RU2753907C1 - Method for measuring length of pipe column lowered into well, and device for its implementation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: oil production.

SUBSTANCE: inventions group relates to a method for measuring the length of a pipe string and a device for its implementation and can be used in the field of oil production to measure the length of a string of elongated bodies, in particular tubing, lowered into an oil well during technological operations therein. The method includes measuring the length of the string, counting the number of revolutions of the measuring roller frictionally connected with the winch rope, the start of measurements is made from the signal of the pressure sensor located on the pneumatic control line of the spider, and the signal about the rotation of the measuring roller, a sequence of signals is formed by which the direction of movement is determined the length and speed of the moving pipe string, the measurements are adjusted. The device contains a cable winch, on which a traveling block with an elevator is installed for gripping and lifting pipes connected into a column, a spider with wedge grips, a mast with a crown block, the function of a measuring roller is performed by a working crown block pulley, on the side surface of which signal sensors are mounted, interacting with sensitive elements located on the crown block frame, and a pressure sensor is installed on the pneumatic control line of the drilling rig spider.

EFFECT: invention provides the ability to calculate and analyze the speed of movement of the pipe string during running, with the reflection of the number of pipes in the string.

2 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of oil production and can be used to measure the length of a string of elongated bodies, in particular tubing, lowered into an oil well when carrying out technological work in it.

Several approaches are known in the art for measuring the length of pipes that are run into a well during tripping operations, without measuring a single pipe or part of it. The main approaches are non-contact measurement methods, such as methods using optical instruments (photo and video devices) based on pulses of medium vibrations along the hydraulic channel of a well or pipe. Non-contact methods, as a rule, involve the use of complex, expensive equipment that requires precise adjustment, while operating unstably due to the constant changes in the environment. Non-contact methods are currently not widely used. More common are contact measurement methods, carried out by measuring the weight of an individual pipe, followed by their summation and calculating the length, by counting the number of revolutions of the measuring roller (or rollers) frictionally connected with the winch cable. Contact methods are more reliable and less susceptible to environmental influences, however, for the most part, they do not take into account the specifics of the operation of drilling equipment, and also have significant measurement errors. Among the contact methods, the most common is the method of counting the number of revolutions of the drum lowering - lifting the winch.

From the technical field of non-contact measurement methods, methods are known using optical methods and devices, such as: "Method for raster optical measurement of the speed of an object" [RF Patent No. 2482499, published 05/20/2013]. The method is based on the formation of spatial amplitude modulation of light reflected from an object using a raster located between the optical system and photodetectors, and detecting modulated light using photodetectors of differential amplifiers, according to the frequency of the resulting output electrical signal from which the speed of the object is judged; "Method for measuring the length and speed of movement of a string of pipes during tripping operations" [RF Patent No. 2324812, published 20.05.2008], in which a string of pipes connected to each other is lowered into the well with a cable winch equipped with a weight meter on a traveling block, idle runs are determined the traveling block according to the readings of the weight meter, the column displacements in time and space are determined using a video camera to move the target, fixed on the traveling block of the cable winch, with the possibility of simultaneous viewing of the upper and lower position of the target when moving the pipe string; "A method for measuring the technological parameters of a pipe string, lowered into a well, and a device for its implementation" [RF Patent No. 2714167, published 02/12/2020], including the formation of a sequential series of photographic images of fragments of a moving object with the help of a video measuring unit, highlighting contrasting relief points on them , determining the magnitude of the movement of these points at regular intervals, reducing the measurement error by averaging the movement over the controlled points over the measurement time interval, summing the measured averaged movements in the time interval from the beginning of the object's movement to its final stop. In a device for measuring the technical parameters of a pipe string running into a well, containing a cable winch equipped with a weight meter, on which a traveling block with an elevator is installed for gripping and lifting pipes connected to the string, an external laptop and a radio frequency channel.

The disadvantages of the known non-contact methods are the following indicators:

- measurement of the displacement of the pipe string is carried out indirectly by the displacements associated with the elements of the tripping mechanism, spaced apart in space, which introduces additional errors in the measurement result during each tripping operation;

- measuring instruments located directly in the area of operation of technological equipment are subject to their effects, such as the ingress of grease, process fluids, drilling mud and the influence of atmospheric precipitation (rain, snow, fog);

- in all methods, equipment is used that requires precise installation, adjustment and calibration directly at the place of their attachment, and in case of failure, it again requires a new adjustment and calibration.

From the field of technology, contact methods for measuring the length of long bodies are known, among which methods for measuring the length of tubing through measuring the number of revolutions of the drawworks drum, calculating the length of the unwound cable with recalculation for the length of the running pipes [patent for a useful model of the Russian Federation 57819, Е21В 47/04 , published: 27.10.2006, a description of the patent for the invention of the Russian Federation 2715769, E21 B 47/04, published 03.03.2020, US patent No. 4156467, E21B 47/04, from 29.05.1979, application for the invention of the United States No. 20140216735].

The common disadvantages of the known contact measurement methods through measuring the number of revolutions of the drawworks drum are errors in measuring the length of the running tubing, the measurement of which is not directly proportional to the number of revolutions of the winch drum, due to the winding of the cable in layers, which leads to errors and the need to make additional adjustments to the measurement process ... Errors in measuring the length of the tubing string also arise due to not taking into account in the process of measuring its elongation under its own weight, when pipes are stuck, or the reversing movement of the winch occurs. These disadvantages lead to a significant decrease in the accuracy of measuring the length of the tubing string when running it into the well.

Methods for measuring by counting the number of revolutions of a measuring roller frictionally connected to the winch rope are also known in the art. So, in the "Method for measuring the length of the cable" [Handbook of oilfield equipment, E.I. Bukhalenko. - M .: Nedra, 1983, p. 222], the measurement is made by counting the number of revolutions of the measuring roller frictionally connected with the winch cable. The method allows for continuous measurement of the length of the winch cable with a long body (downhole tool) fixed at its end during the lowering or lifting of the latter in the well.

Another well-known method, taken as the closest analogue, is "A method for measuring the length of a string of long bodies connected to each other and lowered into the well with a cable winch equipped with a weight meter [RF Patent No. 2187638, E21B 47/04, published on 08/20/2002], including measuring the length of the string, taking into account its elongation under its own weight, in the process of measuring the length of the string, cyclically counting the number of revolutions of the measuring rollers frictionally connected with the winch rope, starting from the first long body lowered into the well without taking into account its weight, the subsequent counting of cycles is carried out in the presence of a load on a winch rope equal to the weight of at least two long bodies connected into a column, and readings are taken from at least two measuring rollers, and in each cycle the readings of the measuring roller that completed the first turn are counted

The disadvantages of the closest analogue are:

- the possibility of slipping of the winch rope relative to the measured rollers, therefore, the rollers require constant pressing against the cable, due to the small contact area of the roller with the cable, and taking into account the fact that the cable is constantly in the lubricant, this is a complex technical problem that complicates and increases the cost of the implementation of this method;

- the method uses several rollers, which generally complicates the measurement system, while the rollers only duplicate each other, do not perform additional functions;

- in case of slippage of one or several rollers, the system will need to determine which of the rollers failed in measurements;

- the beginning of pipe length measurements comes from the signal coming from the weight meter only if there is a load on the winch rope equal to the weight of at least two long bodies (tubing) connected into a string, while the weight meter does not always accurately indicate the weight of one body (tubing) , which leads to the impossibility of starting measurements simultaneously with the start of running the tubing;

- the presence of a weight meter in the system will give errors when the pipe string is located directly in the well, since the system does not take into account the friction force, buoyancy force of the fluid in the well (Archimedes force), and numerous oscillatory movements of the pipe string, which can lead to errors, both at the beginning of the measurement process and during it.

The technical problem of the invention is to create a method for measuring the length of a string of long bodies connected to each other and lowered into the well by a cable winch, which would eliminate errors at the beginning of measurements, ensure that the winch cable does not slip relative to the measuring roller, and exclude the influence of external factors on the measurement process , while not introducing changes in the design of the drilling equipment, which could interfere with its operation, such as jamming of additionally installed measuring rollers, the presence of additional electrical devices in the immediate vicinity of the wellhead.

The aim of the invention is to reduce errors in measuring the length of a string of long bodies, lowered into the well on a rope winch, to eliminate the influence of weight and oscillatory movements of the pipe string on the measurement process.

The technical result is to increase the accuracy of measuring the length of the string pipes, lowered into the well, by reducing errors at the beginning of measurements, preventing the winch cable from slipping during the measurement, and the absence of the impact of the weight of the pipe string on the measurement process. Also, the method allows you to measure the speed of movement when lowering the pipe string.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that in the method of measuring the length of a pipe string lowered into a well by a cable winch, including measuring the length of the string in the process of measuring the length of the string, the number of revolutions of a measuring roller frictionally connected with the winch cable is counted, on which signal sensors are mounted, interacting with two sensitive elements, starting from the first long body, lowered into the well, the readings are taken from the measuring roller.

New in the method is that the start of the measurement is made from the signal of the pressure sensor located on the pneumatic control line of the slider with wedge grips and the signal about the rotation of the measuring roller, a sequence of signals is generated by which the direction of movement, length and speed of the moving pipe is determined, and the measurements are corrected , by a signal from the third sensitive element, in case of a signal pass to other sensitive elements or damage to the signal sensor, measurements are stopped in the absence of a signal from the sensor located on the pneumatic control line of the spider.

The device for implementing the proposed method contains a rope winch, on which a traveling block with an elevator is installed for gripping and lifting pipes connected into a column, a spider with wedge grips, a mast with a crown block, the working pulley of which, in addition to the main function, performs the function of a measuring roller, by attaching to one of the side surfaces of the signal sensors, which interact with the sensitive elements located in the signal reading unit fixed on the crownblock frame. From the sensing elements, the signal is transmitted via an electric cable to the pulse detector of the information processing unit, while the information processing unit is electrically connected to a pressure sensor located on the pneumatic control line of the drilling rig spider. Visual information about the measured length of pipes, their speed of movement is displayed on an information board located in the field of visibility of the drilling operator.

Significant differences in relation to the prototype in the device for measuring the length of movement of the pipe string during tripping operations are the new arrangement of the measuring roller and the additional introduction of new blocks and their connections. In the inventive method, as a measuring roller, a crown block working pulley is used, on the side surface of which from 6 to 24 signal sensors are pre-mounted, installed around the circumference. The number of signal sensors is less than 6 pcs. not enough for accurate measurement, in view of the small number of pulses arriving, with a significantly large diameter of the crown block pulley. Application of signal sensors more than 24 pcs. it is not advisable due to the fact that when the signal sensors are located close to each other, it is possible to supply a signal to one sensitive element simultaneously from two signal sensors, which will lead to errors in measurements.

The standard design of the crown block working pulley, located on the mast, excludes the winch cable slipping, this is due to the fact that the winch cable has a large contact area with the working pulley, which is about 3/4 of the pulley circumference. When the crown block pulley rotates, the signal sensors alternately act on the sensitive elements of the signal reading unit installed on the crown block, the signals from which are fed to the information processing unit. At the same time, an electrical signal from the pressure sensor installed on the pressure supply line for triggering the spider is fed to the information processing unit, so that the signal from the pressure sensor required to start counting is supplied only when the spider is openly gripped, when the pipe freely passes through the spider. And in the case when the wedge grips of the spider hold the pipe stationary, the counting stops. The change in the signal about the start of counting led to the elimination of the error during the reversing movement of the pipe string. It was possible to exclude the instability of the weight and vibrational movements of the pipe string during the process of starting measurements, which is carried out only at the moment when the pipe string is lowered into the well. The change in receiving the signal from the pressure sensor located on the pneumatic slider control line made it possible to accurately count the number of pipes lowered into the well, since the number of spider operations to hold the pipe is equal to the number of pipes connected to the string. With these changes, it was possible to eliminate inaccuracies in the signals that came from the weight meter due to the oscillatory movements of the pipe strings during running and running, which led to an inaccurate calculation of the number of pipes in the string.

An increase in the number of elements that give a signal on the measuring roller, at least up to 6, made it possible to reduce errors during the measurement process itself. For the prototype, corrections are required for each signal of each measuring roller, in view of their possible slippage.

The location of the sensors and sensing elements on the crown block meets the safety rules, since it is not located in the explosion and spark hazardous zone, as in the prototype.

The method provides for a system for automatic correction of the signal (pulses). The signal reading unit, assembled, has three sensing elements made in the form of hall sensors. Two sensing elements perform the function of registering impulses and determining the direction of movement, and the third provides constant monitoring of the number of signal sensors on the measuring roller by comparing the number of signals received by this element for a complete revolution of the measuring roller. Correction is made in case of missing one or more signals or due to a failure or any malfunction. The automatic correction system issues a command to correct the sequence of signals received by the other two sensors, thereby preventing malfunction and errors. The introduction of a signal correction system makes it possible to maintain the operability of the measuring device in the presence of a malfunction, without distorting the measured parameters.

The introduction of new essential features into the method makes it possible to achieve a technical result due to the possibility of an accurate starting point and stopping it, reducing measurement errors, as well as additional signal correction.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings, where:

in fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of a structure that implements the lowering of a string of elongated bodies into a well using a mobile drilling rig as an example; in fig. 2 - the diagram of the measuring device is presented and the following designations are introduced:

1. Mobile drilling rig

2. Rope winch

3. Rope

4. Crown block

5. Crown block working pulley

6. Travel block

7. Elevator

8. Column of pipes

9. Spider with wedge grip

10. Platform

11. Signal reading unit

12. Sensitive element of the signal reader

13. Signal sensors

14. Sensitive element of the signal correction system

15. Crown block frame

16. Impulse detector

17. Speed detector

18. Block of counters

19. Signal correction block

20. Pressure sensor

21. Information board

22. Information processing unit.

FIG. 3 shows a photograph of an information processing unit combined with an information board made during experimental testing of the proposed method.

The description of the method is demonstrated by the example of tubing tripping during workover of a well:

On one of the side surfaces of the working pulley 5 of the crown block 4, at an equal distance from each other, around the circumference, signal sensors 13 are attached, for example, neodymium magnets, in an amount, preferably from 6 to 24 pieces, depending on the diameter of the working pulley of the crown block 5 Signal sensors 13 are attached in any known way, for example, glued, fastened with screws, brackets, observing the condition of their secure attachment to the surface of the pulley. On the frame of the crown block 15 (Fig. 2), a signal reading unit 11 is mounted, containing two sensitive elements 12 and a sensitive element 14 of the signal correction system. Block 11 is located at a distance from the signal sensors 13 (magnets), which ensures stable operation of the sensing elements 12 and 14. From block 11, along the mast of the lifting unit of the drilling rig 1, a cable is laid to supply electrical signals to the information processing unit 22. Block 22 containing an information board 21 is located in the area of the platform 10, in the immediate reach of the operator of the drilling rig, for example, on the lower part of the mast of the lifting unit.

A pressure sensor 20 is installed in the pneumatic control line of the slider 9, which is electrically connected to the information processing unit 22. At the beginning of the hoisting operations, the mounted measuring device is turned on, the initial (zero) readings appear on the display 21. With the help of the elevator 7 suspended on the hook of the traveling block 6 , the first pipe of the string 8 is removed from the walkways, lowered into the casing of the well, fixed with a wedge grip of the spider 9 installed on the flange of the casing of the well. At the beginning of lowering the pipe of the string 8, it is released from the grip of the spider 9, at this moment the pressure sensor 20 is triggered from the pneumatic system of the spider, giving a signal to the signal counter unit 18, made, for example, in the form of a programmer, about the start of measurements. Having received the signal, the counter 18 begins to count, displaying the readings on the display 21. After lowering the first pipe into the well, it is captured by the slider 9, in the absence of an electrical signal from the pressure sensor 20 to the block of counters 18, measurements are stopped, and the counting of the pipes lowered into the well begins ... One signal from the pressure sensor 20 counts down one pipe. Then, in the same way, the second pipe of the column 8 is removed from the bridges and connected to the first one by means of a threaded connection. The column of two connected pipes is lifted by a winch in order to release the wedge grip of the spider 9. Since the movement of the winch 2 was on the rise, the counter unit 18 received a signal from the unit for reading signals about the reverse movement of the crown block 5 working pulley. the counter unit 18 performs the process of counting signals with a "minus" value and, accordingly, measurements with an inverse value of the length. After the process of lowering the pipes of string 8 into the well is resumed, the counter unit 18 receives a signal about the start of counting with a "plus" value, with the direct movement of the measuring roller 5, the measurement of the length of the running pipes of the string 8 continues. connection of pipes, lifting (reverse movement of the string) in order to release the wedge grip of the spider 9, lowering the next pipe into the production casing and fixing it with the wedge grip of the spider are repeated until the entire pipe string has been run 8. In the process of measurements, the readings of the speed, length of the deflated pipe string and their quantities, in real time, are displayed on the information board 21. In the event of emergency situations, the signal correction system is switched on, consisting of a sensitive element 14 and a correction unit 19. In the absence of interaction with one of the signal sensors 13 or the absence of a pulse signal from one of the sensitive elements 14, the correction unit 19 sends a correction signal to the counter unit 18, which corrects for the current recalculation of measurements. The adjustment process is automatic and does not require any specialist intervention. In this case, the information board 21 continues to display reliable information about the measured values. For counting pulses, correcting them, converting pulses into calculated values, a special computer program was created, which was used in the device.

An example of the implementation of the method.

The method was tested in November 2020 at the Samotlor field during a well workover. The signal reading unit was mounted on the frame of the lifting unit crown block. The body of the signal reading unit was made of plastic and aluminum and was sealed. Three indicators were installed on the front surface of this unit, the pulsed glow of which showed the operability of the sensitive elements when interacting with magnets (signal sensors). The magnets were attached to the plates in the form of segments, and the plates were already attached to the crown block working pulley. On the mast of the lifting unit, in a place accessible to the operator, an information processing unit was installed (Fig. 3), which was also made sealed. Additionally, a pressure sensor (pneumatic / electric) was installed in the pneumatic control line of the drilling rig spider operation. All components of the measuring device were interconnected by shielded cables. When running the tubing string into the well, the information board displayed in real time the readings of the length of the run string in meters, the speed of running the tubing string in meters per second, as well as the number of run pipes in pieces. When carrying out an experimental measurement by the claimed method, the tubing was measured mechanically - measuring with a tape measure. When comparing measurements with a tape measure and the claimed method, the measurement error was from 0.1 to 0.3%. The communication module of the GSM system was connected to the information processing unit of the device, which transmitted the signal to the head office of the company, where access to the measured readings was provided via the Internet on any device connected to the Internet, if there was an appropriate program.

The experimental measurement confirmed the operability of the measuring device and the calculation of the linear displacement of the tubing string with a minimum error. In addition, the method has the ability to calculate and analyze the speed of movement of the tubing string during running, reflecting the number of pipes in the string.

The experiment confirmed the efficiency of the claimed method and the device that implements it.

Claims (2)

1. A method of measuring the length of a string of pipes lowered into a well, including measuring the length of a string, during the measurement, the number of revolutions of a measuring roller frictionally connected to the winch rope is counted, starting from the first pipe lowered into the well, readings are taken from a measuring roller, which is characterized by that the start of measurements is made from the signal of the pressure sensor located on the pneumatic control line of the spider and the signal about the rotation of the measuring roller, a sequence of signals is formed according to which the direction of movement, the length and speed of the moving pipe string is determined, the measurements are corrected, the measurements are stopped in the absence of signal from the pressure sensor located on the pneumatic control line of the spider. 2. A device for measuring the length of a string of pipes lowered into a well, containing a cable winch, on which a traveling block with an elevator is installed for gripping and lifting pipes connected into a string, a spider with wedge grips, a mast with a crown block, a measuring roller, characterized in that The function of the measuring roller is performed by the working pulley of the crown block, on one of the side surfaces of which signal sensors are mounted, interacting with the sensitive elements located on the crown block frame, and a pressure sensor is installed on the pneumatic control line of the spider of the drilling rig.

Images