Tell Us About the Field You're Watching

• What's the asset or field name and the producing zone we're discussing for this 90‑day pilot?
• How many producing wells are in the asset today, and roughly what percent are candidate wells (mature, underperforming, artificial lift)? Options: < 10 wells, 10–50 wells, 51–200 wells, 201–500 wells, 500+ wells
• Which artificial lift types dominate this field? Options: Beam/rod pump, Electric submersible pump (ESP), Gas lift, Plunger lift, Natural flowing, Multiple lift types
• Tell us in a sentence: what first made you think production was slipping faster than reservoir decline?
• On a typical day, who on your team is the first to notice well performance issues? Options: Field operator/technician, Production engineer, Supervisor/lead hand, Automated alarm system/SCADA, Other

Are You Missing Production That Should Be Yours?

• If operational issues were fixed this quarter, how confident are you that you could recover meaningful volume vs. waiting for next quarter? Options: Very confident (we'd recover a lot), Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Not confident
• What specific failure signals make you worry a well is underperforming due to operations rather than depletion? (select all that apply) Options: Rapid rod/cycle changes, Unexplained drops in flowing pressure, Lift gas injection anomalies, Unexpected water cut shifts, Frequent equipment alarms/averages, Discrepancy vs. decline curve
• How long, on average, do underperformance issues go unaddressed from first sign to corrective action? Options: <24 hours, 1–3 days, 4–14 days, 2–6 weeks, Over 6 weeks
• Describe a recent underperforming well: what happened, how was it discovered, and what was the impact on production over the following 30 days?
• Which of these outcomes worry you most if underperformance continues unaddressed? Options: Lost barrels we can't recover, Higher lift/operational costs, Escalating equipment failures, Missed targets for asset managers, Reduced operator credibility

When Problems Start, Who's Really Responsible?

• Who is the final decision‑maker for approving changes to well setpoints or lift parameters during a pilot? Options: Field operator, Production engineer, Operations manager, Asset manager/VP Ops, Jointly decided
• Who needs to be engaged or sign off for us to instrument wells and access SCADA/historian data? Options: IT/OT team, Field operations lead, Data governance/analytics, Corporate HSE, Production accounting
• How do you typically handle recommendations that conflict with an operator’s judgment—do you require engineering validation, a supervisor approval, or something else? Options: Engineering validation, Supervisor approval, Operator discretion, Conference call with stakeholders, Formal test plan
• What internal metrics or KPIs will the decision‑maker use to evaluate the pilot at 90 days? Options: Gross production uplift (%), Net barrels to sales, Operating cost per barrel, No. of wells improved, Operator adoption rate
• Are there contractual or procurement hurdles (e.g., vendor onboarding, safety certifications) that typically delay pilots in your organization? Options: Yes — significant, Some — manageable, Rarely, No

What Would Real 90‑Day Proof Look Like?

• If the pilot delivered a clear, measurable win at 90 days, what three numbers or statements would convince your VP of Operations to scale?
• Which baseline do you trust today for measuring uplift? Options: 30‑day average production, Decline‑curve forecast, Allocated production from accounting, SCADA instantaneous values, Custom engineered baseline
• How do you want uplift reported—gross incremental barrels, net uplift after artificial lift energy, or change in economics (e.g., $/barrel)? Options: Gross barrels, Net barrels after costs, Economic delta ($/barrel), All of the above
• What level of statistical confidence or minimum percent uplift would you need to consider the pilot successful? Options: > 10% uplift, 5–10% uplift, 1–5% uplift, Statistical significance at p<0.05, Qualitative operator acceptance
• Who will sign off that the pilot met acceptance criteria—and who will be responsible for the final data reconciliation?

How Reliable Is Your Data, Really?

• If we attempted to run models today, how would you rate the quality and continuity of your instrumentation and SCADA data? Options: High — near real‑time, few gaps, Moderate — occasional gaps/noise, Low — frequent gaps or missing signals, Unknown
• Which specific sensors or signals are consistently available for the candidate wells? Options: Tubing/casing pressure, Casing/tubing temperature, Surface flowrate (instantaneous), Pump stroke/position, Polished rod load/position, Gas injection rate
• How accessible is historian/archive data for the last 12 months—do you have API/Historian access or do we need manual exports? Options: Direct API/historian access, Periodic file exports (CSV), Manual extraction by field team, Limited or no historical access
• Tell us about any known data quirks (time drift, unit inconsistencies, allocation errors) that have complicated past analytics projects.
• Would you be open to a short instrumentation audit—remote or on‑site—to validate signal integrity before the pilot? Options: Yes, on‑site preferred, Yes, remote is fine, Maybe — need internal approval, No

Where Do Operational Constraints Bite Hardest?

• What are the common operational constraints that limit acting on optimization recommendations? Options: Crew availability, Shift handovers, Equipment wear concerns, Safety/HSE rules, Permitting or well access, Control system latency
• How much leeway do field operators typically have to change lift settings without formal approval? Options: Full discretion, Limited (with logging), Requires supervisor sign‑off, Requires engineering approval
• Have past optimizations ever produced unexpected equipment stress or failures? If so, what happened?
• Which mechanical limits must our models always respect on your wells (e.g., max stroke rate, rod load, injection pressure)?
• If a recommendation risks slightly higher wear but materially more daily barrels, how would you expect your organization to weigh that tradeoff? Options: Favor production uplift, Prioritize equipment life, Evaluate on case‑by‑case, Depends on asset plan

How Will Your Team Actually Use Recommendations?

• Do your operators prefer step‑by‑step recommended setpoints, dashboard guidance, or automated closed‑loop control when trusting new optimization tech? Options: Step‑by‑step setpoints, Dashboard + alerts, Automated closed‑loop, Hybrid: manual then automate
• What training or handover would make operators comfortable adopting algorithmic recommendations? Options: Hands‑on field training, Short video modules, Case studies with before/after, Shadow period with engineers, SOP updates
• How do you prefer to validate recommendations during the pilot—parallel monitoring, A/B tests across wells, or controlled setpoint changes? Options: Parallel monitoring, A/B test across wellset, Controlled step tests, Engineer sign‑off before changes
• What minimum operator adoption rate (percent of recommended actions executed) would you consider a behavioral success? Options: > 80%, 60–80%, 40–60%, < 40%
• Describe a situation where your team embraced a new tool—what helped adoption stick?

If We Move Forward, What Would Success Require?

• What timeline constraints do we need to respect (budget cycles, regulatory windows, rigless maintenance schedules) to start instrumentation and the 90‑day pilot?
• What commercial or contractual elements are non‑negotiable for you to greenlight a pilot (insurance, liability caps, data ownership, IP rights)? Options: Data ownership clauses, Liability/insurance limits, Clear performance KPIs, No long‑term lock‑in, Right to audit models
• Which internal stakeholders should be included in a kickoff meeting to avoid later delays? Options: Operations/field leads, Production engineering, IT/OT, HSE, Finance/Commercial
• What would you want included in a pre‑deployment readiness checklist before we start field work? Options: SCADA access confirmed, Instrument list & spare parts, Operator contact list, HSE permit approvals, Data mapping & units
• Are there any political or change‑management risks we should be aware of—teams who may feel threatened by automation or analytics? Options: Yes — significant, Some — manageable, No
• Finally, what would you like our single most important commitment to be during the pilot?

• Solution Experience Readiness (Pre-Work Alignment)
• Baseline Performance & Diagnosis Review
• Solution Experience — Expected Uplift, Workflow Impact & Proof
• Verification & Measurement Protocol Workshop
• Pilot Commitment Checkpoint — Scope, Timeline & Sign-offs

• Defined risk controls and equipment limits to prevent recommendations that could cause harmful wear.
• Schedule targeted field checks for wells flagged as low-confidence to capture missing signals.
• One-line Recap (Diagnosis -> Consequence -> Future State)
• Customer agrees to the per-well projected uplift ranges and understands the confidence drivers.
• Operators and engineers accept the proposed workflow changes and can articulate the execution steps.
• Verification approach is accepted as sufficient to prove or disprove uplift claims in the pilot.
• Capture any model tuning needs or data corrections required before pilot start.
• Seller to deliver a per-well uplift evidence pack (plots, assumptions, confidence intervals) within 2 business days.
• Customer to nominate operator(s) who will perform recommended actions and confirm availability for training sessions.
• Update model tuning backlog with items surfaced during forced validation and prioritize before pilot kickoff.
• Agree scheduled dates for a short operator walk-through training aligned to the pilot start.
• Review Measurement Risks & Data Quality Issues
• A signed measurement protocol that specifies acceptance thresholds and statistical methods.
• Clear ownership for production reconciliation and data stewardship is assigned.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Seller to draft the formal verification protocol and circulate for customer legal/operations review within 48 hours.
• Customer to provide point-of-contact for production accounting reconciliation and any historical allocation rules.
• Both parties to agree on a statistical test and minimum sample period for acceptance (e.g., 90 days, p<0.05) and record it in the protocol.
• Recap of Agreed Outcomes from Prior Sessions
• Formal agreement on pilot wellset, instrumentation plan, timeline, and kickoff date.
• Owners for execution, data stewardship, operator champions, and signatories for acceptance are named.
• Clear immediate next steps are scheduled so execution can begin without ambiguity.
• Circulate the final pilot scope and timeline document for signatures and confirm the kickoff date.
• Seller to place orders or schedule field instrumentation and confirm installation windows with operations.
• Customer to provision SCADA/historian access and create accounts for seller technical staff.
• Schedule the first-week cadence meeting and operator training sessions aligned to instrument installation completion.
• A crisp, agreed one-sentence current state and one-sentence future state are documented.
• Consequence (financial/operational) is quantified and accepted by stakeholders.
• All required datasets, access, and data owners are confirmed for the Solution Experience.
• Action owners and deadlines for pre-work are recorded so the main experience is productive.
• Customer to deliver latest 90-day SCADA/historian extracts and production allocation reports for pilot wells.
• Seller to produce one-page baseline summary (one-sentence current state, quantified consequence, and one-sentence future state).
• Assign a single data owner and a single operator champion for the pilot and share contact details.
• Schedule data validation session and confirm access credentials prior to the main Solution Experience.
• Recap: Current State & Consequence
• Consensus on per-well baseline metrics and the data sources used.
• Agreement on root causes for each prioritized underperforming well or clear identification of data gaps.
• List of wells requiring immediate instrumentation or data clean-up is captured.
• Customer to annotate any disputed baseline figures and provide clarification within 3 business days.
• Seller to produce a diagnostics pack per well (plots, signals, hypothesis) to feed into the uplift model.
• One-sentence Current State Confirmation
• Diagnosis -> Proof: Per-well Uplift Model Outputs
• Per-well Baseline Metrics
• Confirm Pilot Wellset & Instrumentation Plan
• Define Quantitative Acceptance Criteria
• Timeline, Milestones & Communication Cadence
• Allocation & Production Accounting Reconciliation
• Only-Prove-What-Matters View
• Consequence Quantification
• Failure Signals & Root-Cause Diagnostics
• Roles, Access & Escalation
• Operator Workflow Impact & Example Execution
• Parallel Monitoring & Validation Steps
• Confidence & Sensitivity of Diagnosis
• Define Future State in Operational Terms
• Customer Validation Exercise
• Verification Approach Overview
• Data & Access Readiness Checklist
• Escalation, Risk Controls, and Equipment Constraints
• Final Validation Check ('Is this what you meant?')

• Install downhole and surface sensors
• Deploy edge data gateway and SCADA integration
• Calibrate per-well artificial lift models
• Deploy real-time production surveillance dashboard
• Execute automated well-test processing and anomaly flagging
• Deliver prescriptive lift setpoint recommendations
• Execute remote setpoint changes and closed-loop control
• Perform iterative production optimization sweeps
• Install and configure automated choke controllers
• Integrate production data into accounting systems
• Train field operators on optimization execution and HMI
• Deliver 90-day pilot production uplift report
• Perform routine sensor maintenance and calibration
• Configure alarm suppression and escalation rules

Install downhole and surface sensors

• How many wells are in the pilot wellset that require new sensor installs? Options: <10, 10-20, 21-50, >50
• Which sensor types are required (surface and downhole)? Options: Pressure (surface), Pressure (downhole), Temperature, Vibration, Motor current / power, Rod position / stroke sensors, Wellhead flow / rate metering
• Do these wells currently have any existing sensors we can leverage? Options: Yes, full set, Yes, partial set, No existing sensors
• Describe site constraints for sensor installation (e.g., access, hazardous area classification, power availability, communication coverage).
• Is there preferred communications method for sensors (cellular, satellite, wired, LoRaWAN, other)? Options: Cellular, Satellite, Wired Ethernet, LoRaWAN / Private RF, Proprietary fieldbus, Other
• Who will own physical installation logistics and permits (operator field crew, third-party service, vendor)? Options: Operator field crew, Operator third-party contractor, Vendor installs, Combination (specify)

Deploy edge data gateway and SCADA integration

• Which SCADA/PAC vendor(s) and versions are in use at the pilot sites? Options: Schneider/AVEVA, OSI PI / Wonderware, ABB, Honeywell, Emerson/DeltaV, Custom/Proprietary, Other
• Do you have a historian (e.g., OSI PI) and what retention/granularity is available? Options: No historian, Yes - high granularity (seconds/minutes), Yes - hourly/daily only, Other (describe)
• What protocols/tags will be required for integration (e.g., OPC, Modbus, DNP3, IEC61850)? Options: OPC UA, Modbus, DNP3, IEC protocols, Proprietary vendor API, Other
• Is there secure network access from the vendor gateway to the SCADA/historian (VPN, firewall rules, jump box)? Options: Yes - VPN / approved access, Partial - needs firewall changes, No - access needs to be provisioned
• What minimum telemetry frequency is required for pilot use-cases (e.g., 1s, 1m, 5m, 15m)? Options: 1s-10s, 30s-1m, 5m, 15m, Hourly
• Who is responsible for providing integration credentials and performing firewall/network changes? Options: Operator IT/OT, Operator field engineering, Vendor, Shared responsibility (specify)

Calibrate per-well artificial lift models

• What artificial lift methods are included in the pilot (e.g., rod pump, ESP, gas lift, plunger lift)? Options: Rod pump, ESP, Gas lift, Plunger lift, Other
• What historical datasets are available for model calibration (e.g., well tests, production logs, downhole surveys) and their date ranges?
• What baseline period should be used to define expected production (e.g., last 30, 60, 90, 180 days)? Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 180 days, Custom (specify)
• Who will own per-well model tuning and validation during the pilot (vendor data scientist, operator engineer, hybrid)? Options: Vendor, Operator, Hybrid team
• Are there known mechanical or reservoir constraints to encode into the models (e.g., max stroke rate, tubing leaks, gas interference)? Options: Yes - provide details, No
• What quantitative accuracy or performance targets are required for model acceptance (e.g., MAE, RMSE, % uplift prediction accuracy)?

Deploy real-time production surveillance dashboard

• Who are the intended dashboard users and their roles (e.g., field operators, production engineers, managers)? Options: Field operators, Production engineers, Supervisors/Managers, Executives, Other
• Which KPIs must be shown in real time (e.g., oil/kero rate, gas rate, pump fill, motor power, efficiency, downhole pressure)? Options: Oil rate, Gas rate, Water cut, Pump fill / stroke efficiency, Motor power/current, Downhole pressure, Other
• Preferred access method for dashboards (web browser, mobile app, SCADA HMI embed, intranet)? Options: Web browser, Mobile app, Embed in SCADA HMI, Intranet portal, Other
• What refresh rate and latency are acceptable for the dashboard (near real-time vs aggregated)? Options: Sub-minute, 1-5 minutes, 5-15 minutes, Hourly
• Are there existing dashboard templates or visual standards we should follow? Options: Yes - provide examples, No - vendor to propose
• Who will be the point of contact to approve dashboard views and user access during the pilot?

Execute automated well-test processing and anomaly flagging

• What types of well-tests do you run and at what cadence (manual tests, automated, periodic unload tests)? Options: Manual tests, Scheduled automated tests, Event-driven tests, No regular tests
• What anomaly types must be detected (e.g., pump off, gas interference, tubing leak, rod string failure)? Options: Pump-off, Gas lock/interference, Tubing leak, Rod string issues, Motor/drive faults, Other
• What processing latency is required for test results and flags (immediate, within 1 hour, daily)? Options: Immediate (<1 min), Within 1 hour, Same day, Next day
• Who will review and triage flagged anomalies (field operator, on-call engineer, vendor support)? Options: Field operator, On-call engineer, Vendor support team, Hybrid
• Provide acceptance criteria for automated test processing accuracy (false positive threshold, detection rate).
• Do you require audit trails and data export for flagged events and processed test outputs? Options: Yes, No

Deliver prescriptive lift setpoint recommendations

• What format do you prefer for recommendations (actionable step list, suggested setpoints with rationale, confidence score)? Options: Action list, Setpoints + rationale, Setpoints + confidence score, All of the above
• How often should recommendations be generated (real-time, daily, weekly, event-triggered)? Options: Real-time, Daily, Weekly, Event-triggered
• Who must approve recommendations before implementation (field supervisor, production engineer, operations manager)? Options: Field supervisor, Production engineer, Operations manager, Auto-apply allowed
• What operational constraints must be enforced (max/min stroke, motor current limit, tubing pressure limits)?
• Do you require risk assessment or equipment wear estimates alongside recommendations? Options: Yes, No
• How should recommendations be delivered to the field (dashboard task, SMS/email alert, SCADA command queue)? Options: Dashboard task, SMS / Email, SCADA / Control queue, Mobile app push

Execute remote setpoint changes and closed-loop control

• Do pilot sites currently permit remote control actions from vendor systems into PLCs/RTUs? Options: Yes - full remote control allowed, Yes - limited / supervised only, No - remote control not permitted
• What safety interlocks and approval workflows must be enforced before executing remote changes?
• Which control systems are used on-site (PLC make/model, RTU vendor) for command execution?
• Do you require automatic rollback and state validation after remote changes? Options: Yes - automatic rollback, Yes - manual rollback option, No rollback required
• Who will have authority to trigger automated closed-loop control (operator, engineer, vendor)? Options: Field operator, Production engineer, Vendor, Hybrid/approved list
• Are there regulatory or internal policy restrictions governing remote actuation we must accommodate? Options: Yes - provide policy, No

Perform iterative production optimization sweeps

• What cadence of optimization sweeps is acceptable during the pilot (daily, weekly, bi-weekly)? Options: Daily, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Ad-hoc/event-driven
• What measurement plan will validate sweep effects (which sensors, duration of observation, production reconciliation)?
• What safety or mechanical guardrails must be enforced during sweeps (pressure limits, temperature, vibration thresholds)?
• Who approves starting an optimization sweep and who signs off on results? Options: Field operator, Production engineer, Operations manager, Joint approval
• Do you require parallel monitoring (operator verification) during sweeps before changes are fully applied? Options: Yes - operator verification, No - automated only, Hybrid
• How will success of each sweep be measured (absolute uplift bbl/day, % uplift vs baseline, NPV estimate)? Options: Absolute uplift, Percent uplift, Economic metric (NPV/LOE), Other

Install and configure automated choke controllers

• Are automated chokes already installed or do they require new hardware installs? Options: Already installed and networked, Installed but need configuration, New hardware required
• What choke actuator types are present (electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, legacy manual)? Options: Electric, Hydraulic, Pneumatic, Manual / legacy
• What fail-safe behavior is required for chokepoint loss of control (fail open, fail closed, hold position)? Options: Fail open, Fail closed, Hold last position, Other
• Who will maintain choke hardware and spare parts during the pilot? Options: Operator maintenance team, Third-party contractor, Vendor maintenance
• Do choke controllers need to integrate with emergency shutdown or safety systems? Options: Yes, No
• Are there choke sizing or control constraints (max CV, step size, response time) we should know?

Integrate production data into accounting systems

• Which production accounting/ERP systems must receive pilot data (vendor names and versions)?
• What allocation rules and formats are required for export (daily allocation csv, API push, EDI)? Options: Daily CSV, API push, EDI, Direct DB connection, Other
• Who owns tag mapping and reconciliation between SCADA/historian and accounting systems? Options: Operator production accounting, Operator IT, Vendor, Joint team
• What latency and cut-off times are required for accounting imports (end-of-day, T+1, real-time)? Options: End-of-day, T+1, Real-time/intraday
• Are there regulatory or audit requirements for data lineage and time-stamped records? Options: Yes, No
• Do you require reconciliation reports or exception handling for mismatches? Options: Yes - reconciliation required, No - not required

• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Proposal & Pricing Schedule
• Payment Terms & Invoice Schedule
• Pilot Acceptance Criteria & Sign-Off
• Project Timeline & Milestone Signoff
• Roles & Responsibilities (RACI) / Project Charter
• Data Access & Processing Agreement (DPA)
• SCADA/Integration & Third-Party Access Consent
• Instrumentation & Field Work Authorization
• Change Order & Scope Management
• Liability, Insurance & Indemnification Schedule
• Training & Operator Adoption Commitment

• Executive Success Review
• Technical Validation & Data Integrity Review
• Operator Adoption & Handover Session
• Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement Workshop
• Scale Planning & Commercial Alignment

• Agree on measurable KPIs and acceptance criteria that will be used during scale phases.
• Draft a proposed phased scale timeline and milestone acceptance gates for review.
• Current State Data Summary
• Secure technical sign‑off that data, models, and integration are accurate enough to validate pilot uplift.
• Agree on remediation owners and timelines for any remaining data or model issues.
• Confirm production allocation reconciliation approach for scale rollout.
• Produce and share a data quality and QC log with timestamps and flagged records.
• Assign owners and deadlines for fixing each open technical issue; create tracking tickets.
• Deliver a technical acceptance certificate when remediation criteria are met.
• Operator Workflow Recap (Current State)
• Confirm operators are able and willing to execute recommendations and sign operational handover.
• Establish a persistent shared channel and support SLA for field issues and enhancements.
• Capture operator improvement suggestions for the continuous improvement backlog.
• Publish updated SOPs, playbooks, and quick reference cards to the shared channel.
• Set up the dedicated shared channel (e.g., Teams/Slack) with owners and response SLAs.
• Schedule periodic (biweekly/monthly) refresher training and field coaching sessions.
• One‑sentence Current State & Consequence Reminder
• Produce a prioritized, time‑bounded continuous improvement backlog with clear owners.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Establish a follow‑up cadence to track remediation and enhancements progress.
• Publish the prioritized backlog with owner assignments and due dates.
• Document KPIs and acceptance criteria to be included in the SOW for scale.
• Schedule the first continuous improvement review meeting and recurring cadence.
• Succinct Outcomes Recap (Current → Future)
• Reach alignment on scale scope, phasing, and commercial terms sufficient to draft SOW.
• Define governance and owners for program delivery and establish approval timelines.
• Confirm immediate next steps (draft SOW, legal review, kickoff date) and responsible parties.
• Deliver draft SOW and commercial proposal reflecting agreed scope and KPIs.
• Coordinate legal teams to exchange contract markups and resolve data/IP items.
• Schedule program kickoff and initial steering committee meeting pending SOW sign‑off.
• Obtain executive acceptance of pilot results and formal pilot sign‑off.
• Align on financial case and approval to proceed to a phased scale decision point.
• Identify executive owner, decision date, and required deliverables to trigger scale.
• Deliver a consolidated pilot report with per‑well data, confidence intervals, and ROI appendix.
• Prepare and circulate a pilot acceptance/sign‑off document for executive signature.
• One‑sentence Current State Recap
• Data Quality & Anomalies Walkthrough
• Proposed Scale Scope & Phasing
• Review: What Worked (Proof) & Where We Missed Targets
• Live Case Walkthrough: Detection → Recommendation → Action (Proof)
• Consequence Quantification
• Root‑Cause Analysis of Misses
• Commercial Terms Overview
• Production Allocation & Baseline Validation (Proof)
• Training Outcomes & Operator Feedback
• Delivery & Governance Model
• Measured Pilot Results (Diagnosis → Proof)
• Prioritized Backlog (Brainstorm → Decide)
• Updated SOPs & Playbooks
• Model Calibration & Tuning Review
• Integration & Verification Tests
• Operational Impact & Adoption Metrics
• Define KPIs & Acceptance Criteria for Scale
• Escalation, Support & Shared Channel
• Contractual, Data Access & Regulatory Items
• Financial Impact & ROI
• Operator Validation & Sign‑off
• Assign Owners, Timelines & Next Review Cadence
• Open Technical Issues & Remediation Plan
• Decision & Next Steps