Well Operation State Detection Using Sensor Confidence Levels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for monitoring oil well completions, such as fracking, are prone to errors due to manual measurements and inconsistencies among field personnel, leading to inefficiencies, delays, and potential accidents.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for determining the operational state of a well by receiving and analyzing data from valve position sensors and pressure sensors, using configurable thresholds and confidence levels to predict state transitions, and integrating 3rd party data for accurate and efficient monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual measurements and monitoring are used by field personnel, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but errors and inconsistencies increase, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-monitoring of well operations through sensors and processors that automatically detect events, determine operational states, and generate reports without requiring manual measurements by field personnel, thereby eliminating human errors while maintaining system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical monitoring methods are replaced with electronic sensor-based systems that automatically detect valve positions, pressure changes, and flow rates, substituting human observation with automated electronic detection to improve reliability without significantly increasing complexity
2Productivity
If manual monitoring by multiple personnel is used, then equipment cost is reduced, but time consumption and operational delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system provides continuous real-time monitoring of well operations without interruption, eliminating the gaps and delays inherent in manual monitoring schedules, allowing operations to proceed without waiting for manual measurements and reviews
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously feeds back operational status information to operators through automated reports and alerts, enabling immediate detection of events and state transitions, which accelerates decision-making and reduces operational delays compared to manual feedback loops
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive monitoring of all well operations is implemented, then operational accuracy improves, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into specialized sensor modules (valve position sensors, pressure sensors, flow rate sensors) that each independently monitor specific parameters, with a central processor that integrates their data to determine overall operational state, dividing complexity into manageable segments while achieving comprehensive monitoring accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a universal state determination approach where a single processor analyzes multiple sensor inputs (valve position, pressure, flow rate) together to determine operational states, allowing one system to perform multiple monitoring functions simultaneously rather than requiring separate specialized systems for each parameter
Data Source
AI summary
Methods determine a state of a well and comprise: receiving a set of well operations data comprising at least some measured well operations data; determining the occurrence of a well operations event based on the received data; evaluating one or more possible state transitions from a current well operations state to one or more possible new well operations states, the current state and the possible new states selected from a configurable plurality of well operations states, wherein evaluating the one or more possible state transitions is based on the current state, the determined event and the received data and wherein evaluating the one or more possible state transitions comprises determining a confidence level associated with each of the possible new states; and determining one of the possible new states to be a new predicted well operations state according to whichever possible new state has a highest confidence level.