Abstract

Route Optimization in the Oilfield
Track: Petroleum
Authors: Mark George, Derek Mink

Unique ways of integrating GIS and GPS techniques to solve operational challenges.
Pioneer operates over 8000 wells and 1600 equipment/tank facilities in the Spraberry Trend area of West Texas. Each location needs to be serviced daily to monitor production and check for environmental compliance. A GIS solution was proposed to use vehicle routing software (RouteSmart) to optimize workload and reduce costs. Due to the rural setting, road networks were custom digitized utilizing 2 years of GPS breadcrumbs in conjunction with aerial photography. Speed of the roads was determined from the GPS data to create a speed limit for the roads. Stop times at each location were also gathered from field measurements and historical time stamps using GPS data. Software was able to improve workload balance and reduce mileage. Future uses of the software may include water hauling, well service vehicles, and Emergency Response Plans.