Ovintiv is a leading Oil & Gas company that specializes in managing complexity, ensuring efficiency, and maintaining reliability in high-stakes environments. But with 20+ routes, multiple well configurations, differing site management techniques, and a diversity of measurement equipment to contend with, the company was facing significant operational hurdles.
It had become clear that Ovintiv needed a solution that could unify disparate systems, standardize data communications, and improve efficiency—all without compromising flexibility.
Finding the Right Partner to Overcome SCADA Challenges in Highly Complex Environments
With the challenge clearly identified, all Ovintiv needed was the right partner. Yet despite multiple attempts, three contractors failed to deliver a solution robust enough to handle the company’s diverse equipment needs and the complex metadata modeling required for success.
Where others had failed, CSE ICON sensed an opportunity—to partner with Ovintiv and transform a fragmented, underperforming system into a modernized, streamlined, high-performance SCADA solution.
CSE ICON’s method of choice? Its Upstream Accelerator for Ignition framework.
CSE ICON not only provided on-site support, they frequently checked to ensure expectations were being met, and that the project was on time, on budget, and on spec.
Lawrence Liu
Sr. SCADA Architect
Ovintiv
Finding the Right Partner to Overcome SCADA Challenges in Highly Complex Environments
With the challenge clearly identified, all Ovintiv needed was the right partner. Yet despite multiple attempts, three contractors failed to deliver a solution robust enough to handle the company’s diverse equipment needs and the complex metadata modeling required for success.
Where others had failed, CSE ICON sensed an opportunity—to partner with Ovintiv and transform a fragmented, underperforming system into a modernized, streamlined, high-performance SCADA solution.
CSE ICON’s method of choice? Its Upstream Accelerator for Ignition framework.
The Challenge: Managing Complex Operations with Limited SCADA Capabilities
Ovintiv’s operations involve a wide range of equipment (including ScadaPack RTUs, ABB Totalflow RTUs, Allen Bradley PLCs, and Emerson ROC drivers) which further complicated an already significant list of integration challenges. To complicate things even further, Ovintiv’s organizational structure also included three well types:
- Single Well Sets: Simple configurations with one well extracting from a specific location.
- Comingled Well Sets: Multiple wells extracting from one specific location, requiring careful data separation.
- Sets with Multiple Wells: Complex configurations where some wells are comingled while others are separate, creating intricate operational relationships.
With each of these devices and configurations using different communication protocols and data formats, Ovintiv’s existing SCADA approach—an outdated scada system that couldn’t be developed further without significant risk—left them with few options.
Managing this level of complexity requires a sophisticated metadata model capable of handling operational exceptions and interdependencies flawlessly. Without such a model, Ovintiv risked incorrect data interpretation, missed alerts, and inefficient control over their assets.
Ovintiv was stuck—and had effectively reached a technical dead end.
Solution: Implementation of the Upstream Accelerator for Ignition Framework
To help Ovintiv find a new way forward, CSE ICON began with a two-week on-site assessment to understand the company’s infrastructure, operational requirements, and metadata modeling needs.
Phase 1 – Functional Design Specifications
The framework for Phase 1 needed to integrate diverse equipment types seamlessly without compromising performance, thus ensuring flexibility and efficiency in data management and system operations. The framework also had to align with Ovintiv’s exacting specifications in regard to look-and-feel (color, typography, layout, and other brand/functional needs).
The challenge was creating a metadata model that could handle all these situations efficiently and effectively.
This involved:
- Component Identification: First, the CSE ICON team needed to get a better idea of the overall landscape by identifying and cataloging all equipment, data points, and potential interactions.
- Metadata Model Development: Then the team created a framework to address scalability and efficiency concerns by accommodating standard configurations and operational exceptions—like additional monitoring sensors, higher-frequency data reporting, and special calculation requirements.
Phase 2 – Pilot Implementation
Phase 2 served as a pilot program to validate the metadata model and core system components identified in
Phase 1 before scaling to a larger rollout. To accomplish this, CSE ICON selected a route consisting of five well sites (Route 1A) as the initial test environment.
The team then developed a structured metadata model, integrated the sites, and built key visualization components to support operational monitoring. These included screens that provided overviews at multiple levels, each with detailed screens for deeper analysis.
- CDP View: Displays data for an entire site. See Figure 1.
- Well View: Shows information on individual wells. See Figure 2.
- Plunger View: Tracks equipment used to lift fluids in gas wells.
- Tank Battery View: Monitors entire storage tank systems.
Figure 1 – CDP Detail Screen
Figure 2 – Well Detail Screen
To enhance usability, several supporting tools were implemented: Notes for operator collaboration and record-keeping (see Figure 3), Schematics for piping and instrumentation analysis (see Figure 4), Alarms for rapid response to critical conditions, Maps for spatial awareness of assets, Admin Screens for metadata management, System Dashboards for real-time performance tracking (see Figure 5), and Dark-Mode for viewing in low lighting conditions (see Figure 6).
Figure 3 – Well Notes Screen
Figure 4 – Well Schematic Screen
Figure 5 – System Dashboard Screen
Figure 6 – Well Overview (Dark Mode) Screen
During the pilot phase the metadata model successfully demonstrated its ability to standardize operations while also allowing for site-specific modifications. This also helped to streamline processes, improve data visibility, and ensure efficient decision-making across well sites.
Phase 3 – Full-Scale Implementation
Building on the success of the pilot program, the system was expanded to a full-scale implementation with additional routes and a refined set of core features across the Central Basin and Myton Tribal areas.
Phase 3 enhancements included:
- Expanded Metadata Model: Adjustments were made to expand capabilities and accommodate new equipment types/site-specific configurations and ensure flexibility for future growth—all while maintaining system integrity.
- Specialized Screens: Visualization screens were developed for gas and water measurement equipment, flares, LACT pumps, and remote devices. Each screen was designed with tailored data visualization and control considerations to enhance real-time monitoring and accelerate decision-making.
- Improved Navigation: Additional navigation features were added to improve efficiency and streamline transitions between routes and sites.
CSE ICON also implemented advanced rollup logic—a data aggregation technique that automatically consolidates detailed information from lower levels into meaningful summaries at the Site, Route, Area, and Basin levels. This allows users to derive meaningful insights across multiple operational vectors. Additionally, integration with Ovintiv’s LDAP authentication enabled secure, personalized user preferences and customized experiences. To improve administrative capabilities and simplify role assignments and access control, robust user management screens were built also included.
Together, Phase 3 enhancements helped ensure operational efficiency, data accessibility, system scalability, and a more seamless experience for engineers and field operators alike.
Final Phase: User-Centric Enhancements
The final phase focused on optimizing usability and personalization for operators, with the ultimate goal of streamlining daily workflows, improving efficiency, providing valuable insights into system usage, and ensuring the solution remained responsive to operator needs.
Key improvements in the Final Phase included:
- Advanced Trending Capabilities: Quick Trends (right-click any measurement to instantly visualize changes over time) and Custom Trends (create detailed graphs, annotate trends, and export data to Excel for deeper analysis).
- Personalized User Experience: Easily save shortcuts to frequently used equipment and routes for faster navigation.
- Enhanced Visualization: New screens for specialized equipment like slug catchers and pipeline taps.
- User Visitation Metrics: For tracking operator interactions and helping identify the most valuable features and areas for improvement.
Results: Measurable Improvements in System Performance
Over the course of the engagement, Ovintiv experienced significant efficiency gains in database structure, performance, and user experience.
These included:
- Database Optimization: Improved query performance and system maintainability by reducing the number of tables from 19 to 10 through efficient data modeling.
- Performance Enhancements: Dramatically improved responsiveness and operator efficiency by decreasing screen load times from 5–10 seconds to 0.5–1 second.
- Development Time Savings: Two weeks of development time were saved by leveraging Upstream Accelerator assets, allowing for faster deployment.
- Improved User Experience: Faster data access, intuitive navigation, and enhanced system reliability made daily operations more seamless and efficient.
These optimizations not only improved system performance but also streamlined workflows, ensuring a more responsive and scalable platform for operators.
Complex SCADA implementations
CSE ICON specializes in complex SCADA implementations, offering expertise in integrating diverse industrial systems with flexible, scalable solutions. The success of Ovintiv’s SCADA transformation showcases CSE ICON’s ability to deliver where others have failed.
For companies facing similar SCADA integration challenges, CSE ICON provides proven expertise and innovative solutions to optimize operations and maximize efficiency.
For more information on how CSE ICON’s experienced staff can help you and your business, contact us using the form below.
CSE ICON is a professional services company focused on the design, development, and implementation of Operational Technology used in the processing and manufacturing industries. Our mission is to bring people and data together, helping our customers continuously improve and increase profitability.