Method and apparatus for controlling wellbore equipment

• US 20050096846A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Haugen, David, Koithan, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,264,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/6
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/165 Control or monitoring arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

The present invention generally provides a method for remotely controlling and/or monitoring at least one parameter of well bore equipment. In one aspect, a method for remotely controlling and/or monitoring at least one parameter of well bore equipment is provided, including: collecting data corresponding to the at least one parameter by a sensor module monitoring the at least one parameter of the well bore equipment; transmitting the collected data to a remote control/monitoring unit via a communication link; analyzing the collected data to determine if the parameter is within predefined limits; if the parameter is not within predefined limits, then transmitting control data from the control/monitoring unit to the well bore equipment for modifying the operation of the well operation equipment so that the parameter will conform to the predefined limits or stopping operation of the wellbore equipment.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling and/or monitoring at least one parameter of well bore equipment at an oil or gas well, comprising:

collecting data corresponding to the at least one parameter by a sensor module monitoring the at least one parameter of the well bore equipment;

transmitting the collected data to a remote control/monitoring unit via a communication link;

analyzing the collected data to determine if the parameter is within predefined limits;

if the parameter is not within predefined limits, then transmitting control data from the remote control/monitoring unit to the well bore equipment for modifying the operation of the well operation equipment so that the parameter will conform to the predefined limits or stopping operation of the wellbore equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the well bore equipment is oil field tubular handling equipment.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the collected data in a storage means of the remote control/monitoring unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication link is wireless.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication link is a bus transmission means or fiber optic link.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from sensor modules at multiple locations to the remote control/monitoring unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the data is stored from all sensor modules to provide a complete make-up history of all well bore equipment.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit is located on-site relative to the well bore equipment.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit is located off-site relative to the well bore equipment.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sensor module is adapted to collect data referring to at least torque and number of rotations for monitoring joint make-up in particular for tubing and case connection.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the wellbore equipment comprises an individual control system for operating the wellbore equipment, and

if the parameter is not within predefined limits, then transmitting control data from the control/monitoring unit to the well bore equipment for modifying the operation of the well operation equipment so that the parameter will conform to the predefined limits or stopping operation of the wellbore equipment, comprises;

if the parameter is not within predefined limits, then transmitting control data from the remote control/monitoring unit to the individual control system for modifying the operation of the well operation equipment so that the parameter will conform to the predefined limits or stopping operation of the wellbore equipment.

12. A rig control and monitoring system comprising:

at least one piece of mechanized well bore equipment, comprising a sensor module;

a remote control/monitoring unit connected with the well bore equipment by a communication link, wherein the control/monitoring unit comprises a display means and/or a storage means.

13. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the mechanized well bore equipment is tubing or casing tongs, drill pipe tongs, remote operated tongs, tong position systems, make-up and break out tools, systems for automatic tubular handling and running, connection leak detecting systems, slips, spiders, pressure control equipment, or packers.

14. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the sensor module is a torque sensor module, turn counter sensor module, pressure sensor module, temperature sensor module or flow sensor module.

15. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit is located off-site relative to the well bore equipment.

16. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit is located on-site relative to the well bore equipment.

17. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit is a computer.

18. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein sensor modules from multiple locations are connected to the remote control/monitoring unit.

19. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the communication link is a high data rate communication link.

20. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the communication link is a radio transmission link, fiber optic communication link, or bus link.

21. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 20, wherein the bus link is ethernet, field bus, RS232, or RS485.

22. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 21, wherein the connection over ethernet is a TCP/IP connection.

23. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit comprises a torque-turn and torque-time monitoring means.

24. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the communication link is fully duplexed.

25. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit further comprises a programmable logic control device.

26. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit comprises at least one evaluation module to evaluate the received data and to display same as a graph, table, or bar.

27. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, further comprising a local control/monitoring unit connected to the well bore equipment with a second communication link.

28. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the well bore equipment further comprises an individual control system for operating the well bore equipment and the communication link connects the remote control/monitoring unit with the individual control system.