Upstream gas production faces significant challenges in ensuring continuous gas delivery for LNG production, particularly when planning and operations are fragmented across multiple departments and processes. Traditional approaches to gas production often fail to integrate long-term strategies with operational needs, resulting in suboptimal coordination, unplanned downtime, and increased volume losses. These issues directly impact LNG output, affecting both economic performance and operational efficiency. Considering these challenges, there is a need for an integrated approach in planning and execution of gas production activities that, maximises system uptime, and minimises production losses. QatarEnergy LNG has developed and implemented a premier level process to addresses these concerns. The integrated approach combines long-term gas production strategies with adaptive short-term cycles to ensure synchronisation between well activity planning, maintenance schedules, and operational workflows. By consolidating data across offshore and onshore operations, the methodology enables real-time monitoring and activity re-alignment to avoid production deferments. A rolling four-month cycle facilitates agile adjustments in response to dynamic changes in activities, well conditions, reservoir performance, and processing capabilities. The approach incorporates advanced analytics and scenario-based modelling to predict and mitigate risks related to project execution delays, gas composition variations, well accessibility, and maintenance impacts. Additionally, digital workflows and a structured governance model ensure cross-functional alignment across multiple stakeholders The novelty of this methodology lies in its ability to deliver end-to-end visibility across the entire upstream production process. By integrating predictive modelling, the approach ensures that any operational constraints, such as equipment unavailability or fluctuating well performance, are anticipated and managed proactively. This results in a reduction of unplanned downtime, better optimisation of well interventions, and more efficient shutdown management. Furthermore, this approach offers a data-driven framework and mitigations that maximises uptime, optimises gas availability while reducing volume loss from shutdowns, maintenance, and reservoir depletion. The implementation of this integrated methodology has led to significant improvements in operational efficiency, including higher gas availability, reduced flaring, and more effective management of well interventions and shutdown activities. By minimising production losses and improving the coordination of maintenance windows, QatarEnergy LNG has successfully enhanced the reliability and predictability of its gas delivery to LNG facilities. The approach has also facilitated more effective resource allocation, reduced operational costs, and improved asset integrity. These outcomes not only bolster QatarEnergy LNG’s production capacity but also contribute to the broader goals of sustainability and operational excellence within the industry. This paper will provide a deep dive into the methodology, highlighting its role in optimising upstream production planning, ensuring volume protection, and setting a new industry benchmark for integrated gas production management.
