Method for wellhead control
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a wellhead on a well, the well extending from beneath the earth to a surface thereof, the wellhead including a plurality of valves for controlling flow of fluids in flowlines to and from the well, each fluid having a pressure level in a flowline, the plurality of valves including at least a downhole valve and a surface valve, the downhole valve controlling flow of fluid from within the well to the surface and the surface valve controlling flow of fluid from the well to a location, the method comprising the step of:
- producing power from an integral stand-alone power apparatus for producing electric power adjacent the well;
delivering power produced by the power apparatus to a control unit and to pumping apparatus;
operating the pumping apparatus to pump operating fluid to the downhole valve to operate the downhole valve and pumping operating fluid to the surface valve to operate the surface valve; and
controlling the pumping and the valves with the control unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is disclosed which, in one aspect, includes providing power to a system for controlling a wellhead from a self-contained stand-alone power source, controlling the delivery of power to the system with a control unit (in one aspect a microprocessor control unit), using various valves to control flow of fluids from within the well and from the well in one or more flowlines, and monitoring various parameters both in the flowlines and in and around the well and the wellhead, including but not limited to fluid pressures and emergency conditions, and shutting-in the well in response to certain signals generated by the system based on the monitoring.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a wellhead on a well, the well extending from beneath the earth to a surface thereof, the wellhead including a plurality of valves for controlling flow of fluids in flowlines to and from the well, each fluid having a pressure level in a flowline, the plurality of valves including at least a downhole valve and a surface valve, the downhole valve controlling flow of fluid from within the well to the surface and the surface valve controlling flow of fluid from the well to a location, the method comprising the step of:
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producing power from an integral stand-alone power apparatus for producing electric power adjacent the well; delivering power produced by the power apparatus to a control unit and to pumping apparatus; operating the pumping apparatus to pump operating fluid to the downhole valve to operate the downhole valve and pumping operating fluid to the surface valve to operate the surface valve; and controlling the pumping and the valves with the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for controlling a wellhead on a well, the well extending from beneath the earth to a surface thereof, the wellhead including a plurality of valves for controlling flow of fluids in flowlines to and from the well, the plurality of valves including at least a downhole valve and a surface valve, the downhole valve disposed in a downhole flowline from within the well to the surface and controlling flow of fluid therein and the surface valve disposed in a surface flowline from the well to a location and the surface valve controlling the flow of fluid therein, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing power from an integral stand-alone solar power array power apparatus for producing electric power adjacent the well; delivering power produced by the power apparatus to a control unit and to pumping apparatus; operating the pumping apparatus to pump operating fluid to the downhole valve to operate the downhole valve and pumping operating fluid to the surface valve to operate the surface valve; controlling the pumping apparatus and the valves with the control unit; monitoring pressure of fluid in the flowlines and sensing a pressure level therein; producing a pressure alarm signal if pressure is not within a preset acceptable range and transmitting the pressure alarm signal to the control unit; shutting-in the well in response to the pressure alarm signal by operating the downhole valve and the surface valve to close off their respective flowlines to fluid flow; storing power produced by the solar power array in at least one storage battery, the control unit interconnected with the at least one storage battery for controlling delivery of power to the valves and to the pumping apparatus; sensing voltage of the electrical power and amperage of the electrical power; producing power signals indicative of sensed voltage and sensed amperage; transmitting the power signals to the control unit; producing a power alarm signal if voltage or amperage is not within an acceptable range; shutting-in the well in response to the power alarm signal; monitoring at the wellhead for an emergency condition; producing an emergency signal if an emergency condition is monitored; and shutting-in the well in response to the emergency signal.
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Specification