Abstract:
A method of managing well file records includes storing a well file on a first computer at a home base location and communicating the well file to a second computer at a remote well site. The well file serves as a blueprint that describes the well and its various components, and can be a valuable a reference tool for crews doing repair or service work on the well. When the work involves replacing or changing any of the well components, the crew can immediately update the well file using the computer at the well site. In some cases, part numbers and other information are scanned into the computer to minimize human error. Information between the two computers is accomplished by way of a wireless communication link and the Internet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention generally pertains to managing well file records at a well site and more specifically to managing well file records that change with service work being performed on a well at the well site. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Wells are used to draw petroleum, water or other fluid up from within the ground. Owners or operators of a well often have a well file that serves as a blueprint that describes the well and its components. The well file is often referred to whenever work is done on the well. 
     After a well is set up and operating, various service operations are periodically performed to maintain the well. Such service operations may include replacing worn parts such as a pump, sucker rods, inner tubing, and packer glands; pumping chemical treatments or hot oil down into the well bore; and pumping cement into the well bore to partially close off a portion of the well (or to shut it down entirely). Since wells are often miles apart from each other, the maintenance or service operations are usually performed by a mobile unit or service vehicle having special onboard servicing equipment suited to perform the work. Some examples of service vehicles include a chemical tank truck or trailer, a cement truck or trailer, a hot-oiler tank truck or trailer, and a portable work-over service rig having a hoist to remove and install well components (e.g., sucker rods, tubing, etc.). 
     Of course, such work is done at the well site, which is usually at a location that is quite remote with respect to the home office of the well owner or operator. Since the well file is often kept at the home office, field crews working on the well often do not have ready access to the well file, which can create several problems. First, not having the well file to refer to at the well site makes it difficult for the crews to make informed decisions on how to proceed in servicing the well, especially when something unexpected occurs. Second, if changes are made to the well, such as replacing a worn part, details of the change may never get back to those who are responsible for updating the well file. Thus, well files can eventually become very outdated. Third, current well files are often recorded on paper, which are inherently time consuming and difficult to update. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To avoid the problems and limitations of current methods of maintaining well files, it is an object of the invention to use a computer for updating well files. 
     A second object is to communicate a well file from a home base computer to a remote mobile computer at the well site using a wireless communication link. 
     A third object is to update a well file using a computer at the well site. 
     A third object is to communicate a well change from a computer at the well site to another computer at remote home base. 
     A fourth object is to use a bar code scanner or a RFID sensor to enter into a computer a part number of a part that is to be added to the well. 
     A fifth object is to create an electronic well file that includes records of consumable components such as chemical treatments. 
     A sixth object is enter into a computer a well site identifier that allows a crew at the well site to access the appropriate well file for the well being serviced. 
     A seventh object is to enter into a computer a company identifier that helps identify which of several companies were involved in a particular operation. 
     An eighth object of the invention is use an access code of limited usefull life that allows a contractor to update a well file, provided the contractor&#39;s work had been witnessed. The access code expires after the contractor updates the well file, thus preventing the contractor from making additional well file changes that may not be authorized. 
     These and other objects of the invention are provided by storing a well file on a first computer and communicating the well file to a second computer at the well site. Information about changes made to the well can be entered into the second computer and communicated back to the first computer. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of managing a well file record according to a currently preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a method of managing a well file record of a plurality of components of a well  10  at a well site  8 . The term, “component” refers to any item of which a particular well is comprised, wherein the component may be a consumable or non-consumable item. Well  10  is schematically illustrated to encompass any apparatus for drawing a fluid (e.g., oil, gas, water, etc.) from the ground. In some embodiments of the invention, well  10  includes a string of outer piping known as casing  12 . When perforated, casing  12  provides a conduit that conveys fluid from within the ground to the inlet of a submerged reciprocating pump  14 . An inner string of pipe, known as tubing  16 , provides a discharge conduit that conveys the fluid from the outlet of pump  14  to the surface. A powered pivoting beam  18  moves a string of sucker rods  20  up and down, which in turn moves the pump&#39;s piston up and down to pump the fluid. 
     It should be noted that casing  12 , tubing  16 , sucker rods  20 , pump  14  and beam  18  represent just a few examples of the numerous components that can make up a well, and it is conceivable that a well may not have one or more of these components. Examples of other well components include, but are not limited to, casing couplings  22 ; tubing couplings  24 ; sucker rod couplings  26 ; packer glands; various piece parts of pump  14 , such as seals and valves; various parts associated with beam  18 , such as a drive motor  28 ; and various consumable and non-consumable fluids  30  that may be added (indicated by line  29 ) to the well bore, such as hot oil, acid, or cement. The list of possible components could be considered endless, as new components are continually being developed. 
     To keep a record of a well&#39;s current list of components, and make the record readily available to personnel on and off the well site, a well file  32  is created and/or such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access; Visual Basic; C++etc. The term, “computer” used herein and below refers to any device for storing and/or possessing digital information. Examples of a computer include, but are not limited to items known as personal computers, PC, desktop computer, laptop, notebook, PLC (programmable logic controller), data logger, etc. The term, “well file” refers to data that identifies a plurality of components associated with a well at a particular well site. The data can include such things as part names, part numbers, serial numbers, model numbers, manufacturer or supplier name, part descriptions, quantities, well depth location, gallons, solution concentrations, age, size, etc. To make well file  32  accessible to the well owner and others that are not at the well site, computer  34  is preferably at a home base location  36  that is remote relative to well site  8 . In other words, computer  34  is not at the well site itself. The term, “well site” refers to the immediate property or land on which the well is contained or within a one-mile radius of the well bore, whichever is more. 
     To make well file  32  readily available to field personnel that are repairing or otherwise servicing well  10 , another computer  38  is transported to well site  8 , as indicated by arrow  40 . Transporting computer  38  is preferably accomplished by conveying computer  38  on a service vehicle  42  that is being used by the field personnel in servicing well  10 . Examples of vehicle  42  include, but are not limited to, a work-over unit, a cement truck for conveying and pumping cement, and a tanker for conveying and pumping an acid or some other fluid. A work-over unit is generally a truck with a hoist and other tools that facilitate the installation and removal of tubing, sucker rods, casing, and may even be used in actually drilling the well bore itself. 
     Communicating well file  32  from computer  34  to computer  38  is preferably done through a wireless communication link  44 . The term “wireless communication link” refers to data being transmitted over a certain distance, wherein over that certain distance the data is transmitted through a medium of air and/or space rather than wires. Wireless communication link  46  is schematically illustrated to represent a wide variety of systems that are well known to those skilled in the art of wireless communication. For example, with a modem  48  and an antenna  50  associated with computer  34 , and another modem  52  and an antenna  54  for computer  38 , data of well file  32  can be exchanged over the Internet between computers  34  and  38 . Data of well file  32  can assume any of a variety of common formats including, but not limited to HTML, e-mail, and various other file formats that may depend on the particular software being used. 
     In a preferred mode of operation, well file  32  is communicated over the Internet from computer  34  to computer  38 . In the process of repairing, upgrading, or otherwise servicing well  10 , service personnel may change one or more of the well components. For example, a worn sucker rod  56  may be replaced by a new sucker rod  58 , as indicated by arrow  60 . The service personnel would then input into computer  38  (or another computer) a well file change  60  that documents that sucker  56  has been replaced by rod and may document whatever other changes may have taken place at the well. The information could be entered (indicated by arrow  57 ) manually using a conventional keyboard  62  or be entered in some other manner. For example, an instrument  64 , such as a barcode scanner or a RFID (radio frequency identification) sensor could sense on sucker rod  58  a part identifier  66 , such as a bar code label or an embedded or surface mounted RFID device. The communication link, whether it is light for a barcode scanner or an electromagnetic field for the RFID device, is schematically illustrated and identified by line  68 . The sensed information is conveyed through line  70  and entered into computer  38  as a digital identification value (e.g., part number, model number, serial number, or some other alphanumeric name). 
     In some versions of the invention, service personnel enter (indicated by arrow  71 ) a well site identifier  72  into computer  38  by using keyboard  62  and/or selecting from a menu of well site identifiers  72 ′. Well site identifier  72  could be some alphanumeric value that identifies the well by a name or address. This could allow service personnel access to the right well file and ensure that well file change  60  will be matched with the appropriate well file. Well file change  60  could also include a date  74  that identifies when a particular change occurred. 
     In some cases, a company identifier  76  is entered (indicated by arrow  77 ) into computer  38  to identify by name or some code which company, contractor, and/or service person was involved in changing any of the components of well  10 . When there is more than one company or independent contractor working on well  10 , a second company identifier  78  can be entered (indicated by arrow  79 ) into computer  38  to identify the second company. In this way, well file change  60  can document which company, contractor or individual made which component changes. The term, “independent contractor” refers to cases where neither contractor is an employee of the other. With proper association, well file change  60  lists several company identifiers  77 , well file line-item changes  80  (part numbers, descriptions, etc.), and dates  74 . 
     Once well file change  60  is entered into a computer, the change is accessible from computer  34  using wireless communication link  44  and the Internet or some other appropriate network protocol. To complete the process, well file  32  can be updated to reflect the changes indicated by well file change  60 . Updating well file  32  can be done at computer  38  or at computer  34  (or at yet another computer). Updating well file  32  at computer  34  is indicated by arrow  65 . 
     In some versions of the invention, a contractor who had been working at well site  8  can only make a change to well file  32  if the change to well  10  was witnessed by another party (e.g., a representative of the one who owns and/or controls well file  32 ). To do this, the witness enters into computer  38  (or another computer) information that indicates that the witness verifies that the contractor actually made the change to well  10 . In response, computer  38  displays an access code  90  that the contractor needs in order to update well file  32  to reflect the change that the contractor has made to well  10 . For example, access code  90  may be an eight-digit number (or some other alphanumeric value) that the contractor must enter into his computer before the contractor is allowed to make any changes to well file  32 . Once the contractor enters access code  90 , computer  34  provides the contractor with permission or access to make only limited changes to well file  32 , such as only those changes that pertain to the work that was witnessed. After the contractor enters access code  90  and updates well file  32 , the useful life of access code  90  is terminated, i.e., code  90  further limits (or entirely limits) the contractor&#39;s ability to alter or update well file  32 . Thus, once the contractor updates well file  32 , the expiration of code  90  prevents the contractor from making other changes to well file  32  that may not be authorized. 
     Although the invention is described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by reference to the claims that follow.