Rules Engine Exchange: Driving Operational Excellence Through an Advanced Real-Time Alerting System

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development and application of the Rules Engine Exchange (REX®), an ongoing implementation of a real-time alerting system for onshore drilling operations. REX® is an interactive feature integrated into a company-wide analytics platform where users can create and subscribe to alerts monitoring several data sets. Notifications are delivered via SMS/text, email, and web portal. The system is unique in that it simultaneously utilizes data from electronic drilling recorders (EDR), drilling controls systems, morning reports, and results from real-time models calculated on the rig site. All users can activate pre-written alerts that are quality-controlled by an in-house team of analysts to greater than 95% accuracy. Additionally, any user can write custom, complex alerts written in common programming languages, with minimal training or the need to work with subject matter experts. This platform offers flexibility and speed to users, of varying technical background needing access to high-quality information regarding operational events. Initial work consisted of interviewing key stakeholders and gathering requirements for a real-time alerting system, with end users in the field and supporting office personnel being a primary focus. The system was closely field followed in the beta test phase, with multiple iterations being completed to prepare for production release. The system was deployed to all company departments with one-on-one training of key users and ongoing support as needed. For this paper, the authors have chosen two areas of focus to discuss how REX® impacted operations at the field level: 1) optimal generator usage, to allow operations management to be notified of suboptimal generator management, enabling more fuel-efficient operations and lower greenhouse gas emissions and 2) procedural compliance, to allow company personnel to standardize connection practices and prevent BHA damages while coming on and off bottom. The overall usage and adoption of REX®, impact on the above operations, and lessons learned from the perspective of an onshore drilling contractor are discussed below.