AU2021203618B2

AU2021203618B2 - Systems and methods for monitoring subsea wellhead systems

Info

Publication number: AU2021203618B2
Application number: AU2021203618A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Derrell Wade Bird; Chad Eric Yates
Original assignee: Vetco Gray LLC
Current assignee: Vetco Gray LLC
Priority date: 2017-03-31
Filing date: 2021-06-03
Publication date: 2022-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 2038-02-26
Also published as: NO20191232A1; WO2018182894A1; AU2021203618A1; AU2018243507A1; GB2575002A; US20180283162A1; GB2575002B; SG11201908514QA; GB201915504D0

Abstract

A system includes a wellhead monitoring system. The wellhead monitoring system includes a processor configured to receive from a sensor a detection of one or more operating parameters associated with a wellhead disposed within a subsea environment. The sensor is coupled to the wellhead, and is configured to detect the one or more operating parameters within the subsea environment. The processor is configured to store the detection of the one or more operating parameters, and to generate an output based at least in part on the detection of the one or more operating parameters. The output includes an indication of an operational fatigue or an operational health of the wellhead.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING SUBSEA WELLHEAD SYSTEMS TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This application is a divisional of Australian patent application no. 2018243507, the entire

disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to oil and gas wells, and,

more specifically, to a wellhead monitoring system used to monitor wellheads utilized in oil and gas

wells.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Certain oil and gas drilling sites may include control systems that may be provided to monitor

the operational and environmental conditions of the oil and gas site. Generally, the control systems

and/or other monitoring systems may be located at an above-sea or above-ground drilling rig, while

the oil and gas well itself may be located deeply below the sea or deeply underground. Thus, the

operators or other personnel at the drilling rig may not have access to real-time data regarding the

operational and environmental conditions of the oil and gas wells below sea or below ground. Instead,

the operators may have to rely upon an indirect interpolation of data derived from accelerometers

placed on, for example, wellhead equipment at the oil and gas well. Such data may not indicate

accurate real-time operational and environmental conditions of the wellhead equipment or other

equipment utilized at the oil and gas well. It may be useful to provide systems to improve the

monitoring of wellhead equipment at oil and gas wells.

[0003A] Reference to any prior art in the specification is not an acknowledgment or suggestion

that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction or that this prior

art could reasonably be expected to be understood, regarded as relevant, and/or combined with other pieces of prior art by a skilled person in the art. As used herein, except where the context requires otherwise the term 'comprise' and variations of the term, such as 'comprising',

'comprises' and 'comprised', are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or

steps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In accordance with a first embodiment, a system includes a wellhead monitoring system. The

wellhead monitoring system includes a processor configured to receive from a sensor pack a detection

of one or more operating parameters associated with a wellhead disposed within a subsea environment.

The sensor pack includes sensors disposed around and coupled to a casing of the wellhead, and is

configured to detect the one or more operating parameters within the subsea environment. The

processor is configured to store the detection of the one or more operating parameters, and to generate

an output based at least in part on the detection of the one or more operating parameters. The output

includes an indication of an operational fatigue or an operational health of the wellhead.

[0005] In accordance with a second embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having

computer executable code stored thereon includes instructions to cause a processor of a wellhead

monitoring system to receive from a sensor pack a detection of one or more operating parameters

associated with a wellhead disposed within a subsea environment. The sensor pack includes sensors

disposed around and coupled to a casing of the wellhead and is configured to detect the one or more

operating parameters within the subsea environment. The code includes instructions to cause the

processor to store the detection of the one or more operating parameters, and to cause the processor to

generate an output based at least in part on the detection of the one or more operating parameters. The

output includes an indication of an operational fatigue or an operational health of the wellhead.

[0006] In accordance with a third embodiment, a wellhead sensor and monitoring system includes a

pack of subsea sensors disposed around and coupled to a casing of a subsea wellhead and configured

to detect one or more operating parameters associated with the subsea wellhead while disposed within

a subsea environment and a subsea wellhead monitoring system coupled to each sensor of the pack of

subsea sensors. The subsea wellhead monitoring system is configured to receive the detection of the

one or more operating parameters, store the detection of the one or more operating parameters, and to

output includes an indication of an operational fatigue or an operational health of the subsea wellhead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the

specification, illustrate one or more embodiments and, together with the description, explain these

embodiments. In the drawings:

[0008] FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a subsea oil and well system including a wellhead, a sensor,

and a wellhead monitoring system, in accordance with the present embodiments;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a detailed embodiment of the wellhead, the sensor, and the wellhead monitoring

system of FIG. 1, in accordance with the present embodiments; and

[0010] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process useful in providing

improved monitoring of wellhead equipment at oil and gas wells, in accordance with the present

embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The foregoing aspects, features, and advantages of the present embodiments will be further

appreciated when considered with reference to the following description of preferred embodiments

and accompanying drawings, wherein the reference numerals represent like elements. In describing

the preferred embodiments of the technology illustrated in the appended drawings, specific

terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the technology is not intended to be limited

to the specific terms used, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes equivalents that

operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

[0012] One or more specific embodiments of the invention will be described below. In an effort

to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation

may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any

such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation

specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with

system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to

another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and

time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and

manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0013] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the invention, the articles "a," "an,"

"the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms

''comprising,' ''including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be

additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0014] With the foregoing in mind, it may be useful to describe an embodiment of a subsea oil and

well system, such as an example subsea oil and well system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. In certain

embodiments, the gas subsea oil and well system 10 may include a number of oil and gas drilling

rigs 14, 16, and 18 that may be constructed within a large body of water 12 (e.g., ocean, sea, gulf).

For example, in certain embodiments, the oil and gas drilling rigs 14, 16, and 18 may include one

or more platforms situated within the large body of water 12 (e.g., ocean, sea, gulf) to support

drilling of oil, gas, and/or other natural resources that may be within a subsea environment 22 or

underneath the floor of the body of water 12. In certain embodiments, each of the drilling rigs 14,

16, and 18 may include a central control system 20 (e.g., human machine interface [HMI] or

similar system) that may allow oil and gas drilling personnel (e.g., operators, engineers,

technicians, and so forth) to monitor the operational and environmental conditions beneath the

surface of the body of water 12.

[0015] In certain embodiments, as further depicted in FIG. 1, pipes 24 and 26 may extend from the

drilling rigs 16 and 18 to wellheads 28 and 30, respectively. In certain embodiments, the

wellheads 28 and 30 may each include valve or other mechanical device that may be used, for

example, to seal, control and monitor one or more oil and gas wells within the subsea environment 22.

For example, in certain embodiments, the wellheads 28 and 30 may be provided to prevent a

blowout (e.g., uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from the wells).

[0016] In certain embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1 and as will be further appreciated with respect to

FIG. 2, each of the wellheads 28 and 30 may include sensors 32 that may be coupled to each of the

wellheads 28 and 30. For example, in certain embodiments, the sensors 32 may each include giant

magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors, tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) sensors, pressure sensors (e.g.,

to measure annulus pressure), temperature sensors (e.g., to measure annulus temperature), vibration sensors, level sensors (e.g., cement level and quality sensors detecting cement and fluid level and quality based on electromagnetic [EM] pulses, gamma ray detections, radio frequency identification [RFID], acoustics, fiber optics, and so forth), flow sensors, and/or any of various types of sensors that may be useful detecting or determining, for example, inclination (e.g., by accelerometers that may be coupled to the wellheads 30 and 32), cement level and quality, oil and/or gas levels, pressure, temperature, annulus pressure, annulus temperature, vibration, clearance (e.g., distance between stationary and rotating components), flow data, load data, and other operational and environmental data associated with the wellheads 30 and 32 and the oil and gas wells. Specifically, in some embodiments, the aforementioned data captured or detected by the sensors 32 provided to a wellhead monitoring system 34 for processing and storage (e.g., temporary and/or long-term storage).

[0017] For example, as illustrated, the wellhead monitoring system 34 may include a processor 36

and a memory 38, and, in one embodiment, may include battery-powered system useful in

processing and storing data over any period of time (e.g., minutes, hours, days, weeks, months,

years) while remaining positioned at the wellheads 30 and 32 within the subsea environment 22.

The processor 36 may include a general processor, an application-specific integrated chip (ASIC),

a microcontroller unit (MCU), system-on-chip (SoC), or other processor that may be used to

process operational and environmental data (e.g., inclination (e.g., by accelerometers that may be

coupled to the wellheads 30 and 32), cement level, pressure, temperature, annulus pressure, annulus

temperature, vibration, clearance, flow data, load data, and so forth) associated with the wellheads 30

and 32 and/or the oil and gas wells.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the processor 36 may be used to generate an indication of the

remaining fatigue life, peak loads, and other operational and/or environmental conditions of the wellheads 28 and 30 based on the sensed operational data measured directly by the sensors 32. For example, as will be described in further detail with respect to FIG. 2, the processor 36 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 may receive data from the sensors 32 directly attached at a number predetermined wellhead 28,30 locations, well locations, high stress locations on the conductors 24,26 and casing below the wellheads 28, 30.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the processor 36 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 may then

store the data collectedby the sensors 32 to the memory 38 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 for

retrieval after some period of time (e.g., using the memory 38 of the wellhead monitoring system 34

to store hours, days, weeks, months, or years of sensor 32 data, all while the sensors 32 and wellhead

monitoring system 34 remain within the subsea environment 22). In another embodiment, in

addition to storing the sensor 32 data to the memory 38 for later retrieval, the processor 36 of the

wellhead monitoring system 34 may transmit the received sensor 32 data to, for example, the

central control system 20 located at one or more of the oil and gas rigs 14, 16, or 18. In this way,

the present techniques may provide personnel (e.g., operators, engineers, technicians) at the oil and

gas rigs 14, 16, or 18 with useful information pertaining to wellheads 28 and 30 such as remaining

fatigue life and peak loads measured directly by the sensors 32 during, for example, drilling and

production operations.

[0020] Turning now to FIG. 2, which illustrates a detailed embodiment of the wellhead monitoring

system 34 and, for example, the wellhead 28. It should be appreciated that the wellhead 28 is

illustrated in FIG. 2 merely for the purpose of illustration. In actual implementation, the wellhead 28

may be one of any number of wellheads that may be operational within the subsea environment 22.

Furthermore, the wellhead 28 may include any number of sensors 32. For example, as depicted in

FIG. 2, in one or more embodiments, the wellhead 28 may include one or more packs of sensors 32 that may be disposed, for example, around the casing 44 of the wellhead 28 to measure cement level and quality, oil and/or gas levels, pressure, temperature, annulus pressure, annulus temperature, vibration, clearance (e.g., distance between stationary and rotating components), flow data, load data, and other operational and environmental data associated with the wellheads 30 and 32 and the oil and gas wells.

[0021] Indeed, as further depicted in FIG. 2, the one or more packs of sensors 32 may be disposed

along high stress locations of the wellhead(s) 28, 30 such as the high pressure housing 38, the low

pressure housing 40, the casing 44, the conductor pipe(s) 24, 26, and the connector 46. It should be

appreciated that certain portions (e.g., the high pressure housing 38, the low pressure housing 40, the

casing 44) of the wellhead(s) 28, 30 may, in some embodiments, be pre-magnetized in a place in

which the sensor 32 is to be placed are to be located to avoid any possibility of direct bonding to the

metal to the portions of the wellhead(s) 28, 30. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the sensors 32 may

be placed in a protective enclosure and disposed onto the wellhead(s) 28, 30 before the wellhead(s)28,

are submerged into the subsea environment 22 to protect the sensors 32 from adverse

environmental conditions in and/or about the oil and gas wells.

[0022] As previously noted, the processor 36 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 may then store

the data collected by the sensors 32 to the memory 38 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 for

retrieval after some period of time. In certain embodiments, based on the data detected by the sensors

32 and stored via the wellhead monitoring system 34, the processor 36 of the wellhead monitoring

system 34, or, in another embodiment, the central control system 20 may be used to generate and

predict an operational fatigue life or an operational health (e.g., remaining operational life or

operational health before either maintenance or replacement of one or more components of the wellheads 28, 30) of the high pressure housing 38, the low pressure housing 40, the casing 44, the conductor pipe(s) 24, 26, and the connector 46, and, by extension, the wellhead(s) 28, 30.

[0023] In certain embodiments, as further illustrated by FIG. 2, the processor 36 of the wellhead

monitoring system 34 may transmit the received sensor 32 data to, for example, the central control

system 20 located at one or more of the oil and gas rigs 14, 16, or 18 via a wired communication

connection (e.g., ultrasonic communication channel or other acoustic communication channel). In

another embodiment, as further illustrated by FIG. 2, the processor 36 of the wellhead monitoring

system 34 may transmit the received sensor 32 data to, for example, the central control system 14

located at one or more of the oil and gas rigs 14, 16, or 18 via a wired communication connection

to a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) system 48. For example, by communicating the

sensor 32 data to the central control system 14 located at one or more of the oil and gas rigs 14, 16,

or 18 may allow for immediate verification of the loading and fatigue or health conditioning of the

wellhead(s) 28, 30.

[0024] In one embodiment, the ROV system 48 may be coupled between the central control system

and the wellhead monitoring system 34 via an ROV umbilical cable useful in transferring

information within the subsea environment 22 without being compromised due to the subsea

environmental conditions. In another embodiment, the ROV system 48 may be coupled to the

central control system 20 via the ROV umbilical cable and coupled to the wellhead monitoring

system 34 via a wireless communication connection (e.g., via optical communication transmission

or via an inductively coupled hot stab). In this way, the present techniques may provide personnel

(e.g., operators, engineers, technicians) at the oil and gas rigs 14, 16, or 18 with useful information

pertaining to wellheads 28 and 30 such as remaining fatigue life or operational health and peak loads

measured directly by the sensors 32 during, for example, drilling and production operations.

[0025] Turning now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram is presented, illustrating an embodiment of a

process 50 useful in providing improved monitoring of wellhead equipment at oil and gas wells, by

using, for example, the wellhead monitoring system 34 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The process 50

may include code or instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., the

memory 46) and executed, for example, by the processor 36 included in the wellhead monitoring

system 34. The process 50 may begin with the wellhead monitoring system 34 receiving (block 52)

system operating parameters associated with the subsea wellhead(s) 28, 30. For example, as

discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wellhead monitoring system 34 may receive one

or more indications of the operating parameters (e.g., cement level and quality, oil and/or gas levels,

pressure, temperature, annulus pressure, annulus temperature, vibration, clearance, flow data, load

data, and so forth) of the wellhead(s) 28, 30 detected via the sensors 32.

[0026] The process 50 may then continue with the wellhead monitoring system 34 collecting and

storing (block 54) the system operating parameters at the wellhead(s) 28, 30. For example, as noted

above with respect to FIG. 2, the wellhead monitoring system 34 may store the data collected by the

sensors 32 to the memory 38 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 for retrieval after some period of

time (e.g., using the memory 38 of the wellhead monitoring system 34 to store hours, days, weeks,

months, or years of sensor 32 data, all while the sensors 32 and wellhead monitoring system 34

remain within the subsea environment 22). The process 50 may then continue with the wellhead

monitoring system 34 transmitting (block 56) the system operating parameters to the above-sea

central control system 20 located, for example, at one or more of the oil and gas rigs 14, 16, or 18.

[0027] The process 50 may then conclude with the wellhead monitoring system 34, or, in another

embodiment, the central control system 20 determining (block 58) an operational fatigue or an

operational health of the wellhead(s) 28, 30. For example, as noted above with respect to FIG. 2, the wellhead monitoring system 34 and/or the central control system 20 may be used to generate an indication of the remaining operational fatigue life, peak loads, and other operational and/or environmental conditions of the wellheads 28, 30 based on the sensed operational data measured directly by the sensors 32. In this way, the present techniques may provide personnel (e.g., operators, engineers, technicians) at the oil and gas rigs 14, 16, or 18 with useful information pertaining to wellheads 28 and 30 such as remaining fatigue life or operational health and peak loads measured directly by the sensors 32 during, for example, drilling and production operations.

[0028] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and

also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any

devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the

invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the

art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural

elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent

structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

[0029] Although the features and elements of the present exemplary embodiments are described in the

embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element may be used alone without the other

features and elements of the embodiments or in various combinations with or without other features

and elements disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a wellhead monitoring system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive from a sensor pack a detection of one or more operating parameters

associated with a wellhead disposed within a subsea environment, wherein the

sensor pack includes sensors disposed around and coupled to a casing of the

wellhead and is configured to detect the one or more operating parameters within

the subsea environment;

store the detection of the one or more operating parameters; and

generate an output based at least in part on the detection of the one or more

operating parameters, wherein the output comprises an indication of an operational

fatigue or an operational health of the wellhead.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive the detection of the

one or more operating parameters within the subsea environment.

3. The system of either claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor is configured to receive a

detection of a cement level parameter, a cement quality parameter, a fluid level parameter,

a pressure parameter, temperature parameter, a vibration parameter, a clearance parameter,

a flow parameter, a load parameter, or any combination thereof, as the detection of the one

or more operating parameters.

4. The system of any of claims 1-3, wherein the processor is configured to receive a detection

of an annulus pressure of the wellhead and an annular temperature of the wellhead as the

detection of the one or more operating parameters.

5. The system of any of claims 1-4, wherein the sensor pack comprises a giant magneto

resistive (GMR) sensor.

6. The system of any of claims 1-5, wherein the sensor pack comprises a tunnel magneto

resistive (TMR) sensor.

7. The system of any of claims 1-6, wherein the processor is configured to generate the output

during a drilling operation of the wellhead.

8. The system of any of claims 1-7, wherein the processor is configured to generate the output

during a production operation of the wellhead.

9. The system of any of claims 1-8, wherein the processor is configured to store the detection

of the one or more operating parameters at the wellhead within the subsea environment.

10. The system of any of claims 1-9, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the stored

detection of the one or more operating parameters to a central control system at an above

sea location.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable code stored

thereon, the code comprising instructions to:

cause a processor of a wellhead monitoring system to receive from a sensor pack a

detection of one or more operating parameters associated with a wellhead disposed within a

subsea environment, wherein the sensor pack includes sensors disposed around and coupled

11) to a casing of the wellhead and configured to detect the one or more operating parameters within the subsea environment; cause the processor to store the detection of the one or more operating parameters; and cause the processor to generate an output based at least in part on the detection of the one or more operating parameters, wherein the output comprises an indication of an operational fatigue or an operational health of the wellhead.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the code comprises

instructions to cause the processor to generate the output during a drilling operation of the

wellhead.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of either claim 11 or 12, wherein the code

comprises instructions to cause the processor to generate the output during a production

operation of the wellhead.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of claims 11-13, wherein the code

comprises instructions to cause the processor to store the detection of the one or more

operating parameters at the wellhead within the subsea environment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of claims 11-14, wherein the code

comprises instructions to cause the processor to transmit the stored detection of the one or

more operating parameters to a central control system at an above-sea location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the code comprises

instructions to cause the central control system to generate an output comprising an

indication of the operational fatigue or the operational health of the wellhead.

1 A

17. A wellhead sensor and monitoring system, comprising:

a pack of subsea sensors disposed around and coupled to a casing of a subsea wellhead and

configured to detect one or more operating parameters associated with the subsea wellhead while

disposed within a subsea environment; and

a subsea wellhead monitoring system coupled to each sensor of the pack of subsea sensors,

wherein the subsea wellhead monitoring system is configured to:

receive the detection of the one or more operating parameters;

store the detection of the one or more operating parameters; and

generate an output based at least in part on the detection of the one or more

operating parameters, wherein the output comprises an indication of an operational fatigue

or an operational health of the subsea wellhead.

18. The wellhead sensor and monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the pack of subsea

sensors comprises a plurality of giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors.

19. The wellhead sensor and monitoring system of either claim 17 or 18, wherein the pack of

subsea sensors comprises a plurality of tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) sensors.

20. The wellhead sensor and monitoring system of any of claims 17-19, wherein the pack of

subsea sensors are configured to be disposed along a high pressure housing, a low pressure

housing, a connector, or a combination thereof, of the subsea wellhead.

1 r