Wellhead Valve-Position Regulator for Safe Multi-Well Actuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Well pads with multiple wells face miscommunication and operational inefficiencies due to varying operational requirements, leading to potential accidents and safety risks from unsafe actuation of wellhead control mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and system for regulating wellhead control mechanisms through indirect and direct control, using a valve-position regulator that locks or unlocks actuators based on sensor feedback and a controller circuit, ensuring safe actuation by physically interfering with or remotely controlling wellhead valves.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple wells are developed on a single well pad to increase efficiency, then productivity increases, but the well pad becomes complicated and busy resulting in miscommunication and safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidoperational safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses sensors to detect the operational state of wellhead control mechanisms and provides real-time feedback to the controller circuit. This feedback mechanism enables the system to monitor and respond to the complex interactions between multiple wells, preventing miscommunication and safety incidents while maintaining high productivity on the well pad.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The controller circuit acts as an intermediary between multiple well operations, coordinating and regulating control mechanisms across different wells. This intermediary system manages the complexity of multiple simultaneous operations, ensuring safe actuation and preventing accidents caused by miscommunication between well operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If direct control of wellhead control mechanism is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but safety risks increase due to potential unsafe actuation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol accessibilityVSAvoidsafe actuation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor provides real-time feedback about the operational state of the wellhead control mechanism to the controller circuit. This feedback ensures that direct control operations are safe by continuously monitoring conditions and preventing actuation when unsafe, thus maintaining both ease of operation and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection and verification of safe operating conditions through sensors before allowing actuation of the wellhead control mechanism. This preliminary action ensures that direct control operations only proceed when safety conditions are met, preventing unsafe actuation while maintaining operational ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If indirect control with physical interference is used, then safety improves by preventing unsafe actuation, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafe actuationVSAvoidcontrol mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller circuit serves as an intelligent intermediary that regulates indirect control operations. Instead of complex physical interference mechanisms, the controller uses electronic regulation based on sensor feedback to prevent unsafe actuation, achieving safety while minimizing added complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces complex mechanical interference mechanisms with electronic control and sensing. The controller circuit uses electrical signals and sensor feedback to regulate wellhead control mechanisms, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic intelligence while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If sensor feedback and verification steps are implemented, then reliability of safe operation improves, but loss of time occurs during verification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafe operation verificationVSAvoidverification time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor feedback system operates continuously, providing real-time monitoring of wellhead control mechanism states. This continuous verification eliminates the need for discrete time-consuming verification steps, maintaining reliability while minimizing time loss by making verification an ongoing background process rather than a sequential step.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS12571284B2Apparatus, system and process for regulating a control mechanism of a well

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 INTELLIGENT WELLHEAD SYST INC

AI summary

To regulate a wellhead control mechanism, an apparatus is configured to control actuation of a wellhead control mechanism by moving a moveable body of the apparatus between a first position and a second position. When the apparatus is in the first position a valve actuator is actuatable and when the apparatus is in the second position the valve actuator is physically interfered from actuating. When the apparatus is in the second position, the wellhead control mechanism cannot be actuated and is held in either an open, a partially open or a closed position. Additionally, a system may directly control an actuation of a wellhead actuation mechanism.