U.S. patent application number 13/585118 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-20 for blow out preventer (bop) corroborator.
This patent application is currently assigned to Siemens Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Theodore James Mallinson, Thomas O'Donnell, Sergey Sotskiy. Invention is credited to Theodore James Mallinson, Thomas O'Donnell, Sergey Sotskiy.
Application Number | 20130153241 13/585118 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47351510 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130153241 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mallinson; Theodore James ;
et al. |
June 20, 2013 |
BLOW OUT PREVENTER (BOP) CORROBORATOR
Abstract
Systems and methods supplementing existing management methods to
corroborate performance of a blow out preventer for a submerged
well. The corroborator is located on the blow out preventer and
includes a flow meter external to a pipe to measure flow inside the
pipe, a pipe joint locator, a ram seal confirmation agent and a
dedicated communication connection from the corroborator to a
computer topside. Data from at least one sensor topside, which may
represent a mud tank level, is also received. The computer
calculates a probability that a malfunction related to the well
occurs. The computer implements a Principal Component Analysis
model of the well based on historical data, to assess a likelihood
that a threshold value will be surpassed based on collected sensor
data and to generate an alert.
Inventors: |
Mallinson; Theodore James;
(Houston, TX) ; O'Donnell; Thomas; (New York,
NY) ; Sotskiy; Sergey; (Moscow, RU) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mallinson; Theodore James
O'Donnell; Thomas
Sotskiy; Sergey |
Houston
New York
Moscow |
TX
NY |
US
US
RU |
|
|
Assignee: |
Siemens Corporation
Iselin
NJ
|
Family ID: |
47351510 |
Appl. No.: |
13/585118 |
Filed: |
August 14, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61570358 |
Dec 14, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/363 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 33/06 20130101;
E21B 34/04 20130101; E21B 21/08 20130101; E21B 33/0355 20130101;
E21B 33/061 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/363 |
International
Class: |
E21B 34/04 20060101
E21B034/04 |
Claims
1. A method to monitor a blow-out preventer (BOP) of a well
submerged under a water surface including at least one pipe from
the well to a location above the water surface, comprising:
generating a plurality of signals including a signal from a flow
meter external to the at least one pipe to measure a flow inside
the at least one pipe, and a ram seal confirmation agent signal
from an acoustic sensor; collecting and sending the plurality of
signals by a BOP corroborator over a dedicated transmission
connection to a monitoring computer device at the location above
the water surface; and the monitoring computer device enabled to
decide based on the received plurality of signals to generate an
alert related to an activation of the BOP.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the monitoring
computer device receiving data from at least one sensor installed
above the water surface.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor measures
a mud tank level.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor measures
a pressure.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring computer device
applies a well model that calculates a probability of a well
malfunction.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the probability is a likelihood
of a malfunction that includes leakage of material into the water
within a period of one hour.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the model is based on a Principal
Component Analysis of sensor data.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor generating a
joint signal related to a joint in the at least one pipe.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining a
position of the joint in the at least one pipe.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: positioning shears
of the BOP in such a manner that when activated the shears will not
have to cut through the joint.
11. A corroborator to assist operation of a submerged well blow out
preventer (BOP) attached to a pipe from the well to topside, the
corroborator in communication with a mud tank or other surface
facility data points, comprising: a processor having an interface
that provides a level of contents of the mud tank or other surface
facility data and having a direct communication link to topside; a
flow meter attached external to the pipe to measure a flow inside
the pipe that provides a signal representative of the flow to the
processor; a pipe joint locator to determine locations of a
plurality of joints in the pipe which provides information
regarding the locations to the processor; and a ram seal
confirmation agent, to detect vibrations from an interior of the
pipe after the pipe has been sealed by a ram which provides a
measure of the vibrations to the processor; wherein the processor
provides information related to the level or other surface facility
data, the flow, the locations and the vibrations to topside over
the communication link.
12. The corroborator of claim 11, wherein the corroborator is
located on the blow out preventer.
13. The corroborator of claim 11, further comprising: a dedicated
transmission connection from the corroborator to a computer device
topside to transmit a plurality of signals collected by the
corroborator.
14. The corroborator of claim 13, wherein the computer device is
enabled to decide based on the plurality of signals transmitted by
the corroborator to generate an alert related to an activation of
the blow out preventer.
15. The corroborator of claim 14, wherein the computer device
receives a signal from at least one sensor installed topside.
16. The corroborator of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor
measures a mud tank level.
17. The corroborator of claim 14, wherein the computer device
applies a well model that calculates a probability of a well
malfunction.
18. The corroborator of claim 7, wherein the model is based on a
Principal Component Analysis of sensor data.
19. The corroborator of claim 17, wherein the probability is a
likelihood of a malfunction that includes leakage of material from
the well within a period of one hour.
20. The corroborator of claim 11, wherein shears of the blow out
preventer are positioned based on a signal generated by the pipe
joint locator in such a manner that when activated the shears will
not have to cut through the joint.
Description
STATEMENT OF RELATED CASES
[0001] The present application claims priority to and the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/570,358 filed on
Dec. 14, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to managing a Blow
Out Preventer (BOP) at a gas or oil off-shore well operation prior
to, in prevention of, or during an evolving emergency. The
invention in particular relates to providing early decision support
to managing the BOP at the earliest stages of the emergency. The
invention also relates to a novel BOP structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Oil and gas field operations typically involve drilling and
operating wells to locate and retrieve hydrocarbons. Increasingly,
rigs are positioned at wellsites in relatively deep water. Tools,
such as drilling tools, tubing and pipes and are deployed at these
wells to explore submerged reservoirs. It is important to prevent
spillage and leakage of fluids from the well into the
environment.
[0004] While well operators generally do their utmost to prevent
spillage or leakage, it is sometimes unavoidable that equipment
malfunction or breakdown takes place. Because of the nature of deep
water drilling. there is an inherent time lag between events taking
place downhole or at the BOP and the effects of the events being
seen at the facility. To prevent or limit spillage from the well or
pipes into open waters it is important to collect and have data
available to assess an emerging equipment failure at the earliest
opportunity and for personnel and control systems to have access to
clear and visible evidence enabling appropriate counter-measures to
be taken.
[0005] Published analyses of the Deepwater Horizon accident
(Macondo) suggest a lack of sufficient information about the
condition of the well and the related equipment and a lack of
timely information about the evolving emergency contributed to a
failure to support key decisions to address the evolving disaster.
It has been discovered that several key pieces of information could
have led to a different and more positive outcome to the ensuing
events.
[0006] These include a lack of accurate information about the pipe
configuration, incomplete feedback on BOP performance, and a lack
of information about the effectiveness of the BOP sealing and other
critical and timely information.
[0007] Accordingly, improved and novel methods and systems for
providing and/or assessing timely, accurate and complete
information related to well equipment are required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Aspects of the present invention provide systems and methods
to assist in the operation of a well blow out preventer with a
corroborator positioned on the blow out preventer.
[0009] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a
method is provided to monitor a blow-out preventer (BOP) of a well
submerged under a water surface including at least one pipe from
the well to a location above the water surface, generating a
plurality of signals including a signal from a flow meter external
to the at least one pipe to measure a flow inside the at least one
pipe, and a ram seal confirmation agent signal from an acoustic
sensor, collecting and sending the plurality of signals by a BOP
corroborator over a dedicated transmission connection to a
monitoring computer device at the location above the water surface,
and the monitoring computer device enabled to decide based on the
received plurality of signals to generate an alert related to an
activation of the BOP.
[0010] A novel BOP structure is also provided. In accordance with
an aspect of the present invention, the BOP includes a corroborator
to assist operation of a submerged well blow out preventer (BOP)
attached to a pipe from the well to topside. The corroborator can
include a processor having a direct communication link to the
surface with interfaces to systems such as the mud tank for level
balance indication, a flow meter attached external to the pipe to
measure a flow inside the pipe that provides a signal
representative of the flow to the processor, a pipe joint locator
to determine locations of a plurality of joints in the pipe which
provides information regarding the locations to the processor; and
a ram seal confirmation agent, to detect vibrations from an
interior of the pipe after the pipe has been sealed by a ram which
provides a measure of the vibrations to the processor. The
processor provides information related to the surface conditions,
the flow, the locations and the vibrations to topside over the
communication link.
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a blow-out preventer
(BOP), further comprising the monitoring computer device receiving
data from at least one sensor installed above the water
surface.
[0012] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), wherein the at least one sensor measures
a mud tank level.
[0013] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), wherein the at least one sensor measures
a pressure.
[0014] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), wherein the monitoring computer device
applies a well model that calculates a probability of a well
malfunction.
[0015] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), wherein the probability is a likelihood
of a malfunction that includes leakage of material into the water
within a period of one hour.
[0016] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), wherein the model is based on a Principal
Component Analysis of sensor data.
[0017] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), further comprising a sensor generating a
joint signal related to a joint in the at least one pipe.
[0018] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), further comprising determining a position
of the joint in the at least one pipe.
[0019] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method and apparatus are provided to monitor a
blow-out preventer (BOP), further comprising positioning shears of
the BOP in such a manner that when activated the shears will not
have to cut through the joint.
[0020] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the
corroborator is located on the blow out preventer.
[0021] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, further
comprising a dedicated transmission connection from the
corroborator to a computer device topside to transmit a plurality
of signals collected by the corroborator.
[0022] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the
computer device is enabled to decide based on the plurality of
signals transmitted by the corroborator to generate an alert
related to an activation of the blow out preventer.
[0023] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the
computer device receives a signal from at least one sensor
installed topside.
[0024] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the at
least one sensor measures a mud tank level.
[0025] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the
computer device applies a well model that calculates a probability
of a well malfunction.
[0026] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the
model is based on a Principal Component Analysis of sensor
data.
[0027] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein the
probability is a likelihood of a malfunction that includes leakage
of material from the well within a period of one hour.
[0028] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a corroborator and methods are provided, wherein shears
of the blow out preventer are positioned based on a signal
generated by the pipe joint locator in such a manner that when
activated the shears will not have to cut through the joint.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate components of a drill well;
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates a shear ram failure;
[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates a blow out preventer in accordance with
an aspect of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow meter in a pipe in accordance with
an aspect of he present invention;
[0033] FIG. 6 illustrates a hub near a ram having an integral
acoustical sensor in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention;
[0034] FIG. 7 illustrates a method of processing information from
the blow out preventer in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention;
[0035] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate methods in accordance with various
steps of the present invention; and
[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates a system enabled to perform steps of
methods provided in accordance with various aspects of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] It has been argued that a key contributor to the Deepwater
Horizon accident at Macondo was lack of sufficient/timely
information to support key decisions. As the events unfolded,
engineers on the rig were aware that there was a problem. However,
they were either: [0038] 1) not aware of the true extent of the
problem; [0039] 2) did not trust that the data on hand reflected
the downhole or mudline conditions accurately; [0040] 3) did not
receive the relevant information soon enough; or [0041] 4) some
combination of above.
[0042] Several key pieces of information may have led to a
different outcome to this series of events. For example, [0043] 1)
Knowledge of the pipe position might have avoided failed attempts
at deploying the Blow Out Preventer (BOP) shear rams. [0044] 2)
Proper information could have alerted the rig engineers to the
seriousness of the situation more rapidly, through indication that
some pipe had been pushed out of hole, that is, that the pipe
position had changed unexpectedly. [0045] 3) Feedback on the BOP
performance could have prevented it from being relied upon in its
compromised state during the incident, indicating that ram seal
material was no longer intact during previous pressure tests.
[0046] 4) Confirmation of the effectiveness of the BOP in sealing
the well was missing for some time resulting in multiple fruitless
attempts at ROV activation.
[0047] This lack of information is not exclusive to the Macondo
case. Operators of conventional BOPs lack adequate means to arrive
at appropriate conclusions in a timely fashion, even though these
devices are commonly seen as fail safe and are intended to protect
the facility against a variety of events.
[0048] A simple diagram of a drilling rig and its basic operation
is provided at and copied from the Wikipedia webpage:
<URLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_components_of_oil_drilling_ri-
gs>. It is reproduced in FIG. 1. The identified components
include: a Mud tank 1; Shale shakers 2; Suction line (mud pump) 3;
Mud pump 4; Motor or power source 5; Vibrating hose 6; Draw-works
7; Standpipe 8; Kelly hose 9; Goose-neck 10; Traveling block 11;
Drill line 12; Crown block 13; Derrick 14; Monkey board 15; Stand
(of drill pipe) 16; Pipe rack (floor) 17; Swivel 18 (on newer rigs
this may be replaced by a top drive); Kelly drive 19; Rotary table
20; Drill floor 21; Bell nipple 22; Blowout preventer (BOP) Annular
type 23; Blowout preventer (BOP) Pipe ram & blind ram 24; Drill
string 25; Drill bit 26; Casing head or Wellhead 27; and Flow line
28. A hook is also provided. To better show smaller components,
section 100 of FIG. 1 is reproduced enlarged in 100 in FIG. 2.
[0049] An example of conventional information from which an
engineer may infer a blowout is the rising of mud tank levels as
illustrated in FIG. 1. In the far right, denoted by numeral 1, is
the mud tank. Drilling fluid (mud) is pumped from this tank into
the well being drilled to remove cuttings, cool the bit, and other
purposes, and mud returns from the well to the pit during normal
operations. During a blowout, reservoir fluids displace mud from
the borehole into the mud tank. Mud is deposited via the flow line
28.
[0050] During normal drilling, the mud tank levels rise and fall
predictably in accordance with the operation being performed.
During a blowout, reservoir fluids displace the mud, significantly
and rapidly increasing the mud tank level. However, it takes some
minutes to travel the several thousands of feet necessary to arrive
topside. By the time it is apparent that the mud levels are
abnormally high, precious minutes may have been lost. Further
discussion with the mud engineer may be necessary to determine
whether this rise in level is due to imminent blowout or some other
activity.
[0051] Once it has been determined that a blowout is imminent or in
progress, or if safety demands that the well be shut down for
another reason, BOP pipe rams are deployed. Though there are a
variety of pipe rams employed, most of them employ some sort of
elastomer as a sealing surface. In cases where a ram is used to
seal flow, if there is any damage to the sealing face there may
continue to be a leak path, which could rapidly grow due to erosion
and high pressure differential across the ram. This is especially
true when pipe rams are used to close off annular flow (typically
the return path to the surface), since these can be damaged by
pulling pipe through the ram while engaged. This sealing face
damage has been listed as a contributing cause to the accident at
Macondo.
[0052] If the variety of pipe rams fails, the last BOP device to be
used is a shear ram, which acts as a pair of scissors to shear the
drill string and prevent both annular and tubing flow. The shear
rams typically deployed are not designed to shear through tool
joints (where two pieces of pipe connect) or pipe collars (heavy
wall pipe employed at the end of the drill string). If the pipe is
positioned such that the shear rams will be working against a tool
joint, the shear ram may deploy but not shear the pipe completely.
If this condition is known a priori, it is often possible to
compensate by repositioning the pipe.
[0053] FIG. 3 illustrates the working of a shear ram. It shows a
pipe 202 with a thicker pipe joint 206. A first pair of shears 201
and 202 is positioned to shear the normal pipe. The second pair of
shears 204 and 205 is positioned to shear the pipe joint 206 and
without further means may not be able to shear and close the pipe
at joint 206. So, if the ram is deployed to sever the pipe at a
joint or obstruction, it may not be able to completely stem the
flow of oil due to inadequate closure.
[0054] Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether the
deployment of the ram has succeeded or failed from a flow
perspective. The ram may indicate that it is sealed. And, ROVs
(Remotely Operated Vehicles) inspecting the exterior of the BOP may
report similarly based on position indicators. However, the flow
may not actually be stemmed. Direct measurements indicating the
actual condition (rather than, for example, secondary indicators
such as valve position) provide useful information in assessing the
true state of the BOP.
[0055] Accordingly, conventional BOP technology does not solve the
problems associated with blow out conditions and can be
supplemented to provide information that is redundant, reliable,
and timely. Herein, a system with a plurality of components, and a
method of using those components, are provided in accordance with
one or more aspects of the present invention that serves to
corroborate the state of the BOP.
[0056] The Subsea BOP Corroborator, provided in accordance with an
aspect of the present invention, preferably includes: [0057] 1) A
Flow Meter; [0058] 2) A Pipe Joint Locator; [0059] 3) A Ram Seal
Confirmation Agent; [0060] 4) An Artificial Intelligence system,
for alerting personnel such as engineers to possible dangerous
events; [0061] 5) An Independent communication connection to the
topside, including a transmitter and a receiver and preferably a
multiplexer to combine data into a combined data stream and a
demultiplexer to separate the individual data from the combined
data stream, wherein the communication line is dedicated to
carrying data traffic from the corroborator to topside for instance
for rapid transfer of flow meter data to topside; and [0062] 6) At
least one computer device that collects and analyzes the data
transmitted over the independent communication connection and
creates an alert based on the analysis.
[0063] FIG. 4 illustrates several aspects of the present invention.
The Corroborator 220 sits atop the BOP and has an independent
communication line 230 to the topside. The corroborator could also
be located below the BOP. The communication line 230 can be
directly from the corroborator or can be provided from a
communication device 228. One aspect of the corroborator's
usefulness is this fast direct line to the surface. This allows
engineers to react to events at the borehole and take steps to
ameliorate or prevent a blowout. This communications channel may
piggyback on the drilling riser to topside. Components will be
described further below.
[0064] Flow Meter (Item 224 in FIG. 4)
[0065] This component monitors the contents of the flow line and
detects the occurrence of flow aberrations long before they
manifest topside. It determines the direction and velocity of the
fluids and reports the approximate composition based on density or
other collected data. The flow meter 224 is connected to the
corroborator 220 via a communication line and reports the
information regarding the flow to the corroborator 220. There are
several types of flow meter technologies which can fill this role,
including ultrasound using for instance Doppler and/or transit time
approaches and gamma ray. For example, an ultrasound flow meter
from Krohne can be used, as illustrated further in FIG. 5. The flow
meter 224 can be placed below the BOP. It can also be place above
the BOP in the line running directly to the surface. For example,
the flow meter can be located near or at 228 in FIG. 4.
[0066] Through use of an external sensor no obstruction is
presented to the drilling equipment passing through the BOP. The
flow meter in one embodiment of the present invention is used to
also determine a direction of flow. The flow meter in one
embodiment of the present invention is used to also determine an
approximate composition of contents of material in the flow through
collection of fluid density data.
[0067] Pipe Joint Locator
[0068] This unit "counts" the joints as they pass by. In this way,
the relative distance to the nearest joint at any time can be
determined. In theory, it should be possible to determine this
topside since the piping is rigid. However, the long distance
between topside and BOP exacerbates any measurement errors.
[0069] There are many methods for doing the actual counting. The
simplest involves the flow meter, if located at 228, which,
depending on the technology, should be able to identify changes in
the pipe wall thickness through the detection of increased
attenuation. As a result, one knows where the joints are in the
pipe and one can predict the position of the shear rams in a BOP
relative to the joint (or the joint relative to the shears) so that
the shears in the BOP when activated do not have to cut through a
joint. Each time the increased thickness is measured, a processor
in the corroborator 220 notes the position of the pipe joint. This
is used by a processor to monitor the positions of the pipe joints
in relation to the ram shears in the BOP. The pipe can be moved
relative to the BOP to ensure that the rams are not positioned at a
joint. Alternatively, the rams of the BOP can be staggered such
that if one is located at a joint, the other rams will not be
located at a joint, and joint location compared to shear ram
location can be confirmed by the tool. In all cases, the
positioning information is recorded. The processing can either be
done at the corroborator 220 or the positioning information can be
send topside to a processor where the positioning of the ram shears
in relation to the pipe joints can be determined and the position
of the pipe adjusted as necessary to avoid locating pipe joints in
the shear ram space.
[0070] Ram Seal Confirmation Agent(s) (Items 220-222 in FIG. 4)
[0071] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the
ram seal conformation agent is an acoustic sensor or sensors
220-222 which detect the vibrations coming from the interior of the
pipe and act as a redundancy check for the flow meter. If the ram
seals the line properly, there should be no flow and hence no
acoustic signature generated by flow. These sensors 220 to 222 in
this unit, trained to learn the ambient background noise of the
corroborator, are able to distinguish the flow state. Though this
is a post operation datum, failure on the previous deployment may
indicate sealing face problems and prevent engineers from trying to
use the BOP in a damaged state. Damage resulting from tripping pipe
through an activated ram in particular will be detected through the
next pressure test. In one embodiment of the present invention, an
acoustic signature of fluid passing a device intended to provide
closures (e.g. annular ram, shear ram) is learned under different
operating conditions. Such acoustic signature detection is applied
after a ram has been closed to determine if flow still occurs
through the device. The outputs from the acoustical sensors 242 in
the hubs 240 (at locations 220 to 222) are reported to the
corroborator 220 via the communication lines illustrated in FIG. 4.
The corroborator can also be in communication with other surface
facility data points.
[0072] The acoustic sensor can be located in a hub near the shear
rams. FIG. 6 illustrates such a hub 240. The hub 240 includes an
acoustic sensor 242 which senses flow near the pipe where ram
shears operate. FIG. 7 illustrates processing of the acoustical
signal in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. A
threshold 252 for the acoustical signal is established. Ordinarily,
the threshold is just above 0, but this can be varied depending on
experience. If the ram shears have been activated, and a signal 250
from the sensors 242 is below the threshold, then the processor in
the corroborator 220 determines that ram shears were successfully
activated. On the other hand, if the signal 254 from any of the
sensors 220 to 222 is above the threshold, either completely,
partially or on average, then the processor in the corroborator
determines that the ram shears were not successfully activated.
[0073] The information from the flow meter, the pipe joint position
sensor and the ram shear acoustical sensors can be sent to a
processor in the corroborator 220 for processing. Alternatively,
the information can be sent topside without processing via
communication line 230 to be processed topside.
[0074] A monitoring system which may be an Artificial Intelligence
system for alerting engineers to possible dangerous events. This
component uses condition monitoring technologies (e.g., neural
clouds) to determine the likelihood of a blowout occurring. Its
input would include the flow meter data and relevant surface
measures (pressure, mud tank level, etc.) and its output would be a
probability measure. In one embodiment of the present invention, a
probability of a blow-out is assigned to a measurement of a single
meter and a probability of a blow-out is assigned, wherein either a
sudden and/or an unusual change in measurement may indicate an
evolving problem. In one embodiment of the present invention a
correlation is established between measurement results of different
meters such as flow meters, pressure and tank level meters and is
associated with a likelihood of a blow-out. In one embodiment of
the present invention a set of measurements of several meters is
determined from a plurality of wells and determine a normal
operational range of wells.
[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, measurements
associated with well problems and with sensor problems are
included. One can then apply known methods for instance by creating
a Principal Components Analysis (PPCA) model as described in
commonly owned US Patent Application Pub. No. 20120072173 to Yuan
published on Mar. 22, 2012 and filed on Jul. 20, 2011 which is
incorporated herein by reference. One can create a PPCA model from
sensor data of a drilling well to model operational parameters of
such a well. This is illustrated in FIG. 8, wherein actual sensor
data, historic well data from other wells and perhaps preset
thresholds are applied to generate a well model. This model can be
dynamic wherein it learns from fresh data generated by well sensors
and which is associated with actual well states. This allows for
tuning of the system and for avoiding false positives and/or false
negatives. It also allows for learning situations wherein sensor or
data connection faults may be identified.
[0076] The model can generate a likelihood of the well moving to or
being close to or being in a blow-out situation based on instant
sensor data as illustrated in FIG. 9. In case the likelihood passes
for instance a learned or a preset threshold, topside alarms will
be activated alerting well operators to the potential danger.
[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, the computing
device calculates the need for an alert on a continuous basis. In
one embodiment of the present invention, the computing device
calculates the need for an alert at least every second. In one
embodiment of the present invention, the computing device
calculates the need for an alert at least every 10 seconds. In one
embodiment of the present invention the computing device calculates
the need for an alert at least every 30 seconds. In one embodiment
of the present invention, the computing device calculates the need
for an alert at least every minute. In one embodiment of the
present invention, the computing device calculates the need for an
alert at least every five minutes.
[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, a timing of
calculating a probability is determined by the operation, for
instance while tripping pipe in or out, when a well is flowing,
during a pressure test, prior to disengagement of the BOP, may all
require different periods for data frequency. This could depend
also on the depth of the BOP, as this would correspond to the
magnitude of lag before the effect is noted at the surface.
Accordingly, a system in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention calculates probabilities at a faster rate when more
activities are being performed affecting the well and its related
equipment. In a further embodiment of the present invention,
probabilities are calculated at a faster rate when the BOP is
submerged at a greater depth to off-set for increased delay in
response.
[0079] Furthermore, the system in one embodiment of the present
invention will generate probabilities at a faster rate when a
calculated probability of a potential malfunction exceeds a
threshold or when a calculated probability of a potential
malfunction has increased beyond a threshold. In one embodiment of
the present invention a probability is calculated at a first rate
when all sensor data is within a first preset range. When at least
one sensor provides data that meets a threshold the system will
increase its calculation rate and its reporting. This addresses the
issue of not overwhelming operators with irrelevant data, but
timely alerting operators when the probability for an event has
increased.
[0080] In one embodiment of the present invention, a computer
applying a well model and receiving sensor data related to the well
calculates a probability or likelihood that a malfunction of the
well occurs within a certain time period that could involve a leak
and/or a spillage into the water where the submerged well is
located. In one embodiment of the present invention, the time
period over which the probability is calculated is less than six
hours. In one embodiment of the present invention, the time period
over which the probability is calculated is less than one hour. In
one embodiment of the present invention, the time period over which
the probability is calculated is less than 30 minutes. In one
embodiment of the present invention, the time period over which the
probability is calculated is less than 15 minutes.
[0081] In one embodiment of the present invention, an increase of a
probability of a malfunction is calculated. The reaction of
monitoring staff to a calculation or an alert generated by the
computer based on a calculation clearly depends on a magnitude of
the probability and/or the time that a probability increases. For
instance, if a small increase on an already small probability is
expected over a period of six hours, then one action may be to
apply a camera possibly on an ROV to inspect the part of the well
that causes increased concern. However, if a significant
probability of a malfunction within the next 1 hour is calculated
and the probability of a malfunction increases substantially one
may take immediate measures, including shutting down the well,
flooding the well with mud or activating other aspects of the BOP
including shearing the pipe and sealing the pipe. In accordance
with one aspect of the present invention early indicators of an
evolving malfunction would preferably alert operators six or more
hours in advance and allow the evolving malfunction to be addressed
in a planned and recoverable manner.
[0082] A rapid increase in probability of a malfunction, for
instance a 5% increase of the probability of a malfunction every 10
minutes causes an alert that requires an immediate reaction by the
well operators.
[0083] In one embodiment of the present invention, either the
probability of a malfunction determined by the computer is so high
or a change in probability is so rapid that a malfunction is either
imminent or is already underway and no manual reaction by operators
are expected to address or correct the malfunction. In that case
the computer could instruct the BOP to activate and shut down the
well immediately.
[0084] The methods as provided herein are. in one embodiment of the
present invention, implemented on a system or a computer device.
Thus, steps described herein are implemented on a processor, as
shown in FIG. 10. A system illustrated in FIG. 10 and as provided
herein in accordance with an aspect of the present invention is
enabled for receiving, processing and generating data. The system
is provided with data that can be stored on a memory 1801. Data may
be obtained from a sensor such as flow sensor or a mud level sensor
or from any other data relevant source. Data may also be provided
on an input 1806. Such data may be well sensor data or any other
data that is helpful in a system as provided herein. The processor
s also provided or programmed with an instruction set or program
executing the methods of the present invention that is stored on a
memory 1802 and is provided to the processor 1803, which executes
the instructions of 1802 to process the data from 1801. Data, such
as alert data or any other data triggered or caused by the
processor can be outputted on an output device 1804, which may be a
display to display an alert or images that identify a faulty device
in or around the well, or to a data storage device. The processor
also has a communication channel 1807 to receive external data from
a communication device and to transmit data to an external device.
The system in one embodiment of the present invention has an input
device 1805, which may include a keyboard, a mouse, a pointing
device, one or more cameras or any other device that can generate
data to be provided to processor 1803.
[0085] The processor can be dedicated or application specific
hardware or circuitry. However, the processor can also be a general
CPU, a controller or any other computing device that can execute
the instructions of 1802. Accordingly, the system as illustrated in
FIG. 6 provides a system for processing data resulting from a
sensor or any other data source and is enabled to execute the steps
of the methods as provided herein as one or more aspects of the
present invention.
[0086] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a
system has been provided for directly communicating the state of a
BOP to the topside in order to make corroborative information
available to accurately determine the possibility of a failure on
demand of this critical item, potentially leading to a blowout.
Further, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention the
deployment and probability of success for BOP ram activation is
facilitated with a pipe joint locator and a ram seal confirmation
agent. Also in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
the application of a monitoring system is provided which combines
information about the BOP state and its expected readiness with
drilling operations data to automatically detect the onset of a
blowout.
[0087] While there have been shown, described and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred
embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions
and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the
methods and systems illustrated and in its operation may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as
indicated by the scope of the claims.
* * * * *
References