The Route to Pipeline Management Nirvana?!

Two-years ago Anadarko started investigating the potential of a strategic pipeline database. That investigation expanded to encompass data collection methodologies, enhanced workflows, and activities beyond pipeline infrastructure.

Anadarko’s focus? Create a solid and robust data foundation to support current and future business needs of varying breadth and depth. Some activities require limited information on numerous features (“breadth”); others require extensive details on only a couple features (“depth”). Regarding pipeline infrastructure, Anadarko decided on a holistic approach addressing all regions, realms and functions, namely onshore and offshore, international and domestic, transmission, gathering, distribution, production, injection and disposal.

An industry standard with sufficient guidance is mandatory to a successful implementation, yet this does not exist. Data models like PODS or APDM offer insight, yet stop far short of providing the specifics of how to design and implement a strategic database with supporting policies, procedures and recommended workflows.

This presentation provides an update on the implementation efforts, the obstacles overcome, ongoing challenges, and the lessons learned. Every difficult challenge provides numerous learning opportunities and moments that affirm the often heard statement, “If I had only known that before we started!” Specific examples will be discussed and some “best practice” suggestions provided.

Speaker Biography - Michael Harris

Michael Harris graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in chemical engineering and started his career with FMC’s Inorganic Chemical Division. However, the allure of the petroleum industry was too much, and after completing a master’s degree, started work with the Oil and Gas Division of the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) in Hobbs, New Mexico. Various assignments over the next ten years in Drilling, Production, Reservoir, Facilities, and Pipelines provided unique growth and experience opportunities around the Permian Basin and Rockies, including a secondment to ARCO Pipeline Company as technical lead over the Sheep Mountain CO2 Pipeline.

Michael left ARCO in 1994 to join a growing independent, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Since that time he has served in various engineering and project management positions in diverse geographical regions for both on- and off-shore developments. International assignments have included North Africa, Alaska, Guatemala, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Michael has provided operations planning, guidance, and project leadership for major developments such as the Hassi Berkine oil fields of the Algerian desert, and the Al Rayyan complex in the Arabian Gulf, offshore Qatar.

Currently, Michael is an Engineering Manager in the Midstream division of Anadarko, based in The Woodlands, Texas with responsibilities for gathering and transmission systems in the southern USA. He is a member of AIChE, SPE, PMI, and GITA. In his leisure time Michael enjoys travel, sporting clays, and sailing.

Speaker Biography - Ted Tomes

Ted Tomes is the Operations Systems Manager at Anadarko Petroleum located in The Woodlands, Texas. His responsibilities include Project Management and providing support for the strategic information technology tools that are leveraged by Anadarko’s Drilling, Midstream and Field Operations teams. Ted has over 12 years experience in delivering enterprise-level technology solutions to various disciplines within the E&P industry.

In his spare time Ted loves to read, travel, play golf and spend time with his family.

Return to Archive