Method and apparatus for controlling wellbore equipment

• US 6,896,055 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Koithan, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): NEUDER, WILLIAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/360,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20040154832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.01, 166/250.15, 166/53, 175/24, 175/40, 175/45
• US Class Current: 166/250.15
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/166 Arrangements of torque limiters or torque indicators
• 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: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08

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, the invention includes a method comprising the steps collecting data corresponding to the parameter with a sensor module; transmitting the collected data to an on-site universal data acquisition and control system; transmitting the data from the universal data acquisition and control system to a remote control/monitoring unit via a communication link; and transmitting control data from the control/monitoring unit back to at least the universal data acquisition and control system for modifying the operation of the well operation equipment.

Claims

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

i) collecting data corresponding to the at least one parameter by a sensor module assigned to the well operation equipment and adapted to collect data referring to at least torque and number of rotations for monitoring joint make-up of tubing and casing connections;

ii) transmitting the collected data to an on-site universal data acquisition and control system, the universal data acquisition and control system located proximate the well;

iii) transmitting said collected data from the universal data acquisition and control system to a remote control/monitoring unit via a communication link;

iv) displaying and/or analyzing the collected data, and

v) transmitting control data from the control/monitoring unit back to at least the universal data acquisition and control system for modifying the operation of the well operation equipment within predefined limits.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the well operation equipment is oil field tubular handling equipment.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the collected data is stored in a memory storage means of the universal data acquisition and control system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data from the sensor module is transmitted to the universal data acquisition and control system via a wireless transmission.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from the sensor module to the universal data acquisition and control system via wire transmission.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from the universal data acquisition and control system to the control/monitoring unit via bus transmission means with corresponding interfaces.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from the universal data acquisition and control system to the control/monitoring unit via a fiber optic transmission means.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from the universal data acquisition and control system to the control/monitoring unit via a wireless transmission means.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from sensor modules at multiple locations to the universal data acquisition and control system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the data is stored from all sensor modules to provide a complete make-up history of all mechanized well operation equipment.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is displayed and/or stored from a plurality of sensor modules by the control/monitoring unit.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the universal data acquisition and control system provides on-site access to the collected data or the received control data.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control data is transmitted to a separate control system different from the universal data acquisition and control system.

14. A rig control and monitoring system comprising:

i) at least one piece of mechanized well bore equipment with a sensor module assigned thereto;

ii) an on-site universal data acquisition and control system; and

,

iii) a remote control/monitoring unit comprising a torque—

turn and torque—

time monitoring means and connected with said universal data acquisition and control system by a first communication link, wherein the control/monitoring unit includes a display means and/or a storage means and said universal data and control system is connected with the sensor module for data transmission by a second communication link.

15. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein said mechanized well bore equipment is one of a group consisting of:

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, and packers.

16. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein said sensor module is one of a group consisting of:

torque sensor module, turn counter sensor module, pressure sensor module, temperature sensor module and flow sensor module.

17. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the universal data acquisition and control system is an operating platform for remotely operating the mechanical well bore equipment or the rig control system.

18. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the universal data acquisition and control system is arranged on an offshore rig.

19. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the remote control/monitoring unit is a computer.

20. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the control/monitoring unit comprises at least one evaluation module to evaluate the received data and to display same as a graph, table, or bar.

21. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein sensor modules from multiple locations are connected to the universal data acquisition and control system.

22. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the communication links is a high data rate communication link.

23. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the communication links is one of a group consisting of:

radio transmission link, fiber optic communication link, and bus link.

24. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the first communication link is a bus link and the bus link is one of a group consisting of:

ethernet, field bus, RS232, and RS485.

25. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the second communication link is a control data transmission link for transmitting adjustment data.

26. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the communication links are fully duplexed.

27. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the universal data acquisition and control system comprises a programmable logic control device.

28. The rig control and monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the first communication link is a connection over ethernet and the ethernet connection is a TCP/IP connection.

29. A rig control and monitoring system comprising:

i) at least one Piece of mechanized well bore equipment with a sensor module assigned thereto;

ii) an on-site universal data acquisition and control system; and

,

iii) a remote control/monitoring unit and connected with said universal data acquisition and control system by a communication link, wherein the control/monitoring unit includes a display means and/or a storage means, said universal data and control system is connected with the sensor module for data transmission, and at least one other control/monitoring unit can be connected to the universal data acquisition and control system as a back up unit.

30. A method of monitoring and/or adjusting parameters of a tubular make up at a well site, comprising:

i) collecting data related to a connection, the data including torque, turn, and time parameters; and

ii) displaying the parameters graphically using a software that permits the parameters to be analyzed at any time during the make up.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the parameters can be displayed in a 3 dimensional format and the display can be manipulated to show one or any pair of the parameters.