Tubular Running Tool Control System for Wellbore Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing tubular running systems in wellbore operations face safety concerns due to the risk of tubular members disengaging and falling into the wellbore, particularly during tripping operations, which can lead to accidents and equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A tubular running tool control system equipped with sensors and a controller that monitors the weight and position of tubular members, automatically engaging or disengaging the gripping assembly to prevent unintended drops and anomalies, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual operation of tubular running tool is used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but safety risk increases due to human error and unintended disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors weight inputs from sensors and compares them against predetermined thresholds. When the weight exceeds the threshold (indicating tubulars are being suspended), the system automatically engages the gripping assembly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism eliminates human error in judgment and ensures reliable engagement based on actual operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system autonomously determines when to engage or disengage the gripping assembly based on weight sensor inputs and predetermined criteria, without requiring continuous human intervention. The controller automatically processes sensor data, evaluates engagement criteria, and actuates the gripping assembly accordingly, making the system self-regulating and reducing reliance on manual operation.
2Measurement precision
If automated control system is implemented, then safety and precision are improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed to perform multiple functions using a single integrated controller: monitoring weight inputs, determining engagement criteria, controlling the gripping assembly actuator, and managing alarm systems. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into one unified controller, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precise measurement and control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical operation with automated electronic control. Sensors electronically detect weight and position, the controller processes this data through predetermined logic, and electronic actuators control the gripping assembly. This substitution of mechanical manual control with electronic automation improves measurement precision while the standardized electronic components keep the added complexity manageable.
3Reliability
If gripping assembly is continuously engaged, then safety against drops is ensured, but operational efficiency decreases due to inability to disengage for additional tubulars
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping assembly transitions from static continuous engagement to dynamic conditional engagement. The system automatically engages the gripping assembly when weight sensor inputs indicate tubulars are suspended, and automatically disengages when weight inputs fall below the threshold and the tool is at the reference location. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain safety during critical operations while enabling efficient disengagement for subsequent tubular handling, thus improving overall productivity without compromising safety.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for operating a tubular running tool system include communicating, using a controller, one or more sensors coupled to a tubular running tool during a tubular running operation; identifying, with the controller, a first input from one or more sensors that is associated with a weight of one or more tubular members suspended from the tubular running tool during the tubular running operation; identifying, with the controller, a second input from the one or more sensors that is associated with a position of the tubular running tool relative to a reference location during the tubular running operation; based on at least one of the first or second inputs, determining, with the controller, an operation for the tubular running tool; and based on the determination, transmitting, with the controller, a signal to an actuator of the tubular running tool to perform the operation of the tubular running tool.