Keywords: Force Control, digital oilfield, real-time database, pSpace, monitoring configuration software, ForceControl, electronic well inspection, dynamometer card, video system, GIS, ERP
Introduction: A certain oilfield is a complex, multi-layered information system integrating multiple hardware platforms, software platforms, and development tools. It is a large-scale "digitalization" project jointly implemented and developed by multiple manufacturers. The project had a long implementation period and utilized thousands of sets of ForceControl monitoring configuration software as the foundation for data acquisition and integration of key oilfield production processes such as oil wells, gas wells, combined stations, and gathering and transportation. Simultaneously, ForceControl's real-time database pSpace, as a massive distributed data management platform, played a centralized data processing and storage role. ForceControl's series of products, as the basic automation software platform and data center management platform, played a significant role in the fundamental data acquisition and management of the digital oilfield.
1. Introduction to Digital Oilfields: As some oilfields gradually enter the later stages of oil extraction, improving oil recovery rates and reducing labor costs have become the most pressing needs. Major oilfields in China have prioritized "digital oilfield construction" and technologies such as "secondary development, tertiary oil recovery, and water injection potential tapping" as their primary development tasks.
1.1 Concept of Digital Oilfield A digital oilfield can generally be described as follows: It takes the oilfield as the research object, uses computers and high-speed networks as carriers, and spatial coordinate information as a reference to highly integrate various data related to oilfield production and management. Based on establishing various optimization models for oilfield production and management processes, it utilizes simulation and virtual technologies to visualize the data in multiple dimensions. This achieves multi-level information positioning, covering the entire oilfield region horizontally and from the surface to the subsurface vertically, improving the overall information analysis capabilities of the oilfield to support the in-depth needs of key operations such as exploration and development. Overall, it assists in the decision-making and analysis of oilfield operation and management, further exploring the potential value of each link, and creating a sound information support environment for the sustainable development of oilfield enterprises.
Digitalization is at the forefront of production within the overall information architecture, primarily focusing on monitoring the production process of basic units such as wells, stations, and pipelines. It involves data collection, process monitoring, dynamic analysis, problem identification, and problem-solving to maintain normal production. Establishing unified data interfaces with other systems enables data sharing. This information system, primarily focused on production process management, extends and expands the functions of the oilfield information system. The construction of all management subsystems mainly aims to supervise, analyze, optimize, and update all aspects of actual production, achieving the goal of efficient and intelligent enterprise management. The oilfield digital management process includes a data acquisition system, a well station monitoring platform, and plant/operation area production management platforms, as shown in the following framework diagram:
1.2 Application Prospects of Digital Construction in Oilfields Currently, oilfield production areas are vast, with numerous and dispersed wells. Pumping units operate in the field, and data extraction relies on manual copying, resulting in tedious and labor-intensive work. Furthermore, data cannot be effectively centralized and managed, hindering timely monitoring, recording, and statistical analysis of equipment operation. Inspections, maintenance, and repairs are also relatively difficult, wasting significant human and material resources. Most oilfield production units only manage wells from the perspective of ensuring normal equipment operation, neglecting lean management of oilfield energy use, leading to low utilization rates.
A digital oilfield is a comprehensive basic information platform for oilfield enterprises' production, scientific research, management, and decision-making. It will play a leading and guiding role in the informatization construction of oilfields. Digital oilfields have already demonstrated broad application prospects:
(1) The construction of digital oilfields can significantly improve the level of oilfield exploration and development research and auxiliary decision-making, and promote the sustainable development of oilfields;
(2) The construction of digital oilfields can optimize production processes and significantly improve the quality of oilfield production and operation;
(3) The construction of digital oilfields can promote the further deepening of oilfield reform and improve the level of oilfield operation and management.
2. Digital oilfield construction
2.1 The project's planning for the digital oilfield adopts a service-oriented multi-layer architecture (SOA). This system is seamlessly integrated with geographic information systems, video systems, and management information systems. All production data is remotely aggregated by the ForceControl automation software platform using a distributed architecture. With the construction of an "Oil and Gas Field Production and Operation Management System" as the hub, a production management and scheduling system and information resource sharing platform will be established for oil and gas field production, research, management, and operation. This will achieve intelligent command and control, automated office work, information-based management, networked information resources, electronic business processing, and scientific information-based decision-making in oil and gas field production management. This will realize a high degree of coordination and unity in oil and gas field production management, transforming the oil and gas field into a modern digital oil and gas field.
The SCADA system for the oilfield's gas production and transportation plants first collects data from each plant and transmits it to the information center, providing raw data for production and scheduling. The information center then uses an enterprise-level real-time and historical database to aggregate data from all the oil (gas) production plants. Simultaneously, it seamlessly integrates with geographic information systems, video systems, and management information systems, allowing for the development, implementation, and deployment of system interfaces (SIs) from numerous manufacturers on a unified platform. All plant process displays have been integrated and published, allowing users to access the specific operational status of a particular plant's control system via a web browser.
2.2 ForceControl's Overall Design Scheme for Digital Oilfields: The ForceControl monitoring and configuration software serves as the foundational data acquisition and integration platform for key oilfield production processes such as oil wells, gas wells, joint stations, and gathering and transportation. ForceControl's enterprise real-time database, pSpace, acts as a centralized data processing platform for massive data management. The information center is equipped with two redundant servers running on the intranet for the data management platform. To ensure network security, a dedicated dual-NIC server is configured: one port collects data from third-party software, and the other port connects to a VPN private network. ForceControl's configuration software collects third-party data via OPC. This collected data is processed by the local real-time database pSpace and simultaneously accessed remotely via ForceControl's NetServer component. Data collected from each branch plant is aggregated by ForceControl's distributed real-time database pSpace and then uniformly sent to the management system oriented towards an SOA service architecture.
The plant-level dispatch center provides all the system's functions, enabling remote monitoring of the operation of the plant and natural gas transmission and distribution network via computer system. The enterprise-level real-time database pSpace is responsible for processing, storing, and managing real-time data transmitted from remote sites within the plant and transmission and distribution network, while also providing real-time data to other servers and workstations in the network. Historical data is compressed and stored in a historical database, and can also be written to the relational database Oracle via pSpace.
2.3 Force Control's Solution in Oil (Gas) Plants (1) Well Site Control Station The existing PLC/RTU is responsible for collecting data from the well site, such as pressure, flow rate, temperature, etc., and sending the data to the gas gathering station via GPRS/radio.
(2) The gas gathering station is equipped with a PC and force control configuration software to collect data from the well site. At the same time, an RTU acquisition unit is set up in the gas gathering station to collect and transmit some signals from the gas gathering station.
(3) Build 2-3 natural gas processing plants, collect data from several gas gathering stations through optical fiber, and at the same time, the processing plants are equipped with DCS control systems to collect data from the plants themselves.
(4) By installing video surveillance, electronic video tracking and locking, and sound warning systems in key parts of oil pipelines, key sections of oil and gas areas, and well sites and well stations, automatic alarms can be set up for abnormal situations, and vehicles and personnel entering and leaving the oil area can be monitored.
(5) Install a high-performance real-time database pSpace in the oil and gas plant dispatch center to collect data from gas gathering stations, natural gas processing plants and pipelines via optical fiber to achieve unified management.
2.4 The dispatch center data platform , centered on the force-controlled enterprise-level real-time historical database pSpace, aggregates data from various oil (gas) production plants, enabling the development, implementation, and deployment of over 20 system integrators (SIs) on a unified platform. All plant process displays have been reconfigured for web-based publishing, allowing for intuitive access to the current operational status of a specific station control system within a plant via an electronic map.
pSpace, an enterprise-grade real-time historical database, can meet the real-time data integration and massive historical data storage needs of digital oilfields. It boasts a maximum application scale of millions of data points, a concurrent write speed of 300,000 data points per second, a query speed of up to 150,000 data points per second, and an advanced and powerful compression algorithm achieving a data compression ratio of up to 40:1. The database server supports operating systems such as Windows, UNIX, and Linux, and supports data redundancy backup, greatly improving data security and data processing efficiency.
ForceControl's enterprise-level real-time historical database is a platform with standard interfaces and secondary development capabilities. It can process real-time data from DCS, FCS, RTU, flow meters, flow computers, and other control systems with or without standard communication interfaces. It performs functions such as data acquisition, storage, and compression, as well as retrieval, statistics, analysis, and modeling of real-time and historical data, and displays them as curves and charts. It can realize typical application functions in process industries, such as process flow diagram display, historical curve analysis, historical alarm analysis, and report management. Simultaneously, this database provides efficient data interfaces for other management software and can also directly write processed data to a relational database via pSpace, enabling bidirectional communication between data and other management software.
3. Functions of the Digital Oilfield System
3.1 Production monitoring collects real-time production data from various production sites and equipment, including flowing wells, pumping unit wells, ESP wells, screw pump wells, water injection wells, water distribution rooms, water injection stations, oil-water gathering and transportation networks, booster stations, transfer stations, gathering and transportation stations, and tank farms. This data includes operating parameters such as pressure, temperature, flow rate, liquid level, current, voltage, speed, power, load, stroke, and stroke count. It also includes dynamometer card data from oil wells. Process screen files created using the force control oil and gas version software for booster stations, water injection wells, transfer stations, and combined stations are copied to the project folder of the digital platform for rapid compilation, enabling rapid configuration and achieving a high degree of consistency between the management platform and station control screens, thus realizing real-time and intelligent production monitoring.
Once the graphical interface is complete, the pSpace web server can publish the page, and authorized personnel can view and control it in real time through an Internet Explorer browser.
3.2 Video Surveillance: Depending on the number of wellheads at each well site, different numbers of video surveillance devices are installed to achieve real-time monitoring of the entire well site. Each video surveillance device can capture pre-recorded or evidence-gathering footage from multiple fixed locations. It also features intelligent object behavior analysis capabilities, enabling it to issue alarms and broadcast notifications for events such as perimeter alarms and unauthorized intrusions. This provides real-time alerts to operators. Operators can manually operate the cameras to record close-up, high-definition evidence based on alarm conditions, and the system can also automatically trigger remote recording.
The intelligent video analysis server occupies a single server and provides security and defense functions. When personnel enter the well site, an audio alarm is triggered at the pressurization point, the well site image is automatically zoomed in, and photos are automatically taken and stored. Personnel on duty at the pressurization point (work area) can identify personnel entering the well site using zoom functionality. Audio warning files are played through the voice channel (or remote voice warnings are given via microphone). The server software can be configured for web publishing, and the view can be switched via a B/S (Browser/Server) mode.
3.3 Dynamometer Diagram Analysis Dynamometer diagrams are crucial for oilfield well management and are a regular inspection item. Quickly, accurately, and conveniently obtaining dynamometer diagrams is essential for understanding the well's production status and the pumping unit's operating status, promptly detecting faults such as stuck rods and broken rods, maintaining oil production, and reducing power consumption. The so-called "dynamometer diagram" and "current diagram" are two commonly used production curves in oil well production; they are closed curves drawn from a set of simultaneously transmitted two-dimensional arrays.
The dynamometer card system in the standardized station control software transfers data to the station control's oil measurement software database. The dynamometer card analysis module of the Oil and Gas Research Institute then calculates oilfield production and analyzes the operating conditions of the pumping units. With the help of the dynamometer card, it is possible to determine whether the oil production equipment is operating normally and whether the oil supply is adequate. This allows for timely shutdown of abnormal wells, reducing unnecessary wear and tear on equipment, saving unnecessary energy consumption, and ensuring that the equipment operates at its optimal condition.
3.4 Combustible gas detection and control systems are equipped with combustible gas alarm sensors in key areas. Most are single gas alarm switches, while some are sensors that analyze the content of multiple gases. A dedicated data acquisition instrument collects data on the composition and content of combustible gases via communication to the station control computer. Analysis curves, such as bar charts and pie charts, are then generated for the concentration of various gases. This data collection, integrated into a digital platform, allows for the monitoring of the safety environment at all stations, providing initial evidence for determining the cause of accidents and assigning responsibility.
Simultaneously, relevant combustible gas tag variables from the station control system are collected into the digital platform pSpace via a network database. Flexible query modes are implemented based on different stations, and alarm data is statistically analyzed using alarm controls. Alarm content includes alarm data name, alarm time, alarm moment value, alarm category, alarm level, and whether the alarm has been confirmed. The alarm font and background color vary depending on the alarm level and confirmation status.
3.5 Equipment Self-Inspection The equipment self-inspection subsystem can perform timed automatic inspections of digital related equipment such as network devices and field instruments, provide alarm prompts for faulty equipment, and provide application support for subsequent maintenance and system early warning.
The system's main interface displays the network communication and operational status of instruments and equipment currently in use at the site, well site, and individual wells. These instruments and equipment include integrated load displacement sensors, RTUs, etc. When a green icon on the network topology map turns red, it indicates a network device malfunction in the current system. Red dots represent abnormal operational statuses of equipment at the currently displayed well site and its subordinate individual wells. When a green icon on the network topology map turns blue, it indicates an abnormal operational status of instruments and equipment in the current system. The system also provides the ability to view real-time and historical fault information.
3.6 Electronic Reporting System The electronic reporting system primarily provides an intelligent reporting platform for oilfield production management. Production data, equipment ledgers, subsystem analysis, and production monitoring data all require report output support, flexibly replacing the original manual reporting methods. Configured via the real-time historical database platform pSpace, it can store, query, print, and output common time-stamped reports such as shift reports, daily reports, monthly reports, and annual reports. It can also generate various style reports and charts, thus providing a data foundation for analysis, optimization, and decision-making.
3.7 Pipeline Network Monitoring Pipeline network monitoring mainly includes real-time monitoring of the pressure and flow rates of well site oil gathering pipelines, station external transmission pipelines, and water injection networks, and setting early warning alarm thresholds to achieve automatic alarm and early warning functions in abnormal situations. The platform's real-time database collects on-site pressure and flow rate data from the first and last stations into the database via the OPC protocol, displaying it in the form of a pipeline network topology diagram.
Leakage is a major malfunction in oil pipeline operations. Leaks caused by punctures for oil theft and corrosion perforation are frequent occurrences, severely disrupting normal production and causing significant economic losses. The specific implementation method utilizes a real-time database and graphical curve tools to generate real-time curve analysis and handle background alarms. Critical alarms are alerted to operators/managers for their attention. Web-based deployment allows more regulatory departments to view the pipeline leakage analysis system's status at any time, playing a crucial role in assessing pipeline oil transport conditions and delineating safety responsibility zones.
3.8 Water Supply and Injection Analysis The water supply and injection analysis system primarily displays the real-time operating status and related parameters of the water supply and injection network, injection wells, and source wells. Each interface can display both real-time and historical data. A standardized station control system monitors the injection wells and valve assemblies. On one hand, it allows selection of injection wells to set the injection volume; on the other hand, it allows setting upper and lower limits for injection pressure and instantaneous flow fluctuations. If these limits are exceeded, the system will issue an alarm promptly.
All water supply and injection data from all sites are synchronized to the platform's real-time database via a network database. The real-time database uses tools such as graphical bar charts to compare the data relationship between water supply and injection volume and oil well production. Based on the script, the recommended data value for the given water injection volume can be calculated, thereby ensuring water conservation and stable water injection.
3.9 GIS System Integration: The GIS software platform requires a dedicated server. Based on the actual geographic information parameter configuration and secondary development using JAVA interfaces, geographic information such as topography and landforms is entered into the GIS database. It can display the coordinates, names, and descriptions of actual plants and stations in the GIS graphical interface. Through data interaction between the GIS system and the Oracle database of the digital platform, some key data are dynamically displayed simultaneously on the GIS map. Webpage index links can be switched, directly accessing the functional modules of the platform subsystems. This data is then published on the web using geographic navigation, forming a geographic navigation framework within the entire digital platform.
ForceControl monitoring software, developed by ForceControl Technology, features rich component interfaces, enabling seamless integration with GIS systems through GIS components. These GIS components support MapInfo and ArcGIS map file formats, support component-based integration of GIS-GPS functionality, and allow for full interaction via scripts and VBA calls.
3.10 The "dynamic" data source design of the ERP system integration force control software ensures data access in network modes such as B/S and C/S. Besides accessing its own real-time historical database, it also supports various database systems, including SQL relational databases and large international real-time historical databases. The system's parameter management provides "dynamic" parameter registration, facilitating load scheduling. Historical data storage and archiving support various technologies such as timed storage, conditional storage, change compression storage, and trend compression storage, providing more powerful production data analysis and statistical functions. Furthermore, the software has rich data interfaces for easy integration with ERP systems.
4. Conclusion: Digitalization in oilfield construction can improve work efficiency, quality, and increase economic and social benefits for enterprises. Through intelligent processing and rapid integration of various stages of digital oilfield construction using application systems, these information resources can be shared and utilized to the maximum extent, providing timely information for decision-makers and promoting improvements in enterprise management and operational efficiency. This leads to more scientific and optimized oilfield management, standardized business processes, maximized information resource sharing, and scientific management systems. Ultimately, this enhances the overall level of the enterprise and strengthens its competitiveness in the international market. ForceControl's series of products, as a fundamental automation software platform and data center management platform, have played a significant role in the basic data acquisition and management of digital oilfields.
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