Artificial Neural Network to Optimize Production

Created in 2009 by Harvard and The Anáhuac Mayab University graduates, Share Oil & Services Consulting Group was founded with the intention of playing a role in the advancement of Mexico as a technological center for the national and international oil and gas industry. Understanding the present need to encourage technological advancements in Mexico, and that technology innovation and production are key factors in measuring the value and success of oil companies in the world, Share Oil & Services recently opened a new research center in Mérida, Yucatán, in order to advance the company’s potential to contribute to the development of the oil and gas sector in Mexico.

The research center, known as Oficina de Desarollo e Investigación de Mérida (ODIM), is a state-of-the-art facility designed to produce high-end technology. A recent example of the solutions created at the center is a liquid sealant that solidifies when a crack or fissure is detected in a well or pipeline. This technology has been proven in other industries such as automotive, but was adapted for the oil industry by the company and has improved Pemex’s ability to prevent oil and gas leaks. Showing the diversity of the projects being handled at the research center, one of their most impressive technological innovations is the creation of an artificial neural network that functions as a brain, and allows the user to simulate di†erent scenarios based on the opinions of various experts. Share Oil & Services adapted this technology for Pemex, which uses the software for well management as a way to analyze and take faster decisions on the various di†erent scenarios and options for optimizing the production of a well. This technology, known inside Pemex as ‘Smart Tablets’, uses algorithms to recreate di†erent opinions and trends utilizing the expertise of past and present Pemex employees and, according to Share Oil & Services’ CEO, Jaime Gallegos Rosado, “helps combat brain drain and allows the optimization of resources, technology, and oil production.” Pemex has been testing these ‘Smart Tablets’ and their respective technological attachments. “Pemex has successfully utilized the technology in the intervention and monitoring of wells in the field of Abkatún, among others,” Gallegos Rosado explains.

“Our tablets have been so successful because not only do they monitor the performance of each well on a daily basis, but they create a digital diagram that allows Pemex to have all the information on one oil field or well stored in a database than can be analyzed for drilling, oil extraction, and production,” says Gallegos Rosado. This artificial neural network is a great technological advancement since it saves Pemex time and money due to the fact that it monitors the performance and/or problems of each well and gives an assessment of the productivity and potential of each field. According to Gallegos Rosado, “Pemex field directors no longer need to meet every Monday to review the performance of and problems at each well; they only haveto review the wells or fields that the smart tablet indicates.” As part of Share Oil & Services’ ambitious growth strategy, CEO Gallegos Rosado plans to attract young talent but hopes to always maintain his policy of having an 88% Mexican workforce. “Mexican engineers are very capable but lack opportunities,” he says. Moreover, as a way to foster the development of both Mexican engineers and the Mexican oil and gas market as a whole, Gallegos Rosado is opening a university where he plans to recruit students from the best universities and o†er a Master’s degree in Oil Production. His plan is to “prepare people in Mexico and Latin America and give them the necessary resources to eventually work at Share Oil & Services or other Mexican companies.” This plan will not only provided his company with much needed Mexican human capital, but will help him achieve his goal of making Mexico one of the leading technology hubs in the oil and gas industry. Even though Share Oil Services has mostly focused on the creation of Mexican technology for the country’s oil and gas sector, Gallegos Rosado explains that “Share Oil & Services is about more than just the development and production of technology; it brings together people with innovative ideas to create partnerships.” This strategy, originating from the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder and CEO, has led to discussions with five Norwegian companies, with the goal of creating a partnership as a means to learn from the Mexican oil market, approach Pemex, and eventually win contracts.