick-off discussion will be held (remotely) with your focal point.
We set up the Excel planning workbooks to cover :
⇒ Agenda.
⇒ Attendee List … People to invite plus response tracking.
⇒ Conference Venue Identification and checklist.
⇒ Preliminary groupings.
⇒ List of material required for the day.
We then :
⇒ Work with you to get all the above in place, advising on venues, agendas and so on.
⇒ Assist you in selecting the best date (to tie in with rig-crew normally).
⇒ Keep the workbook up to date.
⇒ Issue invitations … Preferably a minimum of 4 weeks before the DWOP.
⇒ Track responses.
⇒ Brief presenters (we have a series of templates for this).
⇒ Issue pre-read.
Nearer the time, we mobilise to your office, at least 2 full working days beforehand to :
⇒ Compile presentations from presenters.
⇒ Pull together all the work material that the groups need.
⇒ Chase up attendees.
⇒ Liaise with the venue on numbers.
⇒ Check out the venue, AV set up, room layout etc.
⇒ Prepare badges, sign-in sheets, feedback questionnaires etc.
⇒ Finalise the list of technical questions for the groups.
Depending on the content of the DWOP, we will :
⇒ Ensure a Lookahead/Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is available.
⇒ Review Risk Assessment and ensure relevant sections will be tabled at the DWOP For an i-DWOP, we often help the client:
⇒ Ensure lessons learnt have been tabled (we can help you use our LOG format).
⇒ Ensure the WBS has reference ‘perfect times’ in it On the day we will:
⇒ Facilitate the event.
⇒ Ensure all the actions are captured.
⇒ Ensure participation of all attendees.
⇒ Ensure the event runs to time.
Afterwards (typically the next day), we will locate to your office and:
⇒ Type up the output (see below).
⇒ Then review it with your team, update it.
⇒ Handover copies of all material used, presentations given.
Typical output from a DWOP is :
⇒ Updated well programmes and procedures.
⇒ LOG of actions (LOG is our action tracker).
⇒ Updated Work Breakdown Structure.
- i-DWOP will likely furnish ‘perfect times’.
- As an option, an i-DWOP can be used to develop mini-KPIs (e.g. casing joints per hour).
⇒ Workshop Feedback Questionnaire.
⇒ Full report (including photographs).
