Introduction to

DWOPs

Introduction
The benefits of a DWOP

We’ve mentioned different benefits earlier in the article, but for clarity, here’s a list:

1. There’s increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies. A comprehensive DWOP shows the
operators commitment to due diligence.
2. Most oil companies’ well delivery-assurance processes require DWOPs.
3. Potential exposures are identified in advance so that they don’t turn into actual losses.
4. With hundreds of years of experience in one room, the fresher experts can learn from those that
have ‘seen everything’.
5. Lessons learned from a broad variety of experiences get shared in the context of the current
project.
6. Opportunities to avoid non-productive time (NPT) are identified.
7. The sheer number of years of experience between delegates will include first-hand advice
about most well control and production situations.
8. The act of a dry run with the same people that you’ll be dealing with in stress situations aids
mental preparation and helps you to understand the personality mix.
9. New experts and advisors can be brought in to cover specific concerns in advance, rather than
once a challenge presents itself in the field.
10. Decisions get made with the luxury of time and thought through without fear of consequences;
this is different to a real-time decision on the rig.
11. Ground rules and understandings are implemented for improved communication flow and
decision-making hierarchy between different companies on different payrolls.
The workshop

As previously mentioned, the decision makers and stakeholders from the operator, drilling
contractor, service contractors and equipment providers all join together in one room but
initially stay in groups. Each team independently goes over the steps of the drill plan. They
identify areas for improvement and further discussion. They also set targets and goals
measures in both financial and time measurements.

Then, all groups join together to share their findings and goals. There are always dozens of
ideas, grey areas and potential challenges, none of which are identified by all groups.
Together, new steps and solutions are formulated, which result in a goal setting and target
consensus.

Sometimes, two separate steps can be combined to increase efficiency substantially. Other
times failure points get identified in original plans, that would have a high probability of a
critical incident. Occasionally, an entirely different type of rig or drilling process gets chosen.

The primary measure of performance is the number of days to get to each stage of the well.
After all, by far the most significant cost involved is the daily cost of the rig and crew.
Together, the group estimates the technical limit, which is the theoretical amount of time to
create the ‘perfect well.’ Then, based on previous experience in the shortfall between ‘actual’
and ‘perfect’, a benchmark is established, perhaps at 80% of the technical limit. Now,
everyone concerned knows what they need to achieve to be at the pinnacle of the industry,
with one eye on perfection.

There are a variety of reasons why DWOPs are required:

1. Increasing scrutiny from the regulatory bodies to ensure that operator’s

discharge their duties by conducting due diligence.

2. Oil company Well Delivery-Assurance Process that require DWOPs.

3. 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 program 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

maximize 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.

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/organizers start to resent the time and effort required to

organize 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.

closes out, leaving the clients team to design the well and prepare the

work program.

• The facilitator can be as firm as is required to get delegates into line

without fear of spoiling a working relationship.

This document summarizes how we do our DWOPs and i-DWOPs, what you

get for your money.

HOW WE DO DWOPs and i-DWOPs

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 program. 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 program, 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 program/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 optimization (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

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

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 :

⇒ 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 mobilize 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 programs 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).