Abstract:
A method that enables an owner or an operator of a well to manage workers that are performing various service operations at a remote well site. The method involves a wireless communication link that allows one computer at a home base location to communicate with a mobile computer associated with a service vehicle at the well site. Workers of several independent contractors enter employee data into the same mobile computer to indicate who is at the well site. Transducers associated with various service operations feed electrical signals into the computer along with a time stamp, which helps confirm that a worker is actually working at the well site. An owner or operator of the well can then access the information using the home base computer and the wireless communication link to help determine who is working at well site, what they are doing, and when they are doing it.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention generally pertains to managing workers at a well site and more specifically to managing workers associated with multiple service vehicles of various contractors.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    After a well is set up and operating to draw petroleum, water or other fluid up from within the ground, 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.).  
           [0005]    Service vehicles are often owned by a contractor that an oil company, such as a well owner or operator, hires to service the wells. Typically, the contractor invoices the oil company after supposedly performing the work at a remote well site. However, since the work is usually done at a remote location relative to the oil company&#39;s home office, the oil company may find it difficult to confirm precisely what occurred at the well site, especially after the fact.  
           [0006]    For example, the oil company may not know which individuals did the work, whether they were qualified to do it, how long it took them, or how well the job was performed. A conventional time clock that records the arrival and departure of a factory or office employee does not distinguish between those who actually work and those that do not. For some service operations, such as pumping cement or acid into the well bore, it may difficult to confirm to what extent the operation was performed or whether the operation was even done at all. Consequently, in paying for services, oil companies may pay more than what the contractor was actually entitled.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    To avoid the problems and limitations of existing worker management systems, it is an object of the invention to use a wireless communication link to allow a well owner or an operator at a home base to manage workers that have been assigned to perform various service operations at a remote well site.  
           [0008]    A second object of the invention to have one computer on one service vehicle collect data from multiple independent contractors each associated with their own employees and service vehicle, wherein the data pertains to employee information and a process performed with the assistance of the service vehicles.  
           [0009]    A third object of the invention is to enable a well owner or an operator of a well to compare the time when a worker is present at the well site and the time when a service vehicle is assisting in performing a service operation.  
           [0010]    A fourth object is to have a computer receive input from a transducer associated with a service operation and receive input pertaining to employee information.  
           [0011]    A fifth object is to use a computer to authorize a worker to perform a service operation at a well site.  
           [0012]    A sixth object is to use a common computer to collect data from independent contractors performing separate service operations, such as pumping and manipulating tubing or sucker rods, downhole logging and manipulating tubing or sucker rods, and pumping and downhole logging.  
           [0013]    These and other objects of the invention are provided by a worker management method that enables an owner or an operator of a well to manage workers that have been assigned to perform various service operations at a remote well site. The method involves using a wireless communication link that allows one computer at a home base location to communicate with a mobile computer associated with a service vehicle at the well site. Workers of one or more independent contractors enter information into the mobile computer to indicate who is at the well site and what equipment is actually operating. An owner or operator of the well can then access the information using the home base computer. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a method for a company at a home base to monitor worker activity at a remote well site. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Worker activity at a well site  10  can be monitored from a remote location  11  by using a method  12  illustrated in FIG. 1. Here, a well  13  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  13  includes a string of outer piping known as casing  14 . When perforated, casing  14  provides a conduit that conveys fluid from within the ground to the inlet of a submerged reciprocating pump  15 . An inner string of pipe, known as tubing  16 , provides a discharge conduit that conveys the fluid from the outlet of pump  15  to the surface. A powered pivoting beam (not shown) moves a string of sucker rods  17  up and down, which in turn moves the pump&#39;s piston up and down to pump the fluid.  
         [0016]    Owners, operators, and/or well managers (all of which are referred to herein and below as company  18 ) of well  13  may pay various contractors, which have their own workers and service vehicles for performing different service operations on well  13 . For example, one contractor may have a worker  19  and a service vehicle  20 , and another contractor may have a worker  21  and a service vehicle  22 . Method  12  is especially useful in coordinating the efforts of independent contractors, such as when workers  19  and  21  are not employees of company  18 , and/or when workers  19  and  21  are employed by different contractors.  
         [0017]    When worker  19  arrives at well site  13 , he enters into a computer  23  employee data  24  that notifies company  18  of his arrival. 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. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a computer may be associated with appropriate common software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Access; Visual Basic; C++ etc.) and various internal or external circuitry, such as I/O boards and A/D converters. Data  24  can be entered (indicated by line  25 ) by using a computer keyboard  26 , a bar code scanner, or by using any other conventional input device. The term, “employee data” refers to any information that helps identify a worker. Examples of employee data include, but are not limited to, a worker&#39;s name or initials, a worker identification number (e.g., employee serial number, social security number or part thereof), a worker&#39;s driver&#39;s license number, a worker&#39;s job title, etc. Likewise, worker  21  enters her employee data  27  into computer  23  in a similar manner, as indicated by line  28 . Even though workers  19  and  21  may be employed by different contractors, both workers  19  and  21  preferably use the same computer  23 , which vehicle  20  of one of the contractors transports (indicated by arrow  50 ) to and from well site  13 .  
         [0018]    To notify company  18  of the arrival of workers  19  and  21 , and thus notify the arrival of their respective vehicles  20  and  22  at well site  10 , a wireless communication link  29  places computer  23  in communication with another computer  30  at a remote location, such as at a home base office of company  18 . The term, “remote location” means that the location of computer  30  is beyond the immediate property or land on which well  13  is contained or at least one-mile away from well  13 , whichever is greater. 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  29  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  31  and an antenna  32  associated with computer  30 , and another modem  33  and an antenna  34  for computer  23 , employee data  24  and  27  can be exchanged over the Internet between computers  23  and  30 . Thus, employee data  24  and  27  can be displayed on both computers  23  and  30  using any of a variety of common formats including, but not limited to HTML, e-mail, etc.  
         [0019]    In some versions of the invention, company  18  expresses their approval of workers  19  and  21  by communicating authorizations  35  and  36  from computer  30  to computer  23 . Approval authorization may be based on employee&#39;s training, safety record, experience or other qualifications to do a particular service operation. Once approved, workers  19  and  21  may proceed to work on well  13 .  
         [0020]    Any work done to well  13  is referred to as a service operation. Examples of service operations include, but are not limited to manipulating sucker rods (e.g., installing, torquing, or replacing rods  17 , as indicated by arrow  37 ); manipulating tubing (e.g., installing, torquing, or replacing tubing  16 , as indicated by arrow  38 ); down hole logging, as indicated by a transducer  71  suspended from a wireline; pumping a fluid  40  (e.g., cement, acid, hot oil, etc.) into well  13 , as indicated by a pump  41  and arrow  42 ; perforating; welding; fracture treatments; drilling; stimulating; swabbing; bailing; testing; and various other work that is familiar to those skilled in the art.  
         [0021]    To perform various service operations, workers  19  and  21  preferably use specially designed or equipped service vehicles. The term, “service vehicle” refers to any vehicle used to facilitate initiating, performing, or completing one or more service operations on well  13 . Examples of a service vehicle include, but are not limited to, mobile work-over unit  20  and a tanker  22 . Work-over unit  20  may include a variety of equipment including, but not limited to, tongs  43  (e.g., rod tongs or tubing tongs), and a wireline winch and/or a hoist  44 . Work-over unit  20  is particularly suited for removing or installing well components, such as sucker rods  17 , tubing  16 , etc.; lowering instruments, such as transducer  61 , into the well bore via a cable or wireline; and may even be used in actually drilling the well bore itself Tanker  22  is schematically illustrated to encompass all other types of service vehicles including, but not limited to, pumping vehicles, such as a chemical tank truck or trailer, a cement truck or trailer, and a hot-oiler tank truck or trailer.  
         [0022]    While performing a service operation, one or more transducers may be used in monitoring the various operations. For example, when pumping fluid  40  (e.g., hot oil, chemical, acid, gas, water, steam, cement, etc.) a transducer  62  can monitor things such as the fluid&#39;s volume or mass flow rate, pressure, temperature, acidity, or concentration. In some service operations, such as the removal and replacement of sucker rods  17 , packer glands, tubing  16 , etc., a transducer  67  (e.g., a proximity switch) could determine whether parts are being removed or installed. When replacing sucker rods  17  or other well components, a transducer  65  could monitor the load on hoist  44  by sensing the force or weight being carried by vehicle  20 . Transducer  65  in conjunction with a transducer  66  for monitoring a hoist engine speed could monitor the force and horsepower required to pull rods  17  or tubing  16  from the well bore. For tongs  43 , which are powered by a hydraulic system on vehicle  20 , transducer  64  can be used to monitor or control the tong&#39;s hydraulic pressure or torque. Another transducer  63  can be used to monitor or control the tong&#39;s rotational speed. Transducer  61  can indicate the density of the ground surrounding casing  14  or can indicate the integrity or wall thickness of casing  14 . The term, “transducer” refers to any device that provides an electrical signal in response to sensing a condition or status of a service operation. Examples of a transducer include, but are not limited to, a pressure switch, a strain gage, a temperature sensor, a flow meter, a tachometer, a limit switch, a proximity switch, etc. For the embodiment of FIG. 1, transducers  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  64 ,  65 ,  66  and  67  respectively provide electrical signals  71 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74 ,  75 ,  76  and  77 .  
         [0023]    In some embodiments of the invention, the electrical feedback signals from one or more transducers are inputted (line  45 ) into computer  23  to serve as confirmation that workers  19  and  21  are actually performing service operations. Computer  23  can convert signals  71 - 77  to corresponding digital values  81 - 87 . Values  81 - 87  can be stored and displayed alongside a corresponding number of time stamps  91 - 97  on computer  23 . Each time stamp can be provided by an internal clock of computer  23 , and would indicate the time of day that a particular transducer signal was taking readings or feeding signals to computer  23 . Values  81 - 87  and their corresponding time stamps  91 - 97  can then be communicated through wireless communication link  29  to computer  30 . This provides company  18  with an indication of who is working at well site  10 , what they are doing, and when they are doing it.  
         [0024]    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.