CRITICAL ISSUES IN DRILLING & COMPLETIONS
Building “rigs of the future” is something
that all of us aspire to in Saudi Aramco,
and we are working with our partners to
achieve that. For the newbuilds, I would
like to see automation systems and rig
robotics, and smart power management
systems to help reduce carbon emissions.

Are there any upgrades that you
would like to see drilling contractors
make on existing rigs?
Start with low-hanging fruit such as
process automation. As mentioned ear-
lier, I would like to see the existing global
rig fleet being retrofitted with automation
systems that are integrated with the rig
control system to automate drilling and
connection activities, along with rig robot-
ics, to ultimately improve performance,
enhance safety and ensure consistency.

A lot of new AI and machine learning-
based systems have been developed
to help improve the efficiency of well
planning and drilling operations. What
do you see as the biggest roadblocks
to the widescale implementation of
these technologies ?
I believe that rig compatibility with new
AI and machine learning-based systems is
one of the main roadblocks to implement
and scale up these technologies. This also
applies to vendor-to-vendor system inte-
gration challenges. The industry needs to
adopt new standards for integrating digital
systems to speed up the adoption of these
novel AI and machine learning-based sys-
tems. AI and rigs automation will comple-
ment each other to achieve the best of all.

Can you talk about any projects in
which automation and digital tech-
nologies have demonstrated value in
your work at Saudi Aramco?
I can highlight two projects that have
had an impact and demonstrated value in
our operations in Saudi Aramco. The first
one is drilling automation systems; these
systems have been deployed on some of
our rigs and enabled us to drill better, safer
and more consistent wells.

In addition, we have a digital stuck pipe
prevention solution, which was developed
Saudi Aramco believes the integration of AI and machine learning-based tech-
nologies with the rig control system, as well as vendor-to-vendor system integra-
tion, remains a significant challenge. Having standards for such integration could
help to speed up the adoption of those new technologies across the industry.

in-house to have real-time monitoring and
insights of downhole conditions, which
will improve the decision-making process
to avert possible stuck-pipe incidents.

If we look at well completions specifi-
cally, what do you see as the biggest
challenges and technology gaps?
The biggest challenge is the time it
takes to deploy completion systems with
smart technologies in deeper extended-
reach wells and the challenge to de-com-
plete them in case of failures. A good
example of this is the recent installation
of modified level 5 completion in some of
our fields with dual PDHMS (permanent
downhole monitoring systems) and ESPs.

How can drilling contractors assist
with your carbon reduction efforts?
We would like drilling contractors to
adopt the latest technologies for measur-
ing and controlling carbon emissions.

This can be done through deploying smart
power management systems, proven fuel
catalysts and energy storage systems.

What is your vision for the future of
drilling, say, 20 years from now? How
would you like to see drilling engineer-
ing change during that time?
In the coming two decades, the drill-
ing industry will undergo a revolution-
ary transformation, where foundational
principles will merge seamlessly with
pioneering technologies. The core values
of safety, environmental stewardship and
operational efficiency will remain para-
mount, while cutting-edge innovations
such as automation, robotics, AI and ener-
gy integration will revolutionize the drill-
ing industry.

As for drilling engineering, I see this
domain evolving significantly, where engi-
neers will embrace new well completion
methods utilizing non-metallic materials,
harnessing advanced real-time simulation
tools and embracing autonomous drilling
practices. Further, as the industry transi-
tions into the digital era, our industry
must cultivate an environment conducive
to attracting and retaining diverse talent,
focusing on long-term career growth for
professionals with strong STEM skill sets.

The blend of enabled workforce, vision-
ary leadership and global responsibility
will define the future of drilling. DC
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D R I LLI N G CO N T R ACTO R • JAN UARY/FEB RUARY 2024
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