Field development is a complicated process involving a multitude of disciplines, technologies and workflows. The typical approach to field development is long, fragmented and costly. This is due to set process and work flows with limited flexibility, inefficient tools and transfer of information, uncertainty of required scope for each phase and the management of multiple contractors.

An example of this is a stage gate process, where regardless of the size of the prospect the same set work tasks and deliverables are required to pass to the next phase, generally no assurance is performed upfront to determine the actual requirements. Another example is field development tools, which are used in isolation from reservoir simulation to flow assurance/facilities design with limited integration, which leads to the inefficient transfer of data and a reduction in accuracy.

The above causes unnecessarily long schedules, repetition in scope and results in sub-optimal technical solution and project economics. The requirement to transfer and interpret information between multiple parties and stages (internal and external) creates unnecessary complexity and introduces additional risk to the final technical solution.

This paper will demonstrate the value of an Integrated Field Development approach for a large Deepwater gas condensate development offshore Australia, and how this approach can dramatically reduce duration, improve accuracy, lower contingency and maximize the economics of a project. It shows the clear advantages of facilities engineers working closely with subsurface, drilling and completions and will highlight some of the key features that make the Integrated Field Development approach a success.