RU2514870C1 - Method for oil-field equipment tagging - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: oil and gas industry.

SUBSTANCE: method includes placement of radiofrequency tags on surfaces of pipes and equipment with possibility of these tags reading, signal processing and analysis. At that a radiofrequency tag is placed in the area with the least tension, bend and torsion loads. A groove with depth of 8 mm maximum and side size and diameter of 30 mm maximum is made in the selected place. The radiofrequency tag is inserted into the groove not exceeding the maximum permitted size, at that the flexible tag is used.

EFFECT: improving reliability and operational efficiency of straight-line data reading from the RF tags without preliminary cleaning of surface within the long term of usage of oil-field equipment and equipment in complicated operating conditions of the well.

1 ex

Description

The invention relates to the oil industry and may find application in the operation of oilfield equipment.

Known technology for radio-frequency identification of parts, including the placement of tags, reading and analysis of the state (radio-frequency identification (RFID. Radio-frequency identification. Technologies, standards, components. Http://www.vital-ic.com/files/Catalog RFID light.pdf).

The method does not take into account the specifics of the oil industry and is unsuitable for use without significant refinement of the placement of labels.

Closest to the proposed invention in technical essence is a system and method for evaluating a wellbore, designed to assess the state of components of a well system (Application No. 2007117301, publ. 20.11.2008 - prototype). The system includes at least one of: a production tubing string located in the well, and sucker rod string moving inside the tubing string, the system comprising a deviation sensor unit moving inside the producing tubing string when it is in the well, to measure the deviation and the angle of inclination of the wellbore as a function of depth to create a profile of deviations; a column sensor unit for sensing wear or corrosion of at least one of: production tubing columns and sucker rod string when removing it from the well to create a column profile as a function of depth; and a computer in communication with the deviation sensor unit and the column sensor unit for comparing the deviation profile and the column profile as a function of depth in the well. The indications are radio frequency identification (RFID) tags attached to the tubing string and / or sucker rod string.

The known method does not provide for the consideration of the specifics of oil equipment, the stress state of the equipment, operating conditions of the equipment. As a result of this, tags placed haphazardly on the equipment fail or are lost. All this distorts the data on the operation of the equipment, introduces errors in the information received. Contaminated surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned to find the mark, and then read it, which eliminates the in-line method of reading and requires a significant investment of time.

The technical result of the invention is to increase the reliability and efficiency of streaming information reading from RF tags without preliminary surface cleaning for a long period of use of oilfield tools and equipment in difficult downhole operating conditions.

The necessary technical result is achieved by the fact that the method of identifying oilfield equipment includes placing a radio frequency tag on the surface of pipes and equipment with the ability to read them, processing signals and analyzing them. According to the invention, the radio-frequency tag is placed in a place with the smallest tensile, bending, torsion loads, a groove with a depth of not more than 8 mm and a side size or diameter of not more than 30 mm is made in the selected place, a radio-frequency tag with dimensions not larger than the allowable groove size is placed in the groove while using a flexible label as a label.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is designed to remotely control the processes of moving goods, speed and quality in the manufacture and repair of products - first of all, it is more efficient management of business processes and cost reduction, including at the production, warehousing and accounting stages staff productivity. It allows you to enter the certification of equipment with the control of technical parameters, conduct a statistical assessment of the operating time of the equipment, carry out scheduled repairs in order to minimize failures, and quickly evaluate the progress of work. The principle of RFID technology is based on a method of wireless information transfer. This information is distributed from the transmitter antenna to the receiver antenna along the magnetic field lines in the case of the use of low-frequency RFID tags and low-frequency RFID reader or on the radio propagation channel of the electromagnetic wave according to the principle of passive radar radiated and received by the antennas, in the case of microwave RFID tags and microwave RFID reader.

A feature of this method is the principle of the reader with an RFID tag in the identification process. In this case, the reader initiates all operations with the RFID tag, including its power supply. The RFID tag does not have its own power supply, its operation is provided by the energy transmitted from the RFID reader of the device.

Briefly, the identification process can be represented by the following sequence of procedures:

1. The information system initiates work with the reader.

2. The reader charges the RFID tag, activates the functions of receiving a service request and transmitting a unique code.

3. The reader requests an RFID tag to transmit the code.

4. The reader processes the result of the code request.

5. The reader generates code data for sending to the information system.

6. The information system notifies consumers of this information in the required form.

Until recently, such an accounting of equipment in the oil industry was not possible, since there was no way to store information about the object that could withstand the operating conditions of objects, namely: numbers engraved by engraving could be wiped, barcodes could be dirty or damaged. With the active growth of proposals for the nomenclature of RFID tags and equipment, this method is optimal in terms of security of the method of storage, transmission and processing of information about the object. However, it needs a detailed study in terms of protection from environmental influences during the operation and repair of equipment.

Oilfield equipment during operation is subject to significant mechanical and chemical influences. Under these conditions, RFID tags applied to the equipment absorb all these loads. In most cases, RFID tags applied arbitrarily are destroyed or lost. In accordance with the invention, flexible tags are used as radio frequency tags. Flexible is understood as a label, designated in the technical documentation for labels as flexible and representing a label that is protected from shock, abrasion, exposure to chemically active media, elevated and low temperatures, moisture, etc. Heat-resistant plastic is used as the material protecting the label, which gives it plasticity. Labels on the equipment are placed in places with the lowest operational loads. In particular, when placing marks on a drill pipe, a weighted drill pipe, tubing or coupling of a tubular sucker rod pump, the marks are placed in the grooves of the installation, made with specific dimensions. As labels use labels with dimensions not larger than the allowable groove size.

Tag fastening, e.g. Confidex Steelwave Micro, Ironside Micro, TracTag ™ - DH24EX and DH16EX, etc. it is carried out under the condition of preliminary manufacturing of the groove, in accordance with calculations for permissible loads, as well as glue or sealant, with which the mark is fixed in the groove. For DH24EX and DH16EX tags that have their own thread, pre-fabrication of the thread with 1 mm pitch in the groove is also necessary. In the case of work with drill pipes and tubing, the groove is made on the pipe lock using a drilling machine, for the marks DH24EX and DH16EX, the threads are cut manually. Glue or sealant is applied to the thread of the mark. In the case of working with sucker rods, the groove is made at the end of the sucker rod using a horizontal drilling machine, for the marks DH24EX and DH16EX, the threads are cut manually, glue or sealant is applied to the threads of the marks.

In the analysis and field tests of a number of oilfield equipment, it was found that the grooves on the main body of the pipes leads to a sharp weakening of the structure, which is unacceptable from the point of view of operational requirements. Performing any groove inevitably weakens the structure. Therefore, the authors decided to perform grooves and place marks on the equipment in places with the lowest operational loads. As grooves, recesses with a depth of about 4-6 mm of rectangular, square or rounded shape with a side length or diameter of about 15-30 mm are used. The maximum allowable groove is a groove of 30 × 30 × 6 mm. When reducing the size of the groove, its depth can increase to 8 mm, but in this case not only the size of the groove is important, but also its geometry, i.e. with increasing depth, it is necessary to strive to minimize the groove area. For example, with a diameter of 17 mm it is possible to make a groove with a depth of 8 mm.

The place on the equipment for label placement is chosen after analyzing the operation of a particular equipment and the operational loads that arise. For analysis using methods of resistance of materials. Clarify the place with the lowest operational loads. To clarify the possibility of performing a groove in this place, the stress-strain state is calculated, for example, during torsion, compression, tension, determination of the resonant frequency, etc. specific equipment without a groove and with a groove, specify the margin of safety of equipment changed during the groove, and if the margin of safety is sufficient for the operation of the equipment, a groove is made in which the mark is placed.

On specific equipment, the grooves and marks are placed as follows. On the coupling - on the outer surface in the middle, on the drill pipe, on the drill pipe, on the tubing - on one of its ends on the pipe lock, on the pump rod - on the end of the rod, on the sucker rod pump - on the pump rod guide.

The choice for placing a place mark on equipment with the lowest operational loads determines the maximum working capacity of the mark. In such a place on the equipment there are minimal deformations arising from mechanical loads during tension, bending, torsion, etc. With minimal deformations of the equipment section, the mark at this point experiences minimal deformations, which means that its shape and radio frequency signal are less distorted, and the mark is less prone to peeling loads from the equipment. The performance and durability of the tags are enhanced.

The use of flexible tags contributes to this.

The placement of marks in grooves with a depth of not more than 8 mm and a side size or diameter of not more than 30 mm not only protects the mark from mechanical influences, but also helps to focus and direct the radio frequency signal in a well with mud, covering the surface of the equipment with clay cake. The dimensions of the groove are selected on the basis of numerous model tests and are selected as the most optimal for focusing and directing the radio frequency signal, ensuring minimal distortion as a result of reflections from the walls of the groove and providing the ability to read the mark when coating its surface with a clay peel. Deeper grooves shield the radio frequency signal, make the radio frequency signal too narrow, and conditions arise for errors and omissions of the radio signal when equipment passes by antennas. In addition, in deeper grooves, a thicker clay crust screens the mark. Wider grooves reduce signal focusing and reduce the accuracy of positioning equipment. Focusing the signal into the groove with such dimensions compensates for the presence of a shielding clay peel and ensures the reliability of reading information in difficult well conditions.

Concrete example

On each drill pipe, a groove is made in the pipe lock at one end and a Confidex Steelwave Micro type mark is placed there.

Perform drill pipe repair. The reader at the input control reads information about the incoming pipe, its operating time, the number of repairs and records information on the results of the initial sorting of the pipes by the degree of curvature, with surfacing, without surfacing, a complete defect or to be repaired. The reader in the storage location after cleaning keeps track of the storage time of the pipe after cleaning and identifies the pipes to be repaired (due to the fact that pipes can be stored in the open warehouse for repair, storage after cleaning, and finished pipes). The reader in the waiting area before the ultrasonic control solves the problem of accounting for the storage time of the pipe in anticipation of the control and identification of curved pipes. The ultrasound reader records an identifier characterizing the thickness of the pipe. The reader in the place of waiting for the groove before surfacing keeps track of time and groups the pipes for surfacing. The reader at the point of groove after surfacing minimizes the residence time of the pipe. The reader at the exit from surfacing monitors the time spent by the pipe at this stage if the turner is not in place. The reader at the storage location before the hydrotest maintains a time record. The reader at the exit from the repair shop records information about the repair.

When placing tags on equipment arbitrarily, i.e. According to the prototype, there were cases of lack of identification at certain stages of equipment movement. With the location of the tags according to the proposed method, the identification of equipment was carried out in full without gaps at each stage.

As a result, it is possible to solve the problem of increasing the reliability of the analysis of the operation of oilfield equipment.

Claims (1)

A method for identifying oilfield equipment, including placing an RFID tag on the surface of pipes and equipment with the ability to read them, processing the signals and analyzing them, characterized in that the RFID tag is placed in the place with the least tensile, bending and torsion loads, a groove with a depth of no more than 8 mm and a side size or diameter of no more than 30 mm, a radio-frequency tag with dimensions not larger than the allowable size of the groove is placed in the groove, while flexible th mark.