Ministry of Oil discusses smart technology field management via 'Codev'

- Tamadur Al-Sabah: We support digital transformation to enhance operational efficiency and develop the oil sector – “Kuwait Oil Company”: More than 5,000 oil wells under the “KUWIDF” umbrella by the end of 2025 – Monitoring wells and production centers using modern and advanced alert systems

The Ministry of Oil organized a virtual panel discussion titled “KUWIDF: How Are Oil Fields Managed Using Smart Technology?” which presented the Integrated Kuwait Digital Field Project “KUWIDF” (KUWIDF), affiliated with Kuwait Oil Company, and its role in developing field and well management through digital technology, data analysis, and operational monitoring. The session was attended by two of the company’s senior petroleum engineers, Ahmed Al-Zidan and Abdullah Al-Musawi.

Sheikh Tamadur Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Director of Public Relations and Petroleum Media at the Ministry, emphasized that digital transformation represents a fundamental pathway for developing the oil sector, given its potential to improve operational efficiency, enhance data accuracy, and accelerate decision-making. She added that the Ministry is keen to highlight digital projects and national experiences that reflect the capabilities of Kuwaiti expertise in leveraging modern technology, noting that the “KUWIDF” project serves as a practical model for integrating data and operational systems into a comprehensive framework that supports field performance and productivity.

Al-Zidan and Al-Musawi presented the project, which falls under the North and West Kuwait Directorate, explaining that it aligns with the “Kuwait Oil Company 2040” strategy. The project aims to develop field management by providing smart, proactive tools to support decision-making and enhance coordination among technical disciplines.

The project’s journey began with a workshop in 2007, followed by a pilot operation in 2009 covering 49 wells. The main center was established in Ahmadi in 2012. The number of covered wells rose to 183 in 2013, then to 1,200 in 2016, and exceeded 2,500 in 2022, reaching more than 5,000 wells by the end of 2025, coinciding with the establishment of a field center in Al-Ruwais in 2024.

The system enables the analysis of well data from multiple sources around the clock, providing performance reports, pipeline network information, and production data to employees across various work locations, while maintaining data accuracy and confidentiality.

“KUWIDF” tools include dashboards for monitoring oil, gas, and water production, as well as water injection, along with well counts, downtime periods, and performance indicators. The system also monitors pipelines, pressures, temperatures, and production rates.

The project has contributed to optimizing the distribution of drilling rigs, reducing operational costs, and decreasing reliance on separate software programs by consolidating digital tools into a single integrated system.

It also enhanced well and production center monitoring by employing modern alarm systems to detect anomalies, and enabled employees to access applications from offices, homes, and mobile devices, thereby supporting staff working in remote locations. The presentation covered the Integrated Well Delivery System, which digitally links all well phases—from site selection and planning to drilling and production—while automating procedures and sending instant notifications for updates and approvals, thus accelerating operations and improving coordination among technical teams. The system comprises six core capabilities: tracking procedures for closed wells, planning work programs, scheduling and optimizing rigs, managing constraints, reconnecting wells after work completion, and monitoring the effectiveness of well maintenance and repair operations (“workover”). The presentation emphasized that the success of digital projects requires top management support, organizational flexibility, improved data quality and technical infrastructure, as well as addressing contracting and licensing requirements and readiness for change. It also stressed the importance of qualifying national talent to keep pace with technological advancements, noting that the success of digital transformation relies on integrating modern systems with human resources capable of operating them and leveraging them to develop oilfield operations.