New LACT Project Features Remote Off-Lease Supervisory Equipment
Authors: Whitaker W.W. 
Published: December 2007

WHITAKER, W.W., MEMBER AIME, GULF OIL CORP., KERMIT, TEX.

A large-scale automation project, including remote offlease supervisory equipment, was installed in Oct., 1961, in the Keystone field, Winkler County, Tex. This experimental installation, which grew directly from a successful pilot operation installed on Gulf's Ida Hendrick "A" lease in Aug., 1960, serves 148 producing wells. Compact solid-state circuitry of modular construction transmits and receives information and commands over a four-wire, voice-frequency, telephone circuit, which stretches seven to nine miles between field points and the master control in the area office. An electric typewriter records all production and well-test data at the master control. When the operator at the master control so desires, a tape punch simultaneously punches production information onto a five-channel tape for subsequent processing by electronic computers.The over-all performance of the system during 12 months of operation has been good. Some adjustments and component changes have been required. One-hundred per cent accuracy in the transmission of LACT meter readings was sought and achieved. Telemetered tank gauges have checked within 14 in. of those obtained by manual means. The original accumulators for well-test, tract and zone meters were proved unreliable and were replaced. Preliminary testing of the new accumulators indicates reasonable accuracy. Trouble alarms have been accurately telemetered and have resulted in quicker correction of malfunctions, thereby reducing down-time and production losses due to high levels.The operating performance of the described system illustrates that, in some cases, consolidation of producing facilities including remote control and/or data monitoring is both economically justifiable and technically feasible.

Introduction

The rather severe profit squeeze experienced by the oil industry in recent years has necessitated a more aggressive application of technology to production activities. In helping to offset the economic blow resulting from declining product prices and from increasing labor and material costs, the progressive application of new ideas, methods and materials has helped to restore profits by increasing productivity and reducing production expenditures. Improved technology in oilfield production operations has paved the way for adoption of more efficient operating and data-processing procedures. One example of this is the automation project designed to Gulf Oil Corp.'s specifications for the Keystone field in Winkler County, Tex. This project applied recent technical developments to reduce operating costs through updated operations, to improve revenues and to preclude expenditures due to inadequate treating facilities, severely corroded equipment and the lack of a produced-water disposal system.A portion of the Keystone field, consisting of 148 wells producing approximately 3,000 BOPD from five reservoirs underlying six different royalty tracts, was completely automated in Oct., 1961. The automation includes battery consolidation, automatic custody transfer to the pipeline, automatic well tests, remote control of well tests, and supervisory monitoring of production data, well-test data and trouble alarms.Data and instructions between field points and the master control in the area office, seven to nine miles distant, are transmitted over a four-wire, voice-frequency telephone circuit. The telemetered information includes tank gauges, production-meter readings, trouble alarms and well-test data. In addition to data gathering, the system allows the operator in the area office to place any well on test, either selectively or by a pre-set, programmed schedule. Telemetered data are recorded by an electric typewriter, and if desired by the operator, are also automatically punched onto tape for subsequent computer processing.The installation of this supervisory equipment grew directly from a successful pilot operation on Gulf's Ida Hendrick "A" lease, Kermit field, Winkler County, Tex. There, many of the basic components and operating procedures were evaluated and perfected during a year's run. This 12-well test installation has been incorporated into the new installation, resulting in a 160-well hookup. Data transmitted from the Ida Hendrick "A" lease, however, have been restricted to trouble alarms and production readings from the run tanks, two royalty tract meters and the LACT meter.

JPT