Operational Excellence Effort Optimizes Oil Production
Context and Challenge
SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) Operation requires treated water to produce the steam for oil extraction
During a new phase of construction at one of the fastest growing SAGD Operations in Alberta, steam water treatment became a bottleneck to production
Operators and Engineers were challenged as to how they could overcome this bottleneck
This challenge was given to the Operational Excellence Production and Optimization Team, supported by Evolve as part of a comprehensive Operational Excellence program
Approach
The team, consisting of operators, maintenance techs and process engineers, applied a structured 10-step problem solving process to build capability and create sustainable change
The team used an Ishikawa root cause process to get to the root of what was restricting the treatment of water
Relevant Key Performance Indicators were identified and analyzed for variation and optimization
The team developed an action plan and implemented improved maintenance practices to reduce breakdowns, improved chemical addition techniques and optimized input flows
These changes were rolled out over multiple shifts over months to ensure they were sustainable
The team developed an operating playbook to ensure consistent response by operators to varying input and output indicators
“Evolve’s coaching has helped my people to address real business issues in a way that has added value while building their capability and confidence. I appreciate Evolve’s ability to coach me and my senior team as well as employees at the shop-floor level—and link those interventions to drive business improvement.”