Wellsite equipment tracking systems and methods

• US 9,875,459 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Altamirano, Arturo E., LeBlanc, Graham, Jung, Ilmo, Ayyad, Mark Maher Hakim
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/949,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 235385, 235380, 235382, 235375, 235492
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present disclosure introduces methods and systems for tracking pieces of wellsite equipment. Such tracking includes receiving first identification information and first location information for a first module associated with a first piece of wellsite equipment at a first location, receiving second identification information for a second module associated with a second piece of wellsite equipment at the first location, and determining a tracking event associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment based on the first identification information, the first location information, and the second identification information. A utilization state associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment is then determined based on at least the tracking event.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first device at a first location, first identification information and first location information for a first module, wherein the first module is associated with a first piece of wellsite equipment, and wherein the first piece of wellsite equipment is at the first location;

receiving, at the first device at the first location, second identification information for a second module, wherein the second module is associated with a second piece of wellsite equipment, and wherein the second piece of wellsite equipment is at the first location;

determining, by the first device, a tracking event associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment, wherein the tracking event is determined based on the first identification information, the first location information, and the second identification information;

transmitting the determined tracking event from the first device to a second device that is located at a second location remote from the first location;

determining, by the second device, a utilization state associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment, wherein;

the second device determines the utilization state associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment based on the tracking event determined by and received from the first device; and

the utilization state determined by the second device is selected from the group consisting of “

awaiting maintenance,”

“

performing maintenance,”

“

waiting for deployment,”

“

performing a job,” and

“

moving between locations”

.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving the first identification information at the first device comprises receiving the first identification information at the first device from the first module; and

receiving the second identification information at the first device comprises;

receiving the second identification information at the first module from the second module; and

receiving the second identification information at the first device from the first module.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracking event is a first tracking event, and wherein the method further comprises:

moving the first and second pieces of wellsite equipment to a third location remote from the first and second locations, and then;

receiving the first identification information and second location information for the first module when the first piece of wellsite equipment is at the third location;

receiving the second identification information for the second module when the second piece of wellsite equipment is at the third location; and

determining a second tracking event associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment, wherein the second tracking event is determined based on the first identification information, the second location information, and the second identification information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the utilization state is a first utilization state, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a second utilization state associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment, wherein determining the second utilization state is based on the second tracking event.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracking event is a first tracking event, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving third identification information and second location information for a third module, wherein the third module is associated with a third piece of wellsite equipment, and wherein the third piece of wellsite equipment is at a third location;

receiving the second identification information for the second module when the second piece of wellsite equipment is at the third location; and

determining a second tracking event associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment, wherein the second tracking event is based on the third identification information, the second location information, and the second identification information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the utilization state is a first utilization state, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a second utilization state associated with the second piece of wellsite equipment, wherein determining the second utilization state is based on the second tracking event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracking event determined by the first device is selected from the group consisting of:

a first indicator indicating that a most recent event experienced by the second piece of wellsite equipment was entering an oilfield equipment base facility;

a second indicator indicating that the most recent event experienced by the second piece of wellsite equipment was exiting the base facility;

a third indicator indicating that the most recent event experienced by the second piece of wellsite equipment was entering an oilfield equipment maintenance facility;

a fourth indicator indicating that the most recent event experienced by the second piece of wellsite equipment was exiting the maintenance facility;

a fifth indicator indicating that the most recent event experienced by the second piece of wellsite equipment was starting operation at a oilfield wellsite; and

a sixth indicator indicating that the most recent event experienced by the second piece of wellsite equipment was ending operation at the oilfield wellsite.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of pieces of wellsite equipment individually or collectively disposed on or integral to one or more of a plurality of mobile carriers at a wellsite, wherein the plurality of pieces of wellsite equipment include;

a first mixer operable to combine a liquid and a first material to form a base fluid;

a second mixer fluidly connected with the first mixer and operable to combine the base fluid and a second material to form a mixture;

a plurality of pump assemblies; and

a manifold fluidly connected with the second mixer and the pump assemblies and operable to distribute the mixture to the pump assemblies, wherein the pump assemblies are operable to pressurize and return the mixture to the manifold, and wherein the manifold is operable to direct the pressurized mixture towards a wellbore at the wellsite; and

a control center disposed on one of the mobile carriers and operable to provide control to one or more of the pieces of wellsite equipment, wherein;

each of the plurality of pieces of wellsite equipment comprises a child module comprising a child module controller operable to control the child module to transmit identification information of the corresponding piece of wellsite equipment via a wireless local network (WLN) transceiver or a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag; and

the control center comprises a master module comprising a master module controller operable to control the master module to;

receive the identification information via a master WLN interface or a master RFID reader;

acquire location information for the master module via a global positioning system (GPS); and

transmit the identification information and the location information to a server remote from the wellsite via a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

each child module controller is operable to control the corresponding child module to provide operational information related to an operation of the corresponding piece of wellsite equipment via the WLN transceiver; and

the master module controller is operable to control the master module to;

receive the operational information via the master WLN interface; and

transmit the operational information to the server via the WWAN transceiver.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the operational information comprises at least one of:

electronic control module (ECM) information from an ECM of the corresponding piece of wellsite equipment; and

an operational parameter of the corresponding piece of wellsite equipment received from a sensor associated with the corresponding piece of wellsite equipment.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the child modules form at least a portion of a mesh network in cooperation with the WLN transceivers.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the master module controller is operable to control the master module to transmit high priority information substantially immediately.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the plurality of pieces of wellsite equipment further comprise;

a first container containing the first material;

a tank containing the liquid; and

a second container comprising the second material;

the first material comprises guar, a polymer, a synthetic polymer, galactomannan, a polysaccharide, cellulose, and/or clay;

the liquid comprises an aqueous fluid; and

the second material comprise a proppant material.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein first material comprises a hydratable material or gelling agent.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the base fluid comprises a gel.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the mixture is fracturing fluid.