Int. J.

Advanced Networking and Applications 3687

Volume: 10 Issue: 01 Pages: 3687-3691 (2018) ISSN: 0975-0290

Identifying an Appropriate Model for Information

Systems Integration in the Oil and Gas Industry
Fatemeh SoleimaniRoozbahani
Department of Information Technology Management, Islamic Azad University, Science & Research Branch of
Tehran, Iran
Email: fatemeh.solaymani@srbiau.ac.ir
Reza ShojaeiBarjouei
B. Sc in Petroleum Engineering, Iran
Email: Reza.shojaei.b@gmail.com
Sanaz Nikghadam Hojjati
Robotics and Industrial Complex Systems(RISC) Research Group,UNINOVA,Portugal
Email :sanaznik@uninova.pt
-------------------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT---------------------------------------------------------------
Nowadays organizations are using information systems for optimizing processes in order to increase
coordination and interoperability across the organizations. Since Oil and Gas Industry is one of the large
industries in whole of the world, there is a need to compatibility of its Information Systems (IS) which consists
three categories of systems: Field IS, Plant IS and Enterprise IS to create interoperability and approach the
optimizing processes as its result. In this paper we introduce the different models of information systems
integration, identify the types of information systems that are using in the upstream and downstream sectors of
petroleum industry, and finally based on expert’s opinions will identify a suitable model for information systems
integration in this industry.

Keywords -Information Systems Integration, Process Optimizing, Coordination,SCADA, SOA, MES,

Oil & Gas Industry.
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Date of Submission: May 03, 2018 Date of Acceptance: May 19, 2018
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I. INTRODUCTION information systems (IS) applications of oil and gas
companies.
N owadays, the present competitive environment,
companies are wondering how to reduce their information II. INTEGRATION SOLUTIONS FOR OIL AND GAS
Technology (IT) costs while increasing their efficiency INDUSTRY
and agility to react when changes in the business processes
In this part of paper, we introduce the software and models
are required [1], and it seems necessary for each
which utilize for integrating the IS of oil and gas
organization to move towards process-focused that it is
companies.
supported and presided by IT [2]. In the new era, time,
speed, location, and distance find new meanings and with
electronic communication, the world transforms into a III. COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING
small and close virtual community [3]. In other side (CIM)
companies that are active in the oil and gas industry carry Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is the
out various activities via a variety of purchased manufacturing approach of using computers to control the
applications or ordered ones, but unfortunately most of entire production process [6]. This integration allows
these companies have no strategy for integrating the individual processes to exchange information with each
software. Consequently, this leads to inconsistent other and initiate actions. Through the integration of
information space, is an obstacle to the formation of a computers, manufacturing can be faster and less error-
unified information space of the enterprise and slow prone, although the main advantage is the ability to create
exchange of information between different parts of the automated manufacturing processes. Typically CIM relies
organization. Today oil and gas companies are utilizing on closed-loop control processes, based on real-time input
enterprise automation solutions provided by a variety of from sensors. It is also known as flexible design and
software. These solution packs have two different manufacturing [7].
categories: 1st category contains the software which
integrate the different levels of the company and often Recognized model of information management company
used universal integration platform, such as Microsoft in charge current level of automation, is a hierarchical
BizTalk [4]; 2nd category contains the software which used model of Computer Integrated Manufacturing [8].
for integrating a particular domain. According to this model, the upper-level system operate
There are different classifications of integration [5]. In this on aggregate data over relatively long periods of time, and
paper we consider the type of integration that integrates the lower - deal with the influx of real-time data [9].
Int. J. Advanced Networking and Applications 3688
Volume: 10 Issue: 01 Pages: 3687-3691 (2018) ISSN: 0975-0290

VI. ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP)

ERP is defined as an integrated computer-based system
IV. MANUFACTURING EXECUTION SYSTEMS that manage internal and external organization resources,
(MES) materials, and human resources. At the same time, ERP is
To Manufacturing Execution Systems is an on-line an application and software architecture that facilitates
extension of the planning system with an emphasis on information flows between various business functions
execution or carrying out the plan. inside and outside an organization and, as such, is an
Execution means: enterprise-wide information system. Using a centralized
 Making products. database and operating on a common computing platform,
 Turning machines on and off. ERP consolidates all business operations into a uniform
 Making and measuring parts. system environment [12].
 Moving inventory to and from Workstations. When processes are standardized, data is consistent, as
opposed to having many different systems across the
 Changing order priorities.
company. In an industry with so many units dispersed
 Setting and reading measuring controls.
geographically, an enormous number of wells, complex
 Assigning and reassigning personnel. supply chain demands and increased competition,
 Changing order priorities. standardization plays an important role, and ERP provides
 Assigning and reassigning inventory. it [13].
 Scheduling and rescheduling equipment. Interact with SCADA MES-system of collecting data,
including industrial processes and allows you to quickly
The MES is a manufacturing tool designed and built for manage the production company. Solutions MES, in turn,
manufacturing. Most manufacturing companies use a provide aggregate information available to the enterprise-
planning process (MRPII/ERP or equivalent) to determine class systems Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) - ERP
what products are to be manufactured. Once that plan has and Business Intelligence (BI) - analytical systems [9].
been developed, there must be a translation of the plan that
deals with real resources that are currently available. What VII. OIL AND GAS ENTERPRISE DATA
is necessary is a method to take input from the planning
INTEGRATION
system and translate that plan into a language that fits the
plant floor and the resources required to execute the According to CIM model, the interaction of enterprise
plan—a major role for the MES [10]. information system has two directions of its
implementation –"horizontal" and "vertical". The
For communication on a discrete time axis higher level “vertical” integrationprovides data exchange: (1) between
system with real-time event-driven systems, the lower the level of technological processes (APCS) and the level
level of the guild system used intermediate level of factory floor productionmanagement (MES); (2)
(Manufacturing Execution Systems - MES) [9]. between MES-level and enterprise control level (ERP, BI).
The "horizontal" integration provides data gathering
V. SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA within one level, for example, integration of MES and
ACQUISITION (SCADA) specialized information systems for oil and gas industry
(for processing geological prospecting data, for the oil
SCADA systems are highly distributed systems used to reservoirs modeling, etc.) [14].Fig. 1 shows Oil and gas
control geographically dispersed assets, often scattered enterprise information systems interaction.
over thousands of square kilometers, where centralized
data acquisition and control are critical to system
operation. They are used in distribution systems such as
water distribution and wastewater collection systems, oil
and gas pipelines, electrical power grids, and railway
transportation systems.
SCADA systems consist of both hardware and software.
Typical hardware includes an MTU placed at a control
center, communications equipment (e.g., radio, telephone
line, cable, or satellite), and one or more geographically
distributed field sites consisting of either an RTU or a
PLC, which controls actuators and/or monitors sensors
[11].
The lower level models are elements of data collection
(sensors), device control (eg. controllers, machine tools
with numerical control) and automated dispatch control
system SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Fig. 1Oil and gas enterprise information systems
Acquisition), interacting with hardware [9]. interaction
Int. J. Advanced Networking and Applications 3689
Volume: 10 Issue: 01 Pages: 3687-3691 (2018) ISSN: 0975-0290

Let's consider the process of manufacturing data exchange tasks for most MES-systems are beyond the scope of its
in detail(fig.1). Manufacturing data is gathered on oil and functionality (eg, simulation of pipelines, construction of
gas fields by means of APCS while processes of geological models of deposits, etc.). Part of the data from
hydrocarbon crude materials producing, preparing and the MES-system, usually aggregated and consolidated
transporting. The considerable part of the data from the (hydrocarbon production, the amount of its losses, use of
technological control level is delivered to the MES-level. the products for their own needs, etc.), should fall into the
The MES, first of all, automates the business processes of automation of enterprise resource planning and predictive
the industrial departments within different levels of analysis, i.e. higher level of company management (ERP-
production management; it allows planning and systems and BI-system) [9].
controlling technological activities for equipment Thus, in accordance with the model of CIM, you can
maintenance and repair, coordinating functions of all the highlight the main integration challenges that must be
industrial departments within the enterprise. Some kinds addressed to create a single information space of a typical
of information (well condition data, volumes of extraction oil and gas company. These are the problems: vertical
and preparation of hydrocarbon crude materials, the results integration (MES  SCDA, MES  ERP) and
ofchemical analyses of production transferred in the main horizontal integration (MES specialized ICs).
oil and gas pipelines) come in to the MES as input data. For the above-mentioned problems in the oil industry there
Vice versa, some part of the data from the MES (the are highly unified integration standards, except for the
aggregated technological data, the data about well standard OPC (OLE for Process Control) [16].
condition, etc.) is necessary for the information systems
solving specialized data processing an analysis tasks [14]. VIII. APPROACH TO IS INTEGRATION
These tasks for the most of MES are beyond their
Each information system realizes an original interpretation
functionality (for example, pipelines modeling, geological
of application domain. Thus, the problem of data
field models development, etc.). The part of data from
correlation is rather complex. The availability of an
MES which is usually aggregated and consolidated
enterprise data meta model, intermediate for all the
(production volume of hydrocarbon crude material, its
involved information systems, simplifies this problem
leakage, its usage for technological purposes, etc.) should
significantly [17]
arrive into the ERP and BI systems i.e. on the higher level
The presence of such meta-datasignificantly reduces the
of enterprise management [15].
number of adapters that integrate the application and the
According to the model CIM, the interaction of IP
enterprise, and you can have the connection with each
Enterprise runs on two fronts - "Horizontal" and "vertical".
other through the "expensive" pair of adapters to connect
Vertical integration provides the automation of data
them through a common data model [9] (Fig. 2).
exchange, first, between the level of supervisory process
control (SCADA) and the level of production management
(shop) Enterprise (MES), and secondly, between the level
of
MES and the level of enterprise management (ERP, BI).
Horizontal integration provides data collection within a
single level of government, such as the integration of MES
with the applied research level process control (data
processing of exploration, oil reservoir simulation, etc.)
[9].
Process data are collected by means of oil and gas fields of
automated process control (DCS) in the extraction, Fig. 2 Integration: «point-to-point»(a) and using the data
preparation and transportation of hydrocarbons. metamodel(b)
Automation of the top-level management in the control
system provides SCADA-systems. Much of the data from Meta model of the enterprise may be established on the
the process control level comes to the level of performance basis of conceptual models of IP used in the enterprise, in
management in the MES-system. MES-system in the first fact, is to create a new original meta data. Either can be
place, automatesproduction services at different levels of used pre-existing meta model, developed for the oil and
production management, ability to plan and monitor the gas industry. The second variant of the least time
implementation of technological measures for consuming. There are a number of ready standards to
maintenance and repair of equipment, coordinate all integrate IP in the oil and gas domain, including how we
production services company. As input to these systems select the most mature PRODML [17], the standard has
apart from a number of process parameters is receiving been taken by us as a basis for the formation of a common
data on the state of the down hole Fund, on volumes of data model of oil and gas companies.
mining and preparation of hydrocarbons, the results of
chemical analyzes of transmitted into the main gas and oil IX. PRODML
products. Part of the data MES-systems (aggregated The software applications used to support production
process data, data on wells and so on) requires information workflows are available from multiple vendors. However,
systems, deciding specialized engineering problems. These they cannot be integrated easily because they typically
Int. J. Advanced Networking and Applications 3690
Volume: 10 Issue: 01 Pages: 3687-3691 (2018) ISSN: 0975-0290

have their own data structures and incompatible designs. technology to communicate SOA integrable IP and
This leads to high cost of integration, a proliferation of application of oil and gas companies.
point to point links, high cost of maintenance and poor
flexibility to cope with change. XI. THE PROPOSED INTEGRATION MODEL
The essence of the technology in the world to combine
PRODML is the name of an industry initiative to provide
integration approach based on meta-domain with the
standard interfaces between software tools used to
architecture of SOA, it must use the industry standard
monitor, manage and optimize hydrocarbon production. It
PRODML as a basis to create a meta-model integration
is also the name of the family of web services and data
platform, the oil and gas company.
exchange standards that the initiative has created.
Meta data allows us to describe all the entities of the
The purpose of PRODML is to increase innovation in the
domain and the relationships between them. It reflects a
composition of optimization solutions for production
potential structure of the company, the level of data
systems while reducing cost and risk. This translates into
collection technology to the level of financial reporting
enabling the development of plug compatible software by
and planning: borehole fund of wells, drilling, repair,
energy sector vendors as well as energy companies. The
applications, etc.
PRODML standards form a framework within which
Based on meta-built private model, which reflects the
energy companies can configure processes related to
structure of a particular object of the enterprise - a single
operations, optimization, reporting, and/or information
register of integration objects, those objects that are
management [18].
necessary to use in the integration process IP. This model
This standard - an extension to standard WITSML, widely
is complemented by new objects for their participation in
used for the transmission of information in the process of
the integration process. The presence of a particular model
drilling wells.
solves the matching objects between different IP enterprise
The data model offered by standard PRODML covers the
[9].
whole process from the moment of producing oil and gas
till the moment of its realization. Using this data model
makes it possible to significantly simplify integration task XII. CONCLUSION
solving, but the standard model cannot cover all the In this paper the problem of integration of IP in
features of an enterprise, each of which is unique technological / production data and the technology that
and has its own peculiarities. Therefore, one needs allows you to minimize the cost of oil and gas on a
tools allowing expanding PRODML for a concrete solution to this problem. Positive aspect of this technology
enterprise. At present, the adoption of standard is thatit does not require the reorganization of IT-company
PRODML is not supported by tools [13]. Therefore, the structure and can be implemented gradually, as soon as the
problem of the tools and implementation technology integration of specific tasksIP. It allows to accelerate and
developing is crucial. simplify the integration of IP and provides the successful
The data model presented in this work defines the evolution of IP in developing the information space of the
ontology that allows describing the company business oil and gas company.
objects on its Information Technology (IT) platform.
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