Systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, recording, and transmitting fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control data

• US 9,285,503 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FW Murphy Production Controls LLC (Waukesha Bearings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Enovation Controls, LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guglielmo, Kennon, Murphy, Frank W
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, ADITYA S
• Application Number:
  US14/091,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1146 Scanning sequence as function of previous logic expression
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23161 Hand held terminal PDA displays machine control program when user is near that machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24001 Maintenance, repair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25062 Detect physical location of field device

Abstract

Systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, transmitting, and acting on information collected from instruments monitoring and controlling equipment used for natural gas well production collection and pipeline insertion platforms (skids). Said instruments may include handheld computing devices like the Apple iPhone, iPad, or other PDAs; said devices using short or long range, wired or wireless communication. The systems and methods reduce costs, errors, inefficiencies, and increase safety by giving the user simple GUI interfaces for data collection and for action items. The said handheld devices can guide the data collector to the skid location using GPS or other location based services, collect data via wired of wireless methods, guide the data collector through manual data input methods or safety action items, compare current readings to past history and evaluate current safety or out-of-tolerance conditions or entries, among other items.

Claims

1. A system for collecting and transmitting information from fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment comprising:

(a) a handheld computing device with a data processor in communication with a data input device, a text and graphics display device, a short-range wired communication system, a short-range wireless communication system, a long-range wireless communication system, and a geographical position fixing system;

(b) said handheld computing device executing an operating system, graphical user interface, and software that enable a person to monitor instruments and control equipment associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment;

(c) said software detecting said handheld computing device'"'"'s geographical position using said geographical position fixing system;

(d) said software providing said handheld computing device'"'"'s user with information relating to said instruments based on said handheld computing device'"'"'s proximity to said instruments;

(e) said software prompting said user to enter readings relating to at least one of said instruments;

(f) said short-range wireless communication system being in wireless communication with at least one of said instruments;

(g) said handheld computing device being in communication with a centralized data collection computer system via said handheld computing device'"'"'s said short-range wired communication system, said short-range wireless communication system, or said long-range wireless communication system; and

(h) whereby an objective is enabled relative to said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment or to data associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment, said objective including one or more of the following;

(i)time spent collecting or entering said data is reduced;

(ii) cost of collecting or recording said data is reduced;

(iii) accuracy or completeness of said data is increased;

(iv) time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data is decreased;

(v) resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data are reduced; and

(vi) risk of harm to the environment or personnel is reduced.

2. A system for collecting and processing information relative to fluid hydrocarbon handling installations, comprising:

(a) a fluid hydrocarbon handling installation comprising an instrument panel and a plurality of sensor modules distributed around the installation, said instrument panel comprising a data processor and a wireless data transmission system;

(b) a portable computing device of a type that is suitable to be carried by a pedestrian user while walking in human accessible spaces around a fluid hydrocarbon handling installation, said portable computing device comprising a data processor and an assembly of subsystems in communication with said data processor, said subsystems including a data input device, a data display device, a wireless communication subsystem, and a geographical position fixing subsystem;

(c) said wireless communication subsystem being operatively connected in a manner to communicate with the wireless transmitter of said instrument panel in a manner that allows said wireless communication subsystem to receive wireless signals that are representative of sensor data from said wireless transmitter;

(d) said data display device being operatively integrated with said portable computing device to display user readable representations of said sensor data for viewing by said pedestrian user;

(e) said data processor being adapted to execute software;

(f) said software being adapted to acquire data from said geographical position fixing subsystem to detect said portable computing device'"'"'s geographical position;

(g) said software being further adapted to cause said data display device to display information relating to one of said multiple data sets based on said portable computing device'"'"'s proximity to the one of said multiple locations that corresponds to said one of said multiple data sets; and

(h) whereby an objective is enabled relative to said fluid hydrocarbon handling installations or to data associated with said fluid hydrocarbon handling installations, said objective including one or more of the following;

(i) time spent collecting or entering said data is reduced;

(ii) cost of collecting or recording said data is reduced;

(iii) accuracy or completeness of said data is increased;

(iv) time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data is decreased;

(v) resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data are reduced; and

(vi) risk of harm to the environment or personnel is reduced.

3. A method for collecting and transmitting information from fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment comprising:

(a) using a handheld computing device wherein said handheld computing device comprises;

(1) a handheld computing device with a data processor in wired communication with a manual data input device, a text and graphics display device, a short-range wired communication system, a short-range wireless communication system, a long-range wireless communication system, and a geographical position fixing system;

(2) said handheld computing device executing an operating system, graphical user interface, and software that enable a person to monitor instruments and control equipment associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment using said handheld computing device;

(3) said geographical position fixing system to detect said handheld computing device'"'"'s geographical position;

(4) said software providing said handheld computing device'"'"'s user with information relating to said instruments based on said handheld computing device'"'"'s proximity to said instruments;

(5) said software prompting said user to enter readings relating to at least one of said instruments;

(6) said short-range wireless communication system in wireless communication with at least one said instruments; and

(7) said handheld computing device in communication with a centralized data collection computer system via said handheld computing device'"'"'s short-range wired communication system, said short-range wireless communication system, or said long-range wireless communication system;

(b) using said handheld computing device to manually, automatically, or manually and automatically collect data from instruments, such as gas production monitoring and controlling instruments;

(c) transmitting said data to a centralized data collection computer system; and

(d) enabling an objective relative to said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment or to data associated with said fluid hydrocarbon production monitoring and control equipment, said objective including one or more of the following;

(i) reducing time spent collecting or entering said data;

(ii) reducing cost of collecting or recording said data;

(iii) increasing accuracy or completeness of said data;

(iv) decreasing time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data;

(v) reducing resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data; and

(vi) reducing risk of harm to the environment or personnel.

4. A system for processing information from instruments associated with hydrocarbon processing equipment, the system comprising:

(a) a communication system; and

(b) a computing system, said computing system comprising;

(1) a computing device with a data processor;

(2) an operating system;

(3) software including executable code written for performing tasks of the computing system;

(4) said data processor adapted for executing said software;

(5) a display device; and

(6) a geographical position fixing system;

(c) said computing system being in communication with said communication system, said computing system adapted for monitoring the instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment and for communicating data from said instruments;

(d) said computing system being adapted for detecting the proximity of said computing device to nearby instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment and for obtaining data from detected nearby instruments; and

(e) whereby an objective results relative to said hydrocarbon processing equipment or data associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment, said objective including one or more of the following;

(i) time spent collecting or entering said data is reduced;

(ii) cost of collecting or recording said data is reduced;

(iii) accuracy or completeness of said data is increased;

(iv) time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data is decreased;

(v) resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data are reduced; and

(vi) risk of harm to the environment or personnel is reduced.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein said computer system being adapted for controlling said hydrocarbon processing equipment based on data from said instruments.

6. The system as in claim 4, wherein said communication system is at least one of a short-range wired system, a short-range wireless system, and a long-range wireless system.

7. The system as in claim 4, wherein said instruments include a plurality of instruments, each of which is one of gauges, pressure gauges, temperature gauges, meters, flow meters, sensors, monitors, controllers, data-aggregating devices, data stations, and control panels, and wherein each of said plurality of instruments may be wireless-enabled.

8. The system as in claim 4, further comprising a centralized data collection system, said computing system being in communication with said centralized data collection system via the communication system for providing information from said instruments to said centralized data collection system.

9. The system as in claim 4, further comprising wherein said computing device is one of a device which is:

held by a user;

not held by a user;

worn as a headset;

embedded in clothing;

attached to a remotely piloted vehicle;

in a remotely piloted craft;

a notebook computer;

a cellular communication transceiver;

an Apple iPhone;

an Apple iPad; and

a personal digital assistant.

10. The system as in claim 4, wherein said hydrocarbon processing equipment is one of equipment used for:

fluid hydrocarbon production;

natural gas production;

fluid hydrocarbon handling;

fluid hydrocarbon conveyance;

fluid hydrocarbon collection;

fluid hydrocarbon pipeline insertion; and

fluid hydrocarbon control.

11. The system as in claim 4, further comprising:

(a) said computer system being adapted for comparing data from said instruments to norm data indicative of normal equipment operating condition limits; and

(b) said computing system being adapted for providing an alert in the event data from the instruments differs from said norm data.

12. The system as in claim 11, further comprising said computing system being adapted for providing identification information about one or more particular instruments whose data differs from said norm data for said one or more particular instruments to assist in confirming the identity of said one or more particular instruments.

13. The system as in claim 4, wherein said instruments are located on a natural gas platform skid and said hydrocarbon processing equipment is equipment for natural gas processing.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein said natural gas platform skid provides a collection point for natural gas flowing from a plurality of individual wells.

15. The system as in claim 4, wherein:

(a) said instruments are on a platform skid;

(b) said platform skid has a skid-based local regional transmitter; and

(c) said platform skid has a skid-based data processor in communication with said skid-based local regional transmitter, said skid-based data processor being able to receive, process, and store data from each instrument on said platform skid for subsequent transmission of said data by said skid-based local regional transmitter to said computing system.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein the proximity of a computing device and said platform skid is automatically detectable by an instrument on said platform skid, by said computing device, or by both an instrument on said skid and said computing device.

17. The system as in claim 4, further comprising:

(a) said instruments being located on a platform skid; and

(b) wherein said platform skid includes a particular instrument adapted for providing an auto-detection of said computing device in proximity to said platform skid.

18. The system as in claim 4, wherein said computing device is a dockable device, dockable to connect to a docking station, said docking station being in communication with a central data processor for transmitting information about said hydrocarbon processing equipment from said computing device to said central data processor.

19. A method for processing information from instruments associated with hydrocarbon processing equipment, said method comprising:

(a) employing a primary system for processing information, said primary system comprising a communication system and a computing system adapted for monitoring said instruments, said computing system being in communication with said instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment;

(b) said computing system further comprising;

(1) a computing device with a data processor;

(2) an operating system;

(3) software with executable code written for completing tasks of said computing system, said data processor being adapted for executing said software; and

(4) a geographical position fixing system;

(c) detecting with said computing system the proximity of said computing device to nearby instruments of the instruments associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment;

(d) obtaining with said computing system data from detected nearby instruments; and

(e) enabling an objective relative to said hydrocarbon processing equipment or data associated with said hydrocarbon processing equipment, said objective including one or more of the following;

(i) reducing time spent obtaining said data;

(ii) reducing cost of obtaining said data;

(iii) increasing accuracy or completeness of said data;

(iv) decreasing time required to respond to out-of-tolerance readings of said data;

(v) reducing resources or revenues expended due to errors in said data; and

(vi) reducing risk of harm to the environment or personnel.

20. The method as in claim 19, further comprising:

(a) comparing with said computing system data from said detected nearby instruments to norm data indicative of normal equipment operating condition limits; and

(b) providing with said computing system an alert in the event data from said detected nearby instruments differs from said norm data.

21. The method as in claim 19, further comprising confirming with said computing system the identity of one or more particular instruments by providing identification information about said one or more particular instruments when data from said one or more particular instruments differs from norm data for equipment monitored by said one or more particular instruments.

22. The method as in claim 19, wherein said hydrocarbon processing equipment is equipment for natural gas processing and said instruments are on a natural gas platform skid.

23. The method as in claim 19, further comprising transmitting information from said computing system to a central data processor.

24. The method as in claim 19, wherein:

(a) said instruments are on a platform skid;

(b) said platform skid has a skid-based local regional transmitter;

(c) said platform skid has a skid-based data processor in communication with said skid-based local regional transmitter; and

(d) said skid-based data processor is adapted for receiving, processing and storing data from each instrument on said platform skid for subsequent transmission of said data by said skid-based local regional transmitter to said computing device.

25. The method as in claim 24, further comprising:

(a) receiving, processing and storing, with said skid-based data processor, data from each instrument on said platform skid;

(b) transmitting, with said skid-based data processor, information to said skid-based local regional transmitter; and

(c) transmitting, with said skid-based data processor, data from each instrument to said computing device.

26. The method as in claim 25, further comprising automatically detecting proximity of said computing device and said platform, said automatic detection achieved by one of an instrument on said platform skid, said computing device, or by both an instrument on said platform skid and said computing device.

27. The method as in claim 19, wherein said computing device is a dockable device, dockable to connect to a docking station, said docking station being in communication with a central data processor for transmitting information about said hydrocarbon processing equipment from said computing device to said central data processor, the method further comprising transmitting via said docking station, information about said hydrocarbon processing equipment from said computing device to said central data processor.