Page 14 - Suncor 360 - October 2014

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FEATURE
OCTOBER 2014
360

Great things happen when we

ask...What’s best for Suncor?

The essence of collaboration is moving exceptionally aggressive cost reduction
targets for this program, and one way we’re
forward together toward a common
aiming to reach those targets is by promoting
goal. Getting the right people together a high degree of collaboration between all

can result in huge gains in terms of execution teams,” says Gordon.

effectiveness, efficiency and the overall
“In the past, each team would complete an
success of a project.
independent review session after they were

done their piece of the well pad project.
Now, we are pulling together team members

Such is the story of the well pad program at from each execution group to examine what
MacKay River, which has seen some recent transpired over the course of the project, and

advances as a result of effective collaboration.
to compile lessons learned that will be
implemented to make the entire well pad
The well pad program is the means by which
program better.”
we sustain production to our MacKay River
and Firebag facilities. In situ well pads decline
Co-ordinating nine different groups to
relatively quickly, as there’s only so much oil perform highly specialized, integral parts of a
accessible to each well, so we build a new
project is an intricate ballet. To make
well pad about every 12 to 14 months. This is it run smoothly, communication
a time- and resource-intensive endeavour
between teams is key. “There’s
requiring hundreds of millions of dollars and immense benefit in having people

at least nine different internal groups to in the same room sharing what they
design, construct and operate each well pad.
learned from their team and from

working with all of the other
Gordon Lynch is a well pad program teams toward a common goal.
co-ordinator in the Regional Development

group, which has been tasked to find
program efficiencies. “We’ve set

A WHO’S WHO OF THE COLLABORATION

Well pad design, construction, and operation involves nine teams:

Assets
Logistics
Regulatory
Facilities
Drilling
Completions
Commissioning New Technology
Operations
& startup
Determines
Clears the land
Manages Constructs and Drills wells
Completes Incorporates latest Runs the
production permitting
designs facility
wells
Ensures all technology to help facility
need, drilling pieces of project wells run more
location and are working
efficiently (increase

production oil production,
schedule
decrease amount
of steam required)
and capture data