Digital Twin Empowers Oil and Gas Exploration and Development: A Comprehensive Overview of the Latest Domestic and International Progress

In the global field of oil and gas exploration and development, digital twin technology is showing a vigorous development trend. From domestic to international scenarios, numerous innovative applications and significant progress are emerging continuously.

Domestic Developments

• The "Deep Sea No.1" Intelligent Gas Field of CNOOC: The "Deep Sea No.1" intelligent gas field of CNOOC Limited Hainan Branch, based on digital twin technology, has achieved remarkable results and was successfully selected into the list of the first batch of Excellent-level Smart Factories by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Since its official operation in June 2021, the "Deep Sea No.1" intelligent gas field has been fully committed to intelligent construction. This construction focuses on five key aspects: information technology infrastructure, automation systems, the Internet of Things systems, digital twin bodies, and integrated management platforms. By constructing an integrated oil and gas production twin model driven by data, it has realized the automatic optimization of reservoir production systems. It can accurately adjust production strategies according to various data to achieve the best exploitation results. The automatic accounting of underwater flow can precisely calculate the complex flow conditions of oil and gas underwater, ensuring the efficiency and safety of the exploitation process. The intelligent optimization of platform processes makes the entire production process of the platform more scientific and reasonable. These series of measures jointly construct an integrated intelligent control system for the entire business process of production, supply, and sales in the deep-water gas field. Currently, the second phase of the intelligent project of the "Deep Sea No.1" has passed the expert review, and the main functions are about to be launched. At that time, it will further improve the efficiency of gas field production and operation management, providing stronger technical support for the efficient development of China's deep-sea oil and gas resources.

• The Construction of Xinjiang Oilfield's Digital Twin System: Xinjiang Oilfield Company is actively advancing in the digital transformation of oil and gas exploration and development, and vigorously promoting the construction of the digital twin system, with remarkable results. This system has established multiple levels, including the enterprise level, oil production plant level, station level, and component level. At the enterprise level, through the refined modeling of the oil production process, the enterprise management can clearly and intuitively understand the overall operation status of the enterprise, and thus formulate more targeted and effective development strategies. At the oil production plant level and station level, digital twin technology helps the staff to grasp the various situations of the production site in real-time, and promptly identify and solve potential problems. At the component level, the precise simulation of equipment components ensures the stable operation of the equipment. In addition, the digital outcrop system that Xinjiang Oilfield is developing deeply integrates geological exploration and data processing. By creating high-precision 3D maps, it has greatly improved the efficiency of geological exploration work, providing great convenience for exploration personnel. In the future, Xinjiang Oilfield Company also plans to continue to increase investment in the construction of underground digital models, aiming to achieve a comprehensive digital integration of the underground and above-ground areas, further improving the overall level of oil and gas exploration and development.

• Jerei Digital's "Xiyan - Downhole Digital Twin Platform": The "Xiyan - Downhole Digital Twin Platform" independently developed by Shandong Jerei Digital Technology Co., Ltd. has meticulously created a complete set of solutions for the intelligent and digital transformation of the oil and gas industry. Relying on high-precision modeling technology, this platform can highly restore the actual scenes of the oil field. Whether it is the layout of facilities on the ground or the complex geological structures underground, it can be realistically presented. Through precise docking with real-time data, it has achieved accurate simulation and real-time monitoring of the entire life cycle of oil and gas facilities. Its functions include the construction of 3D geological bodies, which can clearly display the underground geological structures, providing a strong basis for exploration decision-making; the management of downhole tool information, which facilitates the efficient management and maintenance of various downhole tools; engineering design simulation, which can simulate and verify the engineering design plan before actual construction, and discover and optimize the plan in advance; the presentation of simulation test results, which displays the test results in an intuitive way, facilitating the analysis and interpretation by the staff; and the analysis of production operation data, which conducts in-depth analysis of various data during the production process, providing data support for optimizing production. With these core functions, this platform can comprehensively improve the production efficiency and safety of oil and gas, helping the oil and gas industry to step into a new era of digitalization and intelligence.

  International Developments

• Active Application by Oil and Gas Companies: According to a research report by GlobalData, currently, more than 40 companies in the global oil and gas industry-related fields are engaged in the development and application of digital twin technology. This includes established oil and gas companies, technology suppliers, as well as dynamic start-up enterprises. BP plc in the UK has deployed independent digital twin projects on four production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. With the help of digital twin technology, it conducts real-time monitoring and optimization of the production process on the platforms, effectively improving production efficiency and safety. Royal Dutch Shell plc successfully deployed structured digital twin technology on the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel "bonga main" in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, achieving precise control over the operation status of the device. It also introduced digital twin technology in the large natural gas processing center in Nyhamna, Norway, optimizing the natural gas processing process. In addition, Shell established a virtual factory in the refinery on Bukom Island, Singapore, using digital twin technology. By simulating the production process, it can discover and solve potential problems in advance, improving the production efficiency and product quality of the refinery. Exxon Mobil Corporation deployed the Aize digital twin technology on the FPSO vessels "liza unity" and "liza destiny" in the offshore area of Guyana, enhancing the management level of offshore oil and gas production. Halliburton, an oilfield service company, with its advantages in the field of digital twin technology, has signed contracts with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Petrobras to develop digital twin systems for them, helping these companies improve the digital level of oil and gas exploration and development.

• Market Size Growth Forecast: The research report "Digital Twin Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry" released by GlobalData points out that the application of digital twin technology in the oil and gas industry is becoming increasingly widespread and is developing rapidly. It is expected that by 2025, the global market value of digital twin technology in the oil and gas industry will exceed 40 billion US dollars, and by 2030, this scale is expected to reach 154 billion US dollars. This growth trend reflects the huge potential and broad prospects of digital twin technology in the field of oil and gas exploration and development. More and more enterprises have realized the important role of digital twin technology in enhancing their competitiveness, optimizing production processes, reducing costs, and improving safety. In the future, they will surely continue to increase investment and application in this field.