Activating a Well System Tool

• US 20160265300A1
• Filed: 03/08/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Affleck, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,605,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/06 Blow-out preventers , i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers rotating blow-out preventers E21B33/085
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/16 Control means therefor being outside the borehole control systems for submerged well heads E21B33/0355
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/07 Temperature

Abstract

A well system includes a local control unit configured to communicably couple to a well shut-in assembly at a well site, the well shut-in assembly operable to shut-in a wellbore based on a command from the local control unit; and a remote control unit configured to wirelessly communicate a line-of-sight airborne wireless signal, at a location remote from the local control unit and the well site, to initiate the command from the local control unit to the well shut-in assembly.

Claims

1. A well system, comprising:

a local control unit configured to communicably couple to a well shut-in assembly at a well site, the well shut-in assembly operable to shut-in a wellbore based on a command from the local control unit; and

a remote control unit configured to wirelessly communicate a line-of-sight airborne wireless signal, at a location remote from the local control unit and the well site, to initiate the command from the local control unit to the well shut-in assembly.

2. The well system of claim 1, wherein the well shut-in assembly comprises:

a BOP stack that comprises a preventer configured to shut-in the wellbore to prevent hydrocarbon fluid egress from the wellbore; and

a BOP power unit that is communicably coupled to the local control unit.

3. The well system of claim 2, wherein the BOP power unit comprises a hydraulic power unit that is fluidly coupled to the preventer of the BOP stack.

4. The well system of claim 3, wherein the local control unit is communicably coupled to at least one control valve of the hydraulic power unit.

5. The well system of claim 4, wherein the command from the local control unit is operable to adjust the at least one control valve of the hydraulic power unit.

6. The well system of claim 1, wherein the line-of sight airborne wireless signal comprises at least one of a radio frequency signal, a cellular signal, a Wi-Fi signal, or a satellite signal.

7. The well system of claim 1, wherein the local control unit is configured to transmit wireless data to the remote control unit and receive wireless data from the remote control unit, the wireless data transmitted to the remote control unit from the local control unit comprising at least one of:

a confirmation of receipt of the command by the well shut-in assembly, a confirmation of actuation of the well shut-in assembly, a status of a well shut-in event, or well data.

8. The well system of claim 7, wherein the well data comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, or well control system status data associated with the well site.

9. The well system of claim 1, wherein the location remote from the local control unit and the well site comprises a distance between one tenth of a mile and ten miles.

10. A method for activating a wellbore safety device, comprising:

receiving, at a well site, a line-of-sight wireless airborne signal from a remote safety control device located remotely from the well site;

based on receipt of the signal, activating a power unit for a wellbore safety device; and

based on activation of the power unit, actuating the wellbore safety device to shut in a wellbore at the well site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the line-of-sight airborne wireless signal is received at a local control unit communicably coupled to the power unit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wellbore safety device comprises a BOP stack that comprises a preventer coupled to the power unit, the power unit comprising a hydraulic power unit that is fluidly coupled to the preventer of the BOP stack.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the local control unit is communicably coupled to at least one valve of the hydraulic power unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, based on receipt of the signal, generating a command from the local control unit operable to adjust the at least one valve of the hydraulic power unit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

based on adjusting the at least one valve of the hydraulic power unit, shutting-in the wellbore with the preventer; and

preventing hydrocarbon fluid egress from the wellbore with the preventer.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising wirelessly transmitting, from the local control, data to the remote control unit, the data transmitted to the remote control unit from the local control unit comprising at least one of:

a confirmation of receipt of the command by the wellbore safety device, a confirmation of actuation of the wellbore safety device, a status of a well shut-in event, or well data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the well data comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, or well control equipment status data associated with the well site.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, at a well site, a line-of-sight wireless airborne signal from a remote safety control device located remotely from the well site comprises receiving, at the well site, the line-of-sight wireless airborne signal from the remote safety control device located a distance between one tenth of one mile and ten miles.

19. A remotely-activated well shut-in system, comprising:

a BOP stack comprising at least one preventer;

a hydraulic power unit fluidly coupled to the preventer;

a local control unit communicably coupled to the hydraulic power unit; and

a remote control unit configured to wirelessly communicate a line-of-sight airborne wireless signal, at a location remote from the local control unit, to initiate a command from the local control unit to the hydraulic power unit to actuate the preventer to shut-in a wellbore.

20. The remotely-activated well shut-in system of claim 19, wherein the local control unit is communicably coupled to at least one valve of the hydraulic power unit, and the command from the local control unit is operable to adjust the at least one valve of the hydraulic power unit.

21. The remotely-activated well shut-in system of claim 19, wherein the preventer is configured to shut-in the wellbore to prevent hydrocarbon fluid egress from the wellbore.

22. The remotely-activated well shut-in system of claim 19, wherein the local control unit is configured is transmit wireless data to the remote control unit, the wireless data transmitted to the remote control unit from the local control unit comprising at least one of:

a confirmation of receipt of the command by the BOP stack, a confirmation of actuation of the BOP stack, a status of a well shut-in event, well data, or well control equipment status.

23. The remotely-activated well shut-in system of claim 22, wherein the well data comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, or well control equipment status data associated with the well site.