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The Importance of Applying Digital Tools

Janeth Jaimes - Schlumberger
Digital Manager for Mexico and Central America

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Pedro Alcalá By Pedro Alcalá | Senior Journalist & Industry Analyst - Mon, 07/26/2021 - 15:39

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Q: How did the pandemic change how you implement digital tools in the company’s operations? 

A: The priority during any implementation of our solutions has been the preservation of our employees’ health. Now, the reality is that we had already built and had the experience implementing new work processes using digital technology before the pandemic, with our DELFI cognitive E&P environment. Before the pandemic, I am not sure we really understood the stakes of applying those technologies or fully appreciated the economic gains and growth that this digital environment could provide to industry. This led to a general shift in the mindset of the company, regarding the urgency to provide our clients the capabilities to use digital technology. The degree to which some of these digital technologies have been implemented varies by country, so adaptations and customizations have been necessary. However, the favorable macroeconomic effects of digitalization, and of the use of a digital ecosystem and tool technology, became apparent almost immediately.

Q: How have digitalization projects in Mexico accelerated as a result of the events in 2020?   

A: Our portfolio of digital projects in Mexico was already quite extensive, even before the pandemic started. This portfolio had to be modified to some extent as a result of the events of 2020: Projects that were heavily focused on remote operations and decentralized decision-making processes had to be prioritized as our employees began working from home. We considered field and on-site operations to reduce on-site crew size while still maintaining operational continuity, building new levels of instrumentation, automation, and autonomy directly into the existing drilling operations.

One example of this transition is the implementation of digital twins, which enable remote work. Another example, was the accelerated adoption of a virtual environment for a project, with more than 50 experts from different specialties and working remotely around the world, working through this pandemic with no interruptions and deep collaboration by identifying and de-risking exploration opportunities, adding ML algorithms for time reduction in specific workflows supported by DELFI environment. This exploration process increases effectiveness by at least 30%. 

Q: What elements are needed in Mexico’s oil and gas industry to accelerate the use of digital platforms?  

A: The situation in Mexico is interesting in this regard. One of the areas where we can accelerate the use of digital technologies are in data handling, security and processing. The way data moves throughout oil and gas assets in Mexico present us a few areas of opportunities concerning data management, infrastructure and security. This is normal considering the maturity of many Mexican oil and gas assets and facilities. Fortunately, more and more companies are co-developing new digital platforms to improve data handling processes. 

To address these important elements, Schlumberger has expanded its partnership with strategic companies like Microsoft, to continue introducing and increasing the use of its industry-first, AI-enhanced cloud-native solution “DELFI” through the OSDU™ Data Platform. This partnership will allow us to expand the use of cloud-based technologies in Mexico despite existing obstacles. The most important thing for our clients and for us, when it comes to using cloud-based technologies, is reliability and security. Data must always be accessible and secure in any situation.

Q: What are the most important aspects of your future strategy in the development of digital tools? 

A: As you know Schlumberger had technology as a core pillar to its strategy from the day the company was born. This has shaped us the way we are today and enabled us to catch the digital transformation wagon early on. We expanded our already extensive technology center network and strengthened it with two digitally dedicated ones. Another important aspect in staying ahead of the curve, is to remain humble, realizing that we don’t have all the answers, that’s why we have developed strategic partnership with the right technology providers as well as with our clients through co-development solutions, to tackle our industry’s present and future challenges.

 

Schlumberger is a technology company that partners with customers to access energy. With people representing over 160 nationalities, in more than 120 countries, that provide leading digital solutions and deploy innovative technologies to enable performance and sustainability for the global energy industry.

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