Oil well servicing system

• US 6,377,189 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Key Energy Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unitrak Services LP (Key Energy Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Newman, Frederic M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US09/281,864
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 340/854.7, 340/856.3, 340/853.1, 340/854.6, 340/870.02, 340/870.1, 340/870.11, 181/102, 701/1, 166/245, 731/520.2
• US Class Current: 340/854.6
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08

Abstract

A well servicing system includes a vehicle that travels to perform a service operation at several well sites while monitoring and recording data that reflects the performance of the operation at each site, and then associates that data with unique well site identifiers. The information is stored and secured against tampering to provide a reliable record of what work was done at each particular well site.

Claims

1. A well servicing system for a plurality of well sites being serviced by a service vehicle that is adapted to perform a first service operation at a first well site of said plurality of well sites and perform a second service operation at a second well site of said plurality of well sites, said first service operation and said second service operation being measurable by monitoring a parameter that varies in response to at least one of said first service operation and said second service operation being performed, said well servicing system comprising:

a transducer adapted to be kept resident with said service vehicle even as said service vehicle becomes relocated between said first well site and said second well site, said transducer being adapted to sense said parameter at said first well site and provide a first analog feedback signal that varies as a function of said parameter at said first well site, said transducer being adapted to sense said parameter at said second well site and provide a second analog feedback signal that varies as a function of said parameter at said second well site;

an analog to digital converter adapted to convert said first analog feedback signal and said second analog signal to a first digital feedback signal and a second digital signal respectively;

a first well site identifier at said first well site and being associated with a first digital well site value;

a second well site identifier at said second well site and being associated with a second digital well site value that is distinguishable from said first digital well site value;

a memory being adapted to store said first digital feedback signal and said first digital well site value in reference to each other and being adapted to store said second digital feedback signal and said second digital well site value in reference to each other; and

a communication link that communicates at least one of said first digital feedback signal, said second digital feedback signal, said first digital well site value and said second digital well site to said memory, whereby said first service operation performed at said first well site can be distinguished from said second service operation performed at said second well site.

2. The well servicing system of claim 1, wherein said first well site identifier and said second well site identifier includes a bar code and said communication link includes a bar code scanner.

3. The well servicing system of claim 1, wherein said first well site identifier and said second well site identifier includes an electromagnetic element and said communication link includes an electromagnetic detector.

4. The well servicing system of claim 1, wherein each of said first well site identifier and said second well site identifier comprises a computer that includes said memory.

5. The well servicing system of claim 4, wherein said communication link includes a cable.

6. The well servicing system of claim 4, wherein said communication link includes an electromagnetic transmitter and an electromagnet receiver.

7. The well servicing system of claim 1, wherein said memory includes a memory chip.

8. The well servicing system of claim 1 further comprising a computer that includes a hard drive that provides said memory.

9. The well servicing system of claim 1, further comprising a computer and a portable data storage element, wherein said portable data storage element provides said memory with said computer being adapted to be read said portable data storage element.

10. The well servicing system of claim 1, wherein said communication link includes a portable data storage element to physically convey at least one of said first digital feedback signal and said first digital well site value to said memory.

11. The well servicing system of claim 10, wherein said portable data storage element includes a memory chip.

12. The well servicing system of claim 10, wherein said portable data storage element includes a magnetically recordable tape.

13. The well servicing system of claim 10, wherein said portable data storage element includes a magnetically recordable disc.

14. The well servicing system of claim 10, wherein said portable data storage element includes a CD.

15. The well servicing system of claim 1, wherein said parameter is at least one of a pressure, a temperature, a force, a rotational speed, and a rate of flow.

16. The well servicing system of claim 1, further comprising clock providing a digital time stamp that represents a time that said service operation is performed, said digital time stamp being stored in said memory, whereby said first service operation performed at said first well site can be further distinguished from said second service operation performed at said second well site by way of said time.

17. The well servicing system of claim 1, further comprising a first invoice at least partially based on said first digital feedback signal and said first digital well site value, and a second invoice at least partially based on said second digital feedback signal and said second digital well site value.

18. The well servicing system of claim 1, further comprising a database memory adapted to store a record containing said first digital well site value in reference to a plurality of first digital feedback signals and said second digital well site value in reference to a plurality of second digital feedback signals, wherein said plurality of first digital feedback signals and said plurality of said second digital feedback signals are collected over a period of days.

19. A well servicing system for a plurality of well sites being serviced by a service vehicle that is adapted to perform a first service operation at a first well site of said plurality of well sites and perform a second service operation at a second well site of said plurality of well sites, said first service operation and said second service operation being measurable by monitoring a parameter that varies in response to at least one of said first service operation and said second service operation being performed, said well servicing system comprising:

a transducer adapted to be kept resident with said service vehicle even as said service vehicle becomes relocated between said first well site and said second well site, said transducer being adapted to sense said parameter at said first well site and provide a first analog feedback signal that varies as a function of said parameter at said first well site, said transducer being adapted to sense said parameter at said second well site and provide a second analog feedback signal that varies as a function of said parameter at said second well site, said parameter being at least one of a pressure, a temperature, a force, a rotational speed, and a rate of flow;

an analog to digital converter adapted to convert said first analog feedback signal and said second analog signal to a first digital feedback signal and a second digital signal respectively;

a first well site identifier at said first well site and being associated with a first digital well site value, said first well site identifier including at least one of a first bar code and a first electromagnetic element;

a second well site identifier at said second well site and being associated with a second digital well site value that is distinguishable from said first digital well site value, said second well site identifier including at least one of a second bar code and a second electromagnetic element;

a memory being adapted to store said first digital feedback signal and said first digital well site value in reference to each other and being adapted to store said second digital feedback signal and said second digital well site value in reference to each other; and

a communication link that includes at least one of a bar code scanner and an electromagnetic detector, said communication link communicating at least one of said first digital feedback signal, said second digital feedback signal, said first digital well site value and said second digital well site to said memory, whereby said first service operation performed at said first well site can be distinguished from said second service operation performed at said second well site.

20. The well servicing system of claim 19, wherein said first well site identifier and said second well site identifier includes a bar code and said communication link includes a bar code scanner.

21. A well servicing system for a plurality of well sites being serviced by a service vehicle that is adapted to perform a first service operation at a first well site of said plurality of well sites and perform a second service operation at a second well site of said plurality of well sites, said first service operation and said second service operation being measurable by monitoring a parameter that varies in response to at least one of said first service operation and said second service operation being performed, said well servicing system comprising:

a transducer adapted to be kept resident with said service vehicle even as said service vehicle becomes relocated between said first well site and said second well site, said transducer being adapted to sense said parameter at said first well site and provide a first analog feedback signal that varies as a function of said parameter at said first well site, said transducer being adapted to sense said parameter at said second well site and provide a second analog feedback signal that varies as a function of said parameter at said second well site, said parameter being at least one of a pressure, a temperature, a force, a rotational speed, and a rate of flow;

an analog to digital converter adapted to convert said first analog feedback signal and said second analog signal to a first digital feedback signal and a second digital signal respectively;

a first well site identifier at said first well site and being associated with a first digital well site value, said first well site identifier including a first bar code;

a second well site identifier at said second well site and being associated with a second digital well site value that is distinguishable from said first digital well site value, said second well site identifier including a second bar code;

a memory being adapted to store said first digital feedback signal and said first digital well site value in reference to each other and being adapted to store said second digital feedback signal and said second digital well site value in reference to each other; and

a communication link that includes a bar code scanner and, said communication link communicating at least one of said first digital feedback signal, said second digital feedback signal, said first digital well site value and said second digital well site to said memory, whereby said first service operation performed at said first well site can be distinguished from said second service operation performed at said second well site.