Smart Field: Digital Transformation of the Airankol Oil Field

Caspiy Neft JSC implemented the Smart Field program to digitalize operations at the Airankol oil field and improve the efficiency of production management.

Commercial development of the field began in 2000. As reserves matured and the field entered a later stage of development, the company began looking for new technological approaches that could help maintain production levels and improve asset performance.

From Automation to a Digital Oil Field

The Smart Field project was launched in 2017 with the development of geological and hydrodynamic reservoir models, modernization of production facilities, and implementation of automation technologies.

By 2022, the project had been completed and the company’s core business processes had been digitalized.

According to Caspiy Neft, Smart Field contributed to a 10% increase in oil production and extended the production plateau by another five years at more than 900,000 tonnes of oil per year.

For a mature field at a late stage of development, these results represented a significant operational achievement.

Four Levels of Smart Field Management

The intelligent Smart Field environment is built around several interconnected management cycles.

Real-time monitoring provides continuous visibility into production facilities and enables remote supervision from the field operations control center. This approach helps maintain reliable and safe operations.

The short-term cycle supports planning for the coming days and weeks. Operational data is analyzed to determine appropriate well operating modes and support planned production targets.

For medium-term analysis, the company uses Oilfield Manager (OFM), which enables specialists to analyze field development and evaluate different reservoir operation scenarios.

Another important tool is the Well Portfolio Optimization (WPO) platform, which consolidates historical production data and information on well intervention activities.

Machine learning algorithms analyze this data and help determine suitable intervention options for individual wells while forecasting potential oil production.

According to the company, WPO helped increase the effectiveness of well interventions to 90%, while the average period between well repairs exceeded 1,200 days.

Long-term planning solutions are also used to support efficient reservoir development and more rational recovery of remaining reserves.

Economic Efficiency

The digital transformation project has been accompanied by improvements in the company’s overall operational efficiency.

In 2022, Caspiy Neft reported revenue of KZT 192.5 billion and tax payments of KZT 105.8 billion.

Over a ten-year period, the company paid KZT 536 billion in taxes and duties and invested KZT 77.3 billion in production modernization.

Developing Internal Expertise

Workforce development became another important component of Smart Field.

During implementation, Caspiy Neft worked with international technology providers including Honeywell, Emerson, and Schlumberger. Training local specialists to operate and maintain the new systems was one of the key objectives of this cooperation.

The company also launched the Caspiy Neft Bilim online learning platform, giving employees access to professional and technical training and enabling them to continuously develop their skills.

Social Responsibility

Alongside its technological development, Caspiy Neft has continued to invest in working conditions and social infrastructure.

The company built a 100-seat canteen and a new bath and laundry facility at the Airankol field, renovated accommodation with capacity for more than 150 employees, and developed sports facilities.

Caspiy Neft also supports educational institutions, charitable organizations, and regional social initiatives.

Industry Recognition

The results of the company’s digital transformation have received industry recognition.

At Digital Almaty 2023, during the Tech Garden Award 2022 ceremony, Caspiy Neft was recognized as the winner in the “Best Digital Solution” category.

The Smart Field project demonstrates how industrial automation, digital modeling, analytics, and machine learning can be combined to improve the efficiency of a mature oil field and extend its productive life.