Oil Drilling Time Series Data Platform Modernization

The Challenge 

Both the oil companies and rig operators have distinct needs. Oil companies aim to minimize rental periods by maximizing drilling speeds, while rig operators prioritize maintaining equipment health to avoid costly repairs. Our client’s platform provides real-time visibility to both parties, allowing them to utilize critical data for strategic decision-making.

However, using MySQL databases, their existing platform had severe performance limitations in managing increased data volumes to provide timely, detailed analytics. Another challenge was the complex requirement of hybrid deployability for the modernized platform (cloud and on-premises) due to geographical and regulatory constraints, notably in key oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Algeria, where operators cannot easily store their data in the cloud.

The Solution

Scalefocus implemented a state-of-the-art platform capable of monitoring critical drilling operations in real time. To achieve high-performance sensor data storage and processing, we applied our proprietary innovation framework, including solution design, rapid prototyping, implementation, and integration. We began with extensive collaborative workshops with our client’s business and technical teams. This in-depth engagement allowed us to precisely define the requirements and constraints of their operational environment.

We explored multiple technological avenues, assessing each option based on functionality, data performance, transaction performance, total cost of ownership (TCO), and hybrid infrastructure deployability. After thorough evaluation, our team opted for TimescaleDB, a powerful, scalable, and cost-effective open-source solution specifically suited for high-performance, real-time time-series data management.

Within two months, we delivered a fully functional prototype that effectively demonstrated the solution’s capability to handle extensive real-time data streams. Over the subsequent four months, we scaled this prototype, achieving integration across various client applications and legacy systems. This innovative hybrid solution was implemented within an impressive timeframe of just 8.5 months and is now deployed across 150 drilling sites globally.

The platform increased data processing capacity from 5–10 to 600 channels, each generating 1,000 data points in near real-time. The modernized data platform enables consistent, company-wide analysis of business-critical KPIs like equipment load, usage patterns, and drilling shift productivity—based on metrics like temperature, vibration, location, pressure, non-productive time, soil density, and more. The solution can run on AWS, Azure, and on-premises.

Additionally, our technology’s scalability and adaptability ensure the solution remains future-proof, easily accommodating even greater data frequencies without a significant infrastructure overhaul. Moreover, by achieving seamless hybrid deployability, our solution satisfies stringent regional compliance demands, enabling the client to operate effectively in critical markets worldwide.

Business Results 

The groundbreaking solution we developed provides unprecedented real-time data visibility to drilling operators, significantly surpassing the previous standard, where crucial data was only available hourly or even the next day. This new capability empowers operators with instant, actionable insights, enabling rapid response to potential operational disruptions and thus substantially reducing non-productive time.

Most importantly, our innovative solution directly translates into a substantial improvement in drilling efficiency, conservatively estimated at 10%. Given the high costs associated with drilling operations, this enhancement equates to millions in savings per drill site. For instance, a drill costing approximately 75 million euros realizes savings of roughly 7.5 million euros from efficiency improvements alone. Extrapolated industry-wide, these savings can reach tens and potentially hundreds of millions.

The new data platform delivered significant improvements:

• 60x improvement in data processing performance, enabling real-time analytics and accurate benchmarking of drilling performance.
• 10% improvement in drilling and production efficiency, significantly reducing downtime and maximizing resource utilization.
• Reduced operational costs due to predictive maintenance capabilities, minimizing unplanned repairs.
• Increased profitability through better-informed, strategic decisions on asset management and operational processes.