Wireless Technologies for Gas Lift Surveillance

Transcription

1 39 th Gas-Lift Workshop Houston, Texas, USA May 16 20, 2016 Wireless Technologies for Gas Lift Surveillance Michael Romer, Bin Xu, and Ted Long ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company Tony Hord, Sampson LeJeune, Roger Stephens, Kim Benjamin, Jennifer Godbold, and Cameron Scott ExxonMobil Production Company Dan Carlson and Steve Newton Emerson Brian Frame and Joe Minda Puffer-Sweiven

2 Outline Introduction Data Gathering Challenges and Solutions Offshore Permanent Installation Deployment Data Offshore Portable Installation Suitcase Deployment Data Summary What s Next? May 16 20, Gas-Lift Workshop 2

3 Introduction What surface information do you receive from your GL wells? Tubing, Casing, and/or Flowline Pressures? Production and/or GL Injection Rates? How often do you receive this information? Real-time, hourly, daily? At weekly, monthly or quarterly well tests? Whenever the operator is able to collect a number? After a quarterly / biannual visit to an isolated location? Brownfield assets have unique answers to these questions And that s where production is happening NOW May 16 20, Gas-Lift Workshop 3

4 Introduction What could you do with more data? Ensure producing wells are actually producing Individual well injection optimization Field-wide injection gas allocation & optimization Troubleshooting About 25% of 2014 ExxonMobil oil production was gas-lifted GL optimization is an important production activity Production data is required for opportunity identification, analysis, prioritization, response, and post-work validation How can we obtain the data we need when we need it? May Gas-Lift Workshop 4

5 Data Gathering Challenges Why is it difficult to add data gathering capabilities to a brownfield asset? Holes in pipe required for pressure / other transmitters? But what if there are already locations or analog gauges? Typical, somewhat instrumented asset Lack of spare input/output (I/O) points Effort to run power/communications cables Remote, satellite asset No data gathering system, no server No power, no communications May Gas-Lift Workshop 5

6 Data Gathering Solutions Wireless data-gathering technologies can help Sensors can be powered with batteries; Area Classified Up to 5+ yr life at 8 sec data collection frequency Wireless communication to a Gateway Batteries can be hot-swapped in hazardous environments Gateway provides multiple new I/O points Can be tied into existing data gathering system Allows for data trending at typical analysis locations Li-Ion Battery Relatively small size of equipment promotes portability Do you really need an intrusive solution? Can you use a proxy for a traditional data source? Acoustic / Temperature Transmitter May Gas-Lift Workshop 6

7 Offshore Permanent Installation Offshore North American asset chosen to pilot permanent system Dry trees (gas-lifted and flowing), good access to test separator Existing instrumentation and data collection system Wireless tech. selected to reduce installation/maintenance requirements Demonstrated URC wireless sensor network to Asset team Visited site with Emerson to determine optimal equip. placement Chose wireless hopping from Wireless Gateway to existing Wireless Access Point (WAP) to eliminate running of Ethernet cable Procured equipment for six dry-tree wells Wireless Gateway and Radio for communications to WAP Acoustic/Temperature Transmitters, Vibration Monitors May Gas-Lift Workshop 7

8 Permanent Install: Deployment Wi-Fi RadioTies Gateway to Wireless Infrastructure New Wireless Transmitters Communicate with Gateway, Hopping through Closest Access Point Existing Wireless Infrastructure on Platform, Tied to Data Gathering System May Gas-Lift Workshop 8

9 Antenna Production Header Gateway & Radio Permanent Install: Deployment Wellheads JB WAP Cellar Deck Production Deck May Gas-Lift Workshop 9

10 Permanent Install: Deployment Flowline Acoustic/Temp. Transmitter, Vibration Monitor Production Deck May Gas-Lift Workshop 10

11 Permanent Install: Deployment Vibration Sensor Head Ambient Temperature Sensor WAP Wellbay / Flex Pipes Gateway / Radio Acoustic/Temperature Sensors May Gas-Lift Workshop 11

12 Permanent Install: Data GL Pressure (psi) Tubing Pressure (psi) FL Skin Temp. ( F) FL Vibration (in/s) FL Vibration (g) FL Acoustic (counts) Slugging example Flowline Acoustic data tracks slug frequency of GL Pressure, Tubing Pressure, and Flowline Skin Temperature Vibration velocity (in/s) and acceleration (g) data track acoustic May Gas-Lift Workshop 12

13 Permanent Install: Data Naturally Flowing Well A BFPD Well C 7400 BFPD Well F 5600 BFPD Well B 5100 BFPD Well E 3100 BFPD Gas-Lifted Well D 3500 BFPD Proxy for flow / no-flow indication? Flowline Skin Temp. vs. Time; Production rates from nearest well tests Comparative usefulness dependent on well trajectory, completion hardware, reservoir properties, sensor placement, and many other factors May Gas-Lift Workshop 13

14 Offshore Portable Installation But what if you don t have an existing data system, or power? Opportunity was identified to create a Wireless Suitcase Business application could dictate the sensing package GL optimization, rotating machinery, well surveillance, hydraulic fracture monitoring, validation of existing data streams Success with temporary unit could lead to permanent installation Requirements Portable = Packaged for one-person transport via commercial aircraft Rated for hazardous areas FM Class I preferable Global certifications possible for worldwide deployment Gateway for assorted wireless transmitters Onboard data acquisition unit with multiple user interfaces for access May Gas-Lift Workshop 14

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16 Portable Install: Suitcase Wireless Gateway Wi-Fi Antenna Wi-Fi Radio Ethernet Switch Gateway Antenna with Extension Cable Isolation Blocks Breakers Red Lion Touchscreen Data Acquisition Unit 120/240V Power Receptacles and On/Off Switch AC/DC Converter

17 Portable Install: Suitcase May Gas-Lift Workshop 17

18 Portable Install: Suitcase May Gas-Lift Workshop 18

19 First deployment was to an overseas offshore asset Transported via commercial airline in two cases Then by vehicle to supply boat staging location Li-ion batteries procured incountry; able to transport between platforms via helicopter May Gas-Lift Workshop Pressure and Temp. transducers Firewall between antennas and transmitters Suitcase in turbine control room, antenna mounted 19

20 Portable Install: Deployment Suitcase Vent / Feedthrough Antenna / Firewall Wireless Pressure and Temp/Acoustic Wired Pressure Transmitter Wireless Temp/Acoustic Trans.

21 Portable Install: Data Captured data simultaneously during three CO2 Tracer surveys Insulation improved flowline temp. accuracy Acoustic data clearly indicates slugging May Gas-Lift Workshop 21

22 Suitcase placed in non-classified area on Main Deck for 2 nd platform deployment Spare temp. transmitter used as a repeater to ensure communication path to suitcase Signals easily able to transit through main deck to Gateway Suitcase in Welding Shop, Antenna Mounted Temp. Transmitter Repeater Pressure and Temp. Transducers May Gas-Lift Workshop 22

23 Portable Install: Data Recorded data during standard multi-rate test Obvious indications of GL rate changes with Casing Pressure Delay (as expected) between rate change and effect on tubing GL Rate Change May Gas-Lift Workshop 23

24 Summary Wireless technologies have successfully been deployed offshore for GL surveillance activities Permanent installation in North America Has provided additional data streams for 2+ years Additional deployment to offshore Alaska asset Wireless suitcase trialed Overseas Deployments to GOM and onshore locations since Improved brownfield surveillance data streams provide insight and inspire uplift opportunities that otherwise could be missed May Gas-Lift Workshop 24

25 What s Next? Further Permanent installations and Wireless Suitcase deployments Focus on data-poor locations for greatest enhancements in production optimization Investigation of alternative portable power options Batteries, Gas-driven micro-expander / generator Integration of wireless equipment with other surveillance tools CO2 tracer, Ultrasonic gas flow meter, Echometer Evaluation of long-distance communications options May Gas-Lift Workshop 25

26 Questions?

27 Copyright Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Gas-Lift Workshop, they grant to the Workshop, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), rights to: Display the presentation at the Workshop. Place it on the web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee. Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee. Other uses of this presentation are prohibited without the expressed written permission of the company(ies) and/or author(s) who own it and the Workshop Steering Committee. May 16 20, Gas-Lift Workshop 27

28 Disclaimer The following disclaimer shall be included as the last page of a Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Gas-Lift Workshop Web Site. The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas-Lift Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-inafter referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas-Lift Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained. The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in these presentations and/or training materials are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sponsoring Organizations. The author is solely responsible for the content of the materials. The Sponsoring Organizations cannot and do not warrant the accuracy of these documents beyond the source documents, although we do make every attempt to work from authoritative sources. The Sponsoring Organizations provide these presentations and/or training materials as a service. The Sponsoring Organizations make no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the presentations and/or training materials, or any part thereof, including any warrantees of title, noninfringement of copyright or patent rights of others, merchantability, or fitness or suitability for any purpose. May 16 20, Gas-Lift Workshop 28