Patent Application
20240175348
The present techniques relate to systems and methods for managing power consumption in fields that produce hydrocarbons. Specifically disclosed herein are systems and methods to optimize power consumed by equipment used to produce hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon producing reservoir.
This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present technological innovation. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present technological innovation. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Hydrocarbon wells may be utilized to produce hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation such as a hydrocarbon producing reservoir. Sucker rod pumps (SRPs) are frequently used with hydrocarbon wells because they provide efficient artificial lift to extract hydrocarbons from the reservoir.
SRPs typically include a rocking beam with one end coupled to a pump motor by a crank assembly. The crank assembly has a counterweight intended to balance the loading of a motor by offsetting at least part of the weight of the pump connecting rods, which are cantilevered on the opposite end of the rocking beam. Nevertheless, as the rods to the downhole pump are raised and lowered, the loading of the motor passes through a cycle during which potential energy is stored as the pump rods are lifted and released as the pump rods are lowered.
The operation of SRP wells at different levels of efficiency may result in overall power consumption that is not optimal across the reservoir. Improved systems and methods of operating SRP wells in hydrocarbon producing reservoirs are desirable.
An embodiment disclosed herein is a method of managing power consumption by a plurality of wells in a hydrocarbon field. The plurality of wells is used to extract hydrocarbons from the field. The method includes gathering operating information about conditions in the hydrocarbon field. The method also includes receiving requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells, the requests to operate including a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state. The method further includes evaluating the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells. The method also includes responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells.
Another embodiment described herein provides a system for managing power consumption by a plurality of wells in a hydrocarbon field. The plurality of wells is used to extract hydrocarbons from the field. The system includes a data gathering system that gathers operating information about conditions in the hydrocarbon field. The system also includes an electrical supervisory system (ESS) that receives requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells, the requests to operate including a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state. The ESS also evaluates the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells. Further, the ESS responds to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells.
Another embodiment described herein provides a computing system. The computing system includes a processor. The computing system also includes a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium includes code configured to direct the processor to gather operating information about conditions in a hydrocarbon field. The hydrocarbon field has a plurality of wells that are used to extract hydrocarbons from the field. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium also includes code configured to direct the processor to receive requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells, the requests to operate including a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium further includes code configured to direct the processor to evaluate the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells. Additionally, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium includes code configured to direct the processor to respond to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells.
These and other features and attributes of the disclosed embodiments of the present techniques and their advantageous applications and/or uses will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.
The advantages of the present techniques are better understood by referring to the following detailed description and the attached drawings, in which:
It should be noted that the figures are merely examples of the present techniques and are not intended to impose limitations on the scope of the present techniques. Further, the figures are generally not drawn to scale, but are drafted for purposes of convenience and clarity in illustrating various aspects of the techniques.
In the following detailed description section, the specific examples of the present techniques are described in connection with preferred embodiments. However, to the extent that the following description is specific to a particular embodiment or a particular use of the present techniques, this is intended to be for exemplary purposes only and simply provides a description of the embodiments. Accordingly, the techniques are not limited to the specific embodiments described below, but rather, include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.
At the outset, and for ease of reference, certain terms used in this application and their meanings as used in this context are set forth. To the extent a term used herein is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition those skilled in the art have given that term as reflected in at least one printed publication or issued patent. Further, the present techniques are not limited by the usage of the terms shown below, as all equivalents, synonyms, new developments, and terms or techniques that serve the same or a similar purpose are considered to be within the scope of the present claims.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” mean one or more when applied to any embodiment described herein. The use of “a,” “an,” and/or “the” does not limit the meaning to a single feature unless such a limit is specifically stated.
The term “and/or” placed between a first entity and a second entity means one of (1) the first entity, (2) the second entity, and (3) the first entity and the second entity. Multiple entities listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same manner, i.e., “one or more” of the entities so conjoined. Other entities may optionally be present other than the entities specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those entities specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “including,” may refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including entities other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including entities other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other entities). These entities may refer to elements, actions, structures, steps, operations, values, and the like.
As used herein, the term “any” means one, some, or all of a specified entity or group of entities, indiscriminately of the quantity.
The phrase “at least one,” when used in reference to a list of one or more entities (or elements), should be understood to mean at least one entity selected from any one or more of the entities in the list of entities, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every entity specifically listed within the list of entities, and not excluding any combinations of entities in the list of entities. This definition also allows that entities may optionally be present other than the entities specifically identified within the list of entities to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those entities specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently, “at least one of A and/or B”) may refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including entities other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one. B, with no A present (and optionally including entities other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other entities). In other words, the phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and/or C” may mean A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, A, B, and C together, and optionally any of the above in combination with at least one other entity.
As used herein, the phrase “based on” does not mean “based only on,” unless expressly specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase “based on” means “based only on,” “based at least on,” and/or “based at least in part on.”
“As used herein, the term “efficiency” relates to optimizing one or more of uptime, volume of fluids produced, pump fillage percentage, mechanical/electrical efficiency of the surface and downhole pumping system, reservoir or field inflow versus drawdown, and/or accuracy of controls.
As used herein, the terms “example,” exemplary,” and “embodiment,” when used with reference to one or more components, features, structures, or methods according to the present techniques, are intended to convey that the described component, feature, structure, or method is an illustrative, non-exclusive example of components, features, structures, or methods according to the present techniques. Thus, the described component, feature, structure, or method is not intended to be limiting, required, or exclusive/exhaustive; and other components, features, structures, or methods, including structurally and/or functionally similar and/or equivalent components, features, structures, or methods, are also within the scope of the present techniques.
As used herein, the term “field” (sometimes referred to as an “oil and gas field,” a “hydrocarbon field” or a “production field”) refers to an area for which hydrocarbon production operations are to be performed to provide for the extraction of hydrocarbon fluids from one or more corresponding subterranean formation.
Flow diagram: Exemplary methods may be better appreciated with reference to flow diagrams or flow charts. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the illustrated methods are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated that the methods are not limited by the order of the blocks, as in different embodiments some blocks may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an exemplary method. In some examples, blocks may be combined, may be separated into multiple components, may employ additional blocks, and so on. In some examples, blocks may be implemented in logic. In other examples, processing blocks may represent functions and/or actions performed by functionally equivalent circuits (e.g., an analog circuit, a digital signal processor circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), or other logic device. Blocks may represent executable instructions that cause a computer, processor, and/or logic device to respond, to perform an action(s), to change states, and/or to make decisions. While the figures illustrate various actions occurring in serial, it is to be appreciated that in some examples various actions could occur concurrently, substantially in series, and/or at substantially different points in time. In some examples, methods may be implemented as processor executable instructions. Thus, a machine-readable medium may store processor executable instructions that if executed by a machine (e.g., processor) cause the machine to perform a method.
As used herein, the term “formation” refers to any definable subsurface region. The formation may contain one or more hydrocarbon-containing layers, one or more non-hydrocarbon containing layers, an overburden, and/or an underburden of any geologic formation.
As used herein, the term “hydrocarbon” refers to an organic compound that includes primarily, if not exclusively, the elements hydrogen and carbon. Examples of hydrocarbons include any form of natural gas, oil, coal, and bitumen that can be used as a fuel or upgraded into a fuel.
As used herein, the term “hydrocarbon fluids” refers to a hydrocarbon or mixtures of hydrocarbons that are gases or liquids. For example, hydrocarbon fluids may include a hydrocarbon or mixtures of hydrocarbons that are gases or liquids at formation conditions, at processing conditions, or at ambient conditions (20° C. and 1 atm pressure). Hydrocarbon fluids may include, for example, oil, natural gas, gas condensates, coal bed methane, shale oil, shale gas, and other hydrocarbons that are in a gaseous or liquid state.
May: Note that the word “may” is used throughout this application in a permissive sense (i.e., having the potential to, being able to), not a mandatory sense (i.e., must).
Operatively connected and/or coupled: Operatively connected and/or coupled means directly or indirectly connected for transmitting or conducting information, force, energy, or matter.
Optimizing: The terms “optimal.” “optimizing.” “optimize,” “optimality.” “optimization” (as well as derivatives and other forms of those terms and linguistically related words and phrases), as used herein, are not intended to be limiting in the sense of requiring the present invention to find the best solution or to make the best decision. Although a mathematically optimal solution may in fact arrive at the best of all mathematically available possibilities, real-world embodiments of optimization routines, methods, models, and processes may work towards such a goal without ever actually achieving perfection. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that these terms, in the context of the scope of the present invention, are more general. The terms may describe one or more of: 1) working towards a solution which may be the best available solution, a preferred solution, or a solution that offers a specific benefit within a range of constraints; 2) continually improving; 3) refining; 4) searching for a high point or a maximum for an objective; 5) processing to reduce a penalty function; 6) seeking to maximize one or more factors in light of competing and/or cooperative interests in maximizing, minimizing, or otherwise controlling one or more other factors, etc.
As used herein, the term “sensor” includes any electrical sensing device or gauge. The sensor may be capable of monitoring or detecting pressure, temperature, fluid flow, vibration, resistivity, or other formation data. Alternatively, the sensor may be a position sensor.
Order of steps: It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.
Ranges: Concentrations, dimensions, amounts, and other numerical data may be presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. For example, a range of about 1 to about 200 should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited limits of 1 and about 200, but also to include individual sizes such as 2, 3, 4, etc. and sub-ranges such as 10 to 50, 20 to 100, etc. Similarly, it should be understood that when numerical ranges are provided, such ranges are to be construed as providing literal support for claim limitations that only recite the lower value of the range as well as claims limitation that only recite the upper value of the range. For example, a disclosed numerical range of 10 to 100 provides literal support for a claim reciting “greater than 10” (with no upper bounds) and a claim reciting “less than 100” (with no lower bounds).
As used herein, the term “subsurface” refers to geologic strata occurring below the earth's surface.
The terms “tubular member” or “tubular body” refer to any pipe, such as a joint of casing, a portion of a liner, a drill string, a production tubing, an injection tubing, a pup joint, a buried pipeline, underwater piping, or above-ground piping, solid lines therein, and any suitable number of such structures and/or features may be omitted from a given embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term “wellbore” refers to a hole in the subsurface made by drilling or insertion of a conduit into the subsurface. A wellbore may have a substantially circular cross section, or other cross-sectional shape. As used herein, the term “well,” when referring to an opening in the formation, may be used interchangeably with the term “wellbore.”
The terms “zone” or “zone of interest” refer to a portion of a subsurface formation containing hydrocarbons. The term “hydrocarbon-bearing formation” may alternatively be used.
The present disclosure relates to improved systems and methods for managing power consumption in hydrocarbon fields or reservoirs. Although the present application discusses an exemplary field with SRP wells, the present techniques may be applied to wells that use other types of pumps, compressors, or artificial lift methods. Examples of other methods of pumps or artificial lift for producing hydrocarbons that could be used in conjunction with the present techniques include progressive cavity pumps, electric submersible pumps, hydraulically-driven piston or jet pumps, chemical injection pumps, injection/disposal pumps, fracturing pumps, transport pumps, any other positive displacement and/or centrifugal pumps and compressors. The present techniques may be applied to a wide range of systems, including systems that employ devices that do not run constantly when in use under normal conditions.
The field 100 includes a plurality of SRP wells 102a, 102b and 102c. Each of the SRP wells 102 is connected via one or more tubular members to a wellbore in the subsurface. The wellbore is in communication with one or more zones that may produce hydrocarbons when pumped by the SRP associated with each of the SRP wells 102.
Each of the SRP wells 102a, 102b and 102c includes a motor/motor controller assembly 104a. 104b and 104c. The motor/motor controller assemblies 104 contain a motor and a motor controller.
In a typical hydrocarbon producing field, SRPs are driven by an electric motor connected to a gearbox and sheaves that translate rotational motion to reciprocating motion through a surface pumping unit. SRP electric motors typically range from 20 hp to 150 hp (˜15 to 110 KW). A three-phase motor is typical. Motors used to operate SRPs are typically geared down to accommodate the relatively low frequency of the pump stroke. Motor and circuit protection contactor devices typically are provided for breaking the motor circuit in the event of a short circuit or motor overload.
The SRP motor controllers in the motor/motor controller assemblies 104 may be programmed or otherwise operated to control the associated SRP motor. For example, well motor controllers may operate to control the motor driving the SRP to stop operating until the pump is capable of normal operation, such as when there is not enough fluid present for the pump to function effectively. The motor controllers may employ a variable frequency drive (VFD) or a device known as a pump-off controller (POC) to accomplish this purpose.
One goal of VFD/POC operation is to maintain near-full operation of the SRP. When a pump is operated in a partially filled condition, there is a higher probability of reduced efficiency due to gas interference and surface/downhole mechanical damage due to the shock forces created by “fluid pounding.”
VFDs and POCs can determine pump fillage through torque loading and/or dynagraph analysis. A dynagraph is a measurement of rod loading versus position. These measurements are gathered at the surface and typically transformed to downhole dynagraph “cards” by using variations of the wave equation, which is a second-order linear partial differential equation for the description of waves as they occur in classical physics, such as those that occur in fluid dynamics. The downhole cards are then evaluated to determine whether the pumping system is operating properly, and if not, how it can be improved. Dynagraph analysis has greatly benefitted rod pump operation, reliability, and overall performance worldwide.
If a well is not outfitted for dynagraph analysis, a POC or simple timer can still be used to automate the well by setting a manual on/off time or using a proxy for well inflow (e.g., fluid level shot using an acoustic signal to determine a fluid level in a well, pressure buildup or the like).
When a POC determines that the pump is not operating at the desired fillage target, it will shut down the SRP to allow the fluid level above the pump to recover. The POC will then allow operation to resume after a set or calculated time.
VFDs attempt to match the operational speed (SRP strokes/minute) to the field inflow to meet fillage targets. There are situations where the VFD cannot operate the SRP system slowly enough to meet the fillage target due to surface equipment limitations (e.g., gearbox ratio, viable motor speed range). In these cases, the VFD must temporarily shut off the SRP and act more like a POC.
Typically, a motor controller that is responsive to conditions in the well may be coupled to contactor devices of the associated motor, for example, to turn the motor (and therefore, the associated pump) on and off intermittently at a rate that can be supported by the geological formation. The controller or the contactor device itself may include means for measuring the current in the motor circuit and/or the line voltage by analog or digital circuits, as a part of the circuit protection function, as well as to vary the operation of the pump to suit conditions at the best efficiency.
Also included in each of the SRP wells 102a, 102b and 102c is a communication system 106a, 106b and 106c. Each of the communication systems 106a, 106b and 106c provides communication from the respective motor/motor controller assembly 104a. 104b and 104c via respective communication paths 108a. 108b and 108c. The communication paths 108a. 108b and 108c may be implemented using any communication technology, including network communication, wired communication, wireless communication or the like.
The communication systems 106a, 106b and 106c may communicate via the communication paths 108a, 108b and 108c with an electrical supervisory system (ESS) 110, which operates as described herein. The ESS 110 operates to manage the power consumption of power by the SRP wells 102a, 102b and 102c across the field.
The ESS 110 may be implemented as a single system or as a highly distributed system, with components located at one or more of the SRP wells 102. Further, the ESS 110 may be implemented as a hardware system at the field or as a cloud-based system (for example, on the internet) that operates based on information received from SRP wells 102 located in one or more field. Any combination of hardware and software components may be used to construct the ESS 110, as designed by one of ordinary skill in the art according to the present techniques.
Fields typically employ a large number of SRP wells 102, resulting in the use of a relatively large amount of power. There are a number of aspects of well and/or pump performance that are pertinent to issues of efficiency, maintenance, capacity, switching between operational modes and the like. The ESS 110 may be adapted to receive information needed to optimize power usage in the field 100 from a variety of sources.
Optimizing power consumption of SRP wells 102 requires that the operation of the pumps in the field 100 be varied to suit conditions. The SRP wells 102 and the subsurface region of the field 100 may be instrumented to sense conditions and to adjust operational parameters such as the frequency of cyclic operation, the manner in which power is coupled to the motor windings and so forth. Further, this information may be communicated to the ESS 110.
The fluid flow rate produced by each SRP well 102 is an advantageous parameter to measure and can be measured using flow rate sensors at any point along the conduits through which the fluid is pumped. The fluid pressures produced in the SRP wells 102 by the pump can also be monitored, and used to develop additional information, such as the rate at which the geological formation is refilling the pump, and other aspects of well performance. Information regarding fluid flow rate in the field 100 may be communicated to the ESS 110, which may use the information for purposes of controlling power consumption.
The conditions within the field with respect to each of the SRP wells 102 may be considered in creating a readiness indication for each of the SRP wells 102. The readiness indication may represent whether a given SRP well 102 is ready to operate at a given time. The readiness indication may be communicated to the ESS 110 by the SRP well 102, as described herein. For example, the readiness indication may be communicated to the ESS 110 along with a request for power to operate.
In operation, the ESS 110 gathers operating information about conditions in the hydrocarbon field 100. These conditions may include information about the availability of power, including the type of power available (renewable or non-renewable), the cost of power, loading of networks that provide power to operate the pumps in the field 100 or the like. Further, the operating information may include any data about the operation of the SRP wells 102 or the performance of the field 100 as a whole.
In a typical hydrocarbon producing field, a large number of SRPs may be employed. Across the field, the SRPs operate at a wide range of efficiency. Some SRPs produce hydrocarbons at a steady rate, but others may operate at a lower efficiency for a variety of reasons based on conditions in the field.
Because of the large number of SRPs deployed in a field, power usage to run the SRPs can be very large. As an example, a field that employs 10,000 wells with SRPs may use 40 kW of power (assuming 50 hp motors, each operating at 25% on-time). This would result in a total power consumption of 100 MW. The operation of SRPs at varied efficiencies may result in overall power consumption that is not optimal.
As noted, SRPs do not run continuously. The present techniques exploit this fact to allow control of power across the field 100 by the ESS 110. Moreover, coordination of SRP power usage could provide operational cost benefits. Utility companies typically charge premiums for peak usage in addition to base power usage costs. In-field generation can be limited, and the loads of a large number of SRPs can stress field or utility systems. More consistent power usage could improve field infrastructure planning and budgeting. One aspect of the present techniques is that managing the power consumption of SRPs can take advantage of off-peak power rates (peak shaving).
An exemplary ESS 110 may operate with various strategies of power management. One exemplary power management strategy is to minimize the total cost of power over a given period of time. Another exemplary power management strategy is to have constant power consumption as much as possible. A further exemplary power management strategy may be to have separate power budgets for different sources of power, such as solar power, wind power or power provided by utility companies. A still further power management strategy may be to avoid or minimize using power during peak times.
In an exemplary embodiment, each SRP well 102a, 102b and 102c or other pumping system would be instrumented to determine whether it should be operating at a given time to facilitate efficient power usage. Motor/motor controller assemblies 104 employing POCs/VFDs would fulfill this purpose for the SRP wells 102a, 102b and 102c. The POC/VFD of the motor/motor controller assemblies 104a, 104b and 104c may send a signal or request to the ESS 110 at a designated time interval to request power to continue or resume operation.
In an example, the motor/motor controller assembly 104 of each of the SRP wells 102 may send a request or signal to the ESS 110 requesting permission to operate the associated SRP well 102. The requests could be prioritized by the ESS 110 on the basis of production benefit versus power used (well tests versus historical power data) or other relevant data. The ESS 110 may evaluate electrical availability (including seasonal/daily fluctuations of renewables) and current power pricing to make an economic decision on whether the POC/VFD request should be granted or not. Along with availability, the ESS 110 may have a power budget that could be dictated by power consumption or cost per day, calculated emissions, fluid handling capacities, or other appropriate key performance indicators.
In addition to, or as a part of the request to operate, the SRP wells 102 may provide a readiness indicator or flag to the ESS 110 indicating whether the SRP well 102 is currently ready to operate. The readiness indicator may include a readiness state indicating whether the requesting SRP well 102 is currently ready to operate. The readiness state could be based, for example, on whether the particular SRP well 102 has enough fluid available to be able to pump in an efficient manner. As an alternative to being sent by the SRP wells 102, the ESS 110 could poll the SRP wells 102 to determine their readiness. For example, the ESS 110 could periodically request the current readiness state from each of the SRP wells 102.
In an exemplary embodiment, the readiness indicator is obtained from the SRP well 102 rather than determined by the ESS 110 because the SRP wells 102 should have the most accurate information (including local control set points) to make a proper readiness determination. This allows the ESS 110 to make a determination on the request to operate based on prioritization and optimization of all of the power users in its purview, without having to have awareness of the conditions affecting each of the SRP wells 102 or how they work. If an SRP well 102 does not have the ability to provide a readiness indicator, that SRP well 102 could be considered a low-priority device that is always ready to operate.
The motor/motor controller assemblies 104 may submit a request to the ESS 110 for power at predetermined intervals. Submission intervals may be for example, anywhere between 5 and 60 minutes, or more, depending on operating conditions within the field. Requests from motor/motor controller assemblies 104 may be more frequent for higher-priority wells or less frequent for lower-priority wells.
In an exemplary embodiment, higher priority wells (for example, large producers, unstable systems, key leasehold assets, or the like) may be allowed to “opt-out” of the process of making requests to the ESS 110 to ensure on-demand operation. This means that the large producers would be able to have access to operating power at any time. In an exemplary embodiment, SRP wells 102 that are allowed to operate at any time may be grouped together for power management by the ESS 110.
As an example of power management according to the present techniques, an SRP well 102 with a motor/motor controller assembly 104 may have just completed a shut off to allow the fluid level above the pump to recover. The motor/motor controller assembly 104 sends a signal embodying a request to the ESS 110 requesting permission for power to operate, along with a readiness indicator. The signal may be any sort of signal that is adapted to communicate the request, including a request according to an industry standard for smart grid communication.
The ESS 110 may be programmed to evaluate various conditions and to recognize aspects about conditions that affect energy consumption, including cost of power. One example of a condition that may be monitored by the ESS 110 is the amount of current energy consumption across the field. Another example may be the amount of energy consumption relative to peak afternoon consumption, when rates charged for power are at the highest levels. The ESS 110 may receive information about power consumption or other conditions in the field from any number of sources. For example, the ESS 110 may receive information from SRP wells 102 within the field, which are instrumented to provide information regarding, for example, downhole operational conditions, current production rate or the like. In addition, the ESS 110 may receive information via an internet connection, or a direct connection to a power provider such as a local utility company. The ESS 110 may receive information about the amount of renewable energy that is available at a given time.
In making operational decisions regarding power management, the ESS 110 may take into account multiple factors. For example, the ESS 110 may take into account aspects of pump efficiency or pump readiness. Pump readiness may be derived from the readiness indicator received by the ESS 110 from the SRP wells 102. If the readiness indicator for a given SRP well 102 provides a readiness state showing that the SRP well 102 is not able to operate at an efficient level, the request to operate may be denied by the ESS 110.
If the SRP well 102 making the request is a relatively low producer of hydrocarbons (for example, not economic to operate at current power rates), the request to power on could be denied by the ESS 110. The motor/motor controller assembly 110 of the low producing SRP well 102 may continue to request startup periodically. In an exemplary embodiment, the interval at which the SRP well 102 makes a request to operate is longer for lower producing wells. For example, the interval may be 60-minutes intervals for SRP wells 102 that are relatively low producers or are categorized as lower priority based on a number of factors. The overall effect is that field power consumption would be optimized to a desired power budget by the prioritized power-distribution decision making of the ESS 110.
Eventually, when electrical pricing falls to a point where operation of the requesting motor/motor controller assembly 104 could be done economically, the ESS 110 may grant the motor/motor controller 104 request to restart. While the motor/motor controller 104 for the lower priority SRP well 102 has been denied permission to operate, a higher-priority SRP well 102 nearby may have received approval from the ESS 110 at shorter intervals (for example, 5-minute request intervals) to continue operating for several hours.
At block 202, the method begins. At block 204, operating information is gathered about conditions in the hydrocarbon field. The operation information may be gathered by the ESS 110, as described herein. At block 206, requests to operate are received from each of the plurality of SRP wells 102. The requests to operate include a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state of the associated SRP well 102.
The requests to operate are evaluated based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells at block 208. At block 210, the requests to operate are responded to in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells. Responding to the request may be to allow the requesting SRP well 102 to begin operation, or to deny permission to the requesting SRP well 102 to begin operation. At block 212, the method ends.
The exemplary cluster computing system 300 shown in
The cluster computing system 300 may be accessed from any number of client systems 304A and 304B over a network 306, for example, through a high-speed network interface 309. The computing units 302A to 302D may also function as client systems, providing both local computing support and access to the wider cluster computing system 300.
The network 306 may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or any combinations thereof. Each client system 304A and 304B may include one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media for storing the operating code and program instructions that are used to implement at least a portion of the present techniques, as described further with respect to the non-transitory, computer-readable storage media 400 of
The high-speed network interface 308 may be coupled to one or more buses in the cluster computing system 300, such as a communications bus 314. The communication bus 314 may be used to communicate instructions and data from the high-speed network interface 308 to a cluster storage system 316 and to each of the computing units 302A to 302D in the cluster computing system 300. The communications bus 314 may also be used for communications among the computing units 302A to 302D and the cluster storage system 316. In addition to the communications bus 314, a high-speed bus 318 can be present to increase the communications rate between the computing units 302A to 302D and/or the cluster storage system 316.
In some embodiments, the one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of the cluster storage system 316 include storage arrays 320A, 320B, 320C and 320D for the storage of models (including the hybrid machine learning model described herein), data (including the fracture-related data described herein, among other data used for implementing the present techniques), visual representations, results (such as graphs, charts, and the like used to convey results obtained using the present techniques), code, and other information concerning the implementation of at least a portion of the present techniques. The storage arrays 320A to 320D may include any combinations of hard drives, optical drives, flash drives, or the like.
Each computing unit 302A to 302D includes at least one processor 322A, 322B, 322C and 322D and associated local non-transitory, computer-readable storage media, such as a memory device 324A, 324B, 324C and 324D and a storage device 326A, 326B, 326C and 326D, for example. Each processor 322A to 322D may be a multiple core unit, such as a multiple core central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU). Each memory device 324A to 324D may include ROM and/or RAM used to store program instructions for directing the corresponding processor 322A to 322D to implement at least a portion of the present techniques. Each storage device 326A to 326D may include one or more hard drives, optical drives, flash drives, or the like. In addition, each storage device 326A to 326D may be used to provide storage for models, intermediate results, data, images, or code used to implement at least a portion of the present techniques.
The present techniques are not limited to the architecture or unit configuration illustrated in
The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium 400 includes a request receiving module 408. The request receiving module 408 receives requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells. The requests to operate include a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state.
The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium 400 includes a request evaluation module 410. The request evaluation module 410 evaluates the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells.
The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium 400 includes a request response module 412. The request response module 412 responds to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells, as described herein.
In one or more embodiments, the present techniques may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, such as the following embodiments as noted in paragraphs 1 to 20:
1. A method of managing power consumption by a plurality of wells in a hydrocarbon field, the plurality of wells being used to extract hydrocarbons from the field, the method comprising: gathering operating information about conditions in the hydrocarbon field; receiving requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells, the requests to operate including a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state; evaluating the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells; and responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells.
2. The method of paragraph 1, wherein operating information comprises a priority indication for each of the plurality of wells.
3. The method of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the request to operate from a well with a high priority indication is automatically granted.
4. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein responding to the requests to operate comprise denying requests from wells for which the readiness state indicates that the well is not ready to operate.
5. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises optimizing power consumption across the plurality of wells.
6. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 5, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises minimizing cost of power across the plurality of wells for a given period of time.
7. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 6, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises restricting operation of one or more of the plurality of wells based on a cost of power to operate the one or more of the plurality of wells at a time the request to operate is received.
8. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 7, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises determining whether a requesting well may be operated in a cost effective manner based on power availability at a time the request to operate is received.
9. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises determining whether a threshold level of renewable energy is available at a time the request to operate is received.
10. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 9, wherein the requests to operate are sent from the plurality of wells at regular intervals.
11. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 10, wherein each of the plurality of wells comprises a sucker rod pump.
12. The method of any of paragraphs 1 to 11, wherein each of the plurality of wells comprises one of a progressive cavity pump, an electric submersible pump, or a chemical injection pump.
13. A system for managing power consumption by a plurality of wells in a hydrocarbon field, the plurality of wells being used to extract hydrocarbons from the field, the system comprising: a data gathering system that gathers operating information about conditions in the hydrocarbon field; and an electrical supervisory system (ESS) that: (i) receives requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells, the requests to operate including a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state; (ii) evaluates the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells; and (iii) responds to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells.
14. The system of paragraph 13, wherein responding to the requests to operate comprise denying requests from wells for which the readiness state indicates that the well is not ready to operate.
15. The system of paragraph 13 or 14, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises optimizing power consumption across the plurality of wells.
16. The system of any of paragraphs 1 to 15, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises minimizing cost of power across the plurality of wells for a given period of time.
17. A computing system, comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, comprising code configured to direct the processor to: gather operating information about conditions in a hydrocarbon field, the hydrocarbon field having a plurality of wells that are used to extract hydrocarbons from the field; receive requests to operate from each of the plurality of wells, the requests to operate including a readiness indicator that provides a readiness state; evaluate the requests to operate based on the operating information and the readiness state of each of the wells; and respond to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption by the plurality of wells.
18. The computing system of paragraph 17, wherein responding to the requests to operate comprise denying requests from wells for which the readiness state indicates that the well is not ready to operate.
19. The computing system of paragraph 17 or 18, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises optimizing power consumption across the plurality of wells.
20. The computing system of any of paragraphs 17 to 19, wherein responding to the requests to operate in order to control power consumption comprises minimizing cost of power across the plurality of wells for a given period of time.
While the embodiments described herein are well-calculated to achieve the advantages set forth, it will be appreciated that such embodiments are susceptible to modification, variation, and change without departing from the spirit thereof. In other words, the particular embodiments described herein are illustrative only, as the teachings of the present techniques may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Moreover, the systems and methods illustratively disclosed herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein. While compositions and methods are described in terms of “comprising” or “including” various components or steps, the compositions and methods can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps. Indeed, the present techniques include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/385,275, entitled “FIELD POWER MANAGEMENT,” having a filing date of Nov. 29, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63385275 | Nov 2022 | US |
