Remote Automatic Control Of Oil Production

Abstract

Abstract The era is approaching when electronic equipment similar to that used by many pipeline companies for the remote control and supervision of pipeline stations may be applied to the production phase of the oil industry. The basic circuits are now being field tested by the Gulf Refining Co. in Timbalier Bay, La. Introduction In 1947, the Gulf Oil Corp., as other major oil companies, began developing various systems of automatic lease producing equipment. The early installations were made in the East Texas field and usually consisted of a tank switcher with time-clocked, electric valves for well control. While performing all the operational duties connected with delivery and routing of production from the well to the proper tank, these control systems have safety devices installed on separators, heater-treaters and stock tanks which, upon malfunction of any part of the operation, result in the closing-in of all related wells until conditions have been restored to normal. Such installations have reduced the labor involved in the routine production of oil remarkably. Payouts often are six or eight months. Usually only a few minutes a day supervision are required for the daily tank gauge and routine checks. The adaptation of this or similar automatic production equipment to other than the East Texas field has been rather slow; however, the increasing development of production in the bay areas and offshore in Texas and Louisiana has given rise to many problems, of which some will undoubtedly best be solved by the application of automatic equipment. To evaluate the feasibility of such a venture, the Gulf Refining Co., in 1952, installed an automatic control system in its Weeks Island field, Iberia Parish, La. Unlike East Texas, these wells have much higher flowing pressures and operate 24 hours per day; therefore, no timing device for proration of the well is needed at the well head and the well is subject to closure by the control system only when there is a failure of the associated receiving equipment or when the stock tanks are full. To eliminate the necessity of building a distribution system or laying electric cable to the well for control purposes, a pneumatic system was tried with the flow line acting as the controlling medium. The valve on the well is a pressure operated diaphragm type and is controlled by a bourdon tube type pilot with a high-low shut off. Operating gas for the pilot is obtained from a fabricated drip or scrubber located down stream from the valve. By electrically opening or closing a valve on the battery manifold, the flow line pressure is released or the line is "pressured-up" and, in turn, operates the diaphragm type valve at the well head and effects an opening or closure of the well corresponding to the electric valve on the manifold. A very similar electrically operated valve is also located on all tank filling lines. Working in conjunction with a float switch, this valve provides for a method of electrically directing the oil produced into a tank and a means for determining when each tank is full.