WELL PRODUCTION SHUT DOWN

• US 20110270431A1
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vetco Gray Controls Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Vetco Gray Controls Limited (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kent, Ian J., Hutchings, Vernon Lester, Holley, Stuart Guy
• Application Number:
  US13/091,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270431A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/0355 Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 13/02 in one piece with protrusions or ridges on the shaft

Abstract

A system for controlling production shut down of an underwater fluid production well, the well having a sensor for producing an output signal indicative of the state of the well and a valve which is actuable to shut down production activity of the well, comprises means for receiving the output signal; and a processor for processing the received signal to determine if a shut down is required and outputting a shut down signal to the valve; wherein the receiving means and processor are located at the well.

Claims

1. A method for controlling production shut down of an underwater fluid production well, comprising the steps of:

monitoring an output signal from a sensor located at the well;

processing the signal to determine if a shut down is required; and

effecting shut down by sending a shut down signal to a device to cause actuation of a valve located at the well, said actuation causing the well to shut down production;

wherein in step b), the processing is performed by a processor located at the well.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of receiving, at the well, a control signal from a surface location and logically combining this with the processor output, such that a shut down signal may be received at the valve from either the processor or from the surface location.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to receive control signal received from a surface location and output a shut down signal in dependence of the control signal.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor is SIL-rateable.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines if a shut down is required by comparing the sensor output with a predetermined limit.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines if a shut down is required by comparing the sensor output with a modelled behaviour.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the well comprises a plurality of sensors, and the processor receives and processes output signals from each of said plurality of sensors.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processor is located within a subsea electronics module at the well head.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a directional control valve.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the well comprises a hydrocarbon extraction well.

11. A system for controlling production shut down of an underwater fluid production well, the well having a sensor for producing an output signal indicative of the state of the well and a valve which is actuable to shut down production activity of the well, the system comprising:

means for receiving the output signal; and

a processor for processing the received signal to determine if a shut down is required and outputting a shut down signal to the valve;

wherein the receiving means and processor are located at the well.

12. A system according to claim 11, comprising means, located at the well, for receiving a control signal from a surface location and logically combining this with the processor output, such that a shut down signal may be received at the valve from either the processor or from the surface location.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is adapted to receive control signal received from a surface location and output a shut down signal in dependence of the control signal.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is SIL-rateable.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor determines if a shut down is required by comparing the sensor output with a predetermined limit.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor determines if a shut down is required by comparing the sensor output with a modelled behaviour.

17. A system according to claim 11, wherein the well comprises a plurality of sensors, and the processor receives and processes output signals from each of said plurality of sensors.

18. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is located within a subsea electronics module at the well head.

19. A system according to claim 11, wherein the valve comprises a directional control valve.

20. A system according to claim 11, wherein the well comprises a hydrocarbon extraction well.