ARC Resources

ARC Resources, a Canadian oil and gas producer operating across multiple producing basins, faced persistent inefficiencies in managing artificial lift systems across its well portfolio. Artificial lift — which encompasses rod pumps, electric submersible pumps, and gas lift systems — is the primary mechanism for maintaining production rates once reservoir pressure declines. Without intelligent, centralized optimization, engineers relied on manual surveillance and periodic well tests to adjust lift parameters, resulting in suboptimal run times, avoidable downtime, and missed production. At scale across hundreds of wells, even marginal inefficiency compounds into significant deferred production and unnecessary operating costs.

ARC Resources partnered with Rockwell Automation to deploy an artificial lift optimization solution purpose-built for oil and gas operations. The implementation integrated real-time data from wellsite controllers and SCADA systems into a centralized optimization layer, enabling continuous analysis of pump performance, fluid levels, and lift efficiency across the well fleet. Rockwell Automation's role included both the control system architecture and the analytics software — likely drawing on FactoryTalk Analytics capabilities — to surface actionable recommendations for lift parameter adjustments. The solution connected field instrumentation with production engineering workflows, shifting the team from reactive troubleshooting to proactive, data-driven well management. Integration with existing wellsite automation minimized disruption to ongoing operations during deployment.

The implementation delivered measurable improvements in artificial lift efficiency and overall production optimization across ARC Resources' operated wells. Key outcomes included:

• Improved lift efficiency across the well portfolio through continuous parameter optimization rather than periodic manual adjustment
• Reduced unplanned downtime as the system identified performance degradation earlier, enabling proactive intervention before equipment failure
• Faster engineering response to well performance changes, with data surfaced in a centralized view rather than requiring individual well surveillance
• Operational consistency across sites, replacing ad hoc practices with a standardized, data-driven optimization workflow

• Centralizing artificial lift data across a multi-well portfolio is a prerequisite — optimization is only as good as the real-time visibility feeding it.
• Integration with existing wellsite controllers and SCADA systems is critical; solutions that require wholesale infrastructure replacement face adoption resistance and longer payback periods.
• Shifting from periodic well tests to continuous monitoring reframes artificial lift as a dynamic system rather than a set-and-forget configuration.
• Production engineering teams need workflow integration, not just dashboards — recommendations must surface in the tools engineers already use to drive consistent action.
• Pilot deployments on a representative subset of wells allow teams to validate uplift assumptions before committing to full-fleet rollout.