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
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, 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 2
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, 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 3
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 4
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 5
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 6
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 7
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 8
Antenna Production Header Gateway & Radio Permanent Install: Deployment Wellheads JB WAP Cellar Deck Production Deck May 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 9
Permanent Install: Deployment Flowline Acoustic/Temp. Transmitter, Vibration Monitor Production Deck May 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 10
Permanent Install: Deployment Vibration Sensor Head Ambient Temperature Sensor WAP Wellbay / Flex Pipes Gateway / Radio Acoustic/Temperature Sensors May 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 11
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 12
Permanent Install: Data Naturally Flowing Well A 10300 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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 13
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 14
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
Portable Install: Suitcase May 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 17
Portable Install: Suitcase May 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 18
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop Pressure and Temp. transducers Firewall between antennas and transmitters Suitcase in turbine control room, antenna mounted 19
Portable Install: Deployment Suitcase Vent / Feedthrough Antenna / Firewall Wireless Pressure and Temp/Acoustic Wired Pressure Transmitter Wireless Temp/Acoustic Trans.
Portable Install: Data Captured data simultaneously during three CO2 Tracer surveys Insulation improved flowline temp. accuracy Acoustic data clearly indicates slugging May 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 21
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 22
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 23
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 24
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 16 20. 2016 2016 Gas-Lift Workshop 25
Questions?
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