System and method for remote wellbore servicing operations

• US 20110272144A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Thompson, Dean A., Toellner, Robert L., McConnell, Kenny L., Belcher, Donald A., Dant, Ronald E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/250.01
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A method of servicing a wellbore is provided. The method comprises establishing a communication link between a wellsite and a central control site, wherein the communication link carries sensor, audio, and video data to the central control site and carries command parameters to the wellsite to command wellbore servicing equipment on the wellsite. The data transmitted by the wellsite is analyzed at the central control site, stored in a data store at the central control site, and the results of analysis displayed on a display at the central control site.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

transporting a plurality of first wellbore servicing equipment to a first wellsite;

establishing an equipment communication link between at least some of the first wellbore servicing equipment and a first job local area network;

converting communications from the first job local area network directed to a remotely located central control site from job local area network packets to internet protocol packets;

converting communications from the central control site directed to the first job local area network from internet protocol packets to job local area network packets;

establishing radio communication link between an on-site portable radio at the first wellsite and an on-site radio station at the first wellsite;

converting a baseband signal based on a radio transmission received by the on-site radio station at the first wellsite from the on-site portable radio at the first wellsite to an internet protocol packet audio stream;

converting a video stream generated by an on-site video camera at the first wellsite to an internet protocol video stream;

establishing a communication link between the first wellsite and the central control site, wherein the communication link carries the internet protocol video stream based on the video stream generated by the on-site video camera at the first wellsite to the central control site, carries the internet protocol audio stream based on the radio transmission received by the on-site radio station at the first wellsite to the central control site, carries data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment to the central control site, carries control parameters from the central control site to the first wellsite, carries internet protocol audio from the central control site to the first wellsite;

displaying the video stream from the first wellsite on a display at the central control site;

analyzing at the central control site the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment;

storing the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment in a data store at the central control site;

displaying the results of the analysis of the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment on a display at the central control site;

entering job control parameters for the first wellbore servicing equipment at the central control site; and

transmitting the job control parameters for the first wellbore servicing equipment entered at the central control site to the first wellsite, wherein the first wellbore servicing equipment is commanded to service a first wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing is performed by a wellbore fracturing analysis software program executing on an at least one computer at the central control site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wellbore servicing equipment comprises at least one of a cement controller, a sand controller, a pump controller, a blender controller, a tote controller, an additive controller, or an instrumentation controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment communication links between the first wellbore servicing equipment and the first job local area network is provided in part by a wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link between the first wellsite and the central control site is provided at least in part by a satellite communication link.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising testing the communication link between the first wellsite and the central control site.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the testing comprises validating that data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment is received at the central control site and that control parameters from the central control site are received at the first wellbore servicing equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transporting a plurality of second wellbore servicing equipment to a second wellsite;

establishing an equipment communication link between at least some of the second wellbore servicing equipment and a second job local area network;

converting communications from the second job local area network directed to the remotely located central control site from job local area network packets to internet protocol packets;

converting communications from the central control site directed to the second job local area network from internet protocol packets to job local area network packets;

establishing a radio communication link between a plurality a portable radio at the second wellsite and an on-site radio station at the second wellsite;

converting a baseband signal based on a radio transmission received by the on-site radio station at the second wellsite from the on-site portable radio at the second wellsite to an internet protocol packet audio stream;

converting a video stream generated by an on-site video camera at the second wellsite to an internet protocol video stream;

establishing a communication link between the second wellsite and the central control site, wherein the communication link carries the internet protocol video stream generated by the on-site video camera at the second wellsite to the central control site, carries the internet protocol audio stream based on the radio transmission received by the on-site radio station at the second wellsite to the central control site, carries data generated by the second wellbore servicing equipment to the central control site, carries control parameters from the central control site to the second wellsite, carries internet protocol audio from the central control site to the second wellsite;

displaying the video stream from the second wellsite on a display at the central control site;

analyzing at the central control site the data generated by the second wellbore servicing equipment;

storing the data generated by the second wellbore servicing equipment in a data store at the central control site;

displaying the results of the analysis of the data generated by the second wellbore servicing equipment on a display at the central control site;

entering job control parameters for the second wellbore servicing equipment at the central control site; and

transmitting the job control parameters for the second wellbore servicing equipment entered at the central control site to the second wellsite, wherein the second wellbore servicing equipment is commanded to service a second wellbore.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the job control parameters for the second wellbore servicing equipment are based at least in part on the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment and on the data generated by the second wellbore servicing equipment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the job control parameters for the first wellbore servicing equipment are based at least in part on the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment and on the data generated by the second wellbore servicing equipment.

11. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

initiating a plurality of wellbore servicing equipment at a wellbore site;

initiating a central control site;

establishing a communication link between the wellbore site and the central control site, the communication link carrying internet protocol video packets, internet protocol audio packets based on radio communication among wellbore site personnel, and sensor data generated by the wellbore servicing equipment from the wellbore site to the central control site and carrying control parameters from the central control site to the wellbore site, whereby the control parameters at least in part command the operation of the wellbore servicing equipment;

inputting operational parameters to a first stimulation modeling system executing at the central control site, wherein the first stimulation modeling system receives sensor inputs from the wellbore site, stores the sensor inputs and the operational parameters to a first data store, models fluid behavior, predicts fluid behavior, and presents modeled and predicted fluid behavior;

transmitting operational parameters and information about the modeled fluid behavior and predicted fluid behavior to a second stimulation modeling system executing at the wellbore site to establish a stimulation modeling and prediction alliance; and

performing a wellbore servicing job using the wellbore servicing equipment, wherein the wellbore servicing equipment is controlled at least in part from the central control site based on the control parameters transmitted to the wellbore site from the central control site over the communication link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wellbore servicing equipment comprises at least one of a cement controller, a sand controller, a pump controller, a blender controller, a tote controller, an additive controller, or an instrumentation controller.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising testing the communication link between the wellbore site and the central control site.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the second stimulation modeling system storing sensor inputs to a second data store;

the second stimulation modeling system determining that the communication link between the wellbore site and the central control site has been restored to service after a service interruption; and

the second stimulation modeling system reestablishing the stimulation modeling and prediction alliance in response to determining that the communication link has been restored, wherein reestablishing the alliance comprises transmitting data from the second data store to the first data store.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the operational parameters comprise one or more wellbore configuration parameters or one or more wellbore treatment parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wellbore configuration parameters comprise at least one of a surface line length, a surface line size, a liner length, a liner size, a casing length, a casing size, a tubing length, a tubing size, an open hole length, or an open hole size;

and the wellbore treatment parameters comprise one or more of a volume of fluid, an amount of fluid, a type of fluid, a fluid density, a fluid viscosity, a fluid rheological property, a volume of additive, an amount of additive, a type of additive, a volume of proppant, an amount of proppant, a type of proppant, a treatment pressure, or a treatment time interval.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first stimulation modeling system models fluid behavior in real-time, predicts fluid behavior in real-time, and predicts bottom hole conditions in real-time, and wherein the wellbore servicing equipment is controlled from the central control site based at least in part on the modeled and predicted fluid behavior and on the predicted bottom hole conditions.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating a plurality of wellbore servicing equipment at a second wellbore site;

establishing a second communication link between the second wellbore site and the central control site, the communication link carrying at least sensor data generated by the wellbore servicing equipment at the second wellbore site to the central control site and control parameters from the central control site to the wellbore servicing equipment at the second wellbore site, whereby the control parameters sent to the second wellbore site at least in part command the operation of the wellbore servicing equipment at the second wellbore site.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the wellbore servicing job is at least one of a hydraulic fracturing job, an acidation job, and an expandable gel injection job.

20. A system for servicing a wellbore, comprising:

a first gateway for converting communications from a first job local area network directed to a remotely located central control site from job local area network packets to internet protocol packets and for converting communications from the central control site directed to the first job local area network from internet protocol packets to job local area network packets;

a second gateway;

a radio transceiver to establish radio communication links between an on-site portable radio at the first wellsite and the second gateway, wherein the second gateway converts communications from the on-site portable radio to internet protocol packets for transmitting to the central control site and converts internet protocol packets from the central control site to communications directed to the on-site portable radio;

an on-site video camera;

a third gateway to convert a video stream generated by the on-site video camera to an internet protocol video stream;

a first communication modem for establishing a communication link between the wellsite and the central control site, wherein the communication link carries the internet protocol video stream based on the video stream generated by the on-site video camera to the central control site, carries the internet protocol audio stream based on the radio transmission received by the second gateway to the central control site, carries data generated by the wellbore servicing equipment to the central control site, carries control parameters from the central control site to the wellsite, carries internet protocol audio from the central control site to the wellsite;

a first monitor at the central control site that displays the video stream from the first wellsite;

a computer at the central control site executing a wellbore fracturing analysis program that analyzes the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment;

a data store at the central control site that stores the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment;

a second monitor at the central control site that displays the results of the analysis of the data generated by the first wellbore servicing equipment; and

a workstation at the central control site for entering job control parameters for the first wellbore servicing equipment, the job control parameters to be transmitted over the communication link from the central control site to the wellsite.