Live Well Display and Automated Data Analysis Improve Managed-Pressure-Drilling Operations
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 25164, ’Live Well Display and Automated Data Analysis To Improve Timely Well-Control and Drilling-Optimization Decision Making in MPD Operations’ by Ferhat Gumus, Ilia Pobedinski, Don Hannegan, Khaydar Valiullin, and Douglas R. Simpkins, Weatherford, prepared for the 2014 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 5-8 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Ideally, a managed-pressure-drilling (MPD) system should have not only highly accurate sensors measuring critical mud-flow data and automated chokes to maintain desired annular pressure precisely but also the ability to aggregate, analyze, and display this real-time information on monitors on the rig floor and in remotely located centers. This paper describes a number of system enhancements, including the ability to display and analyze not only the critical parameters of drilling hydraulics but also other information that allows different perspectives in considering the closed-loop system.
Introduction
MPD offers a number of accepted applications while increasingly being considered for any other operations requiring precise pressure control. There has been a growing trend for MPD providers to be more involved in drilling, well-construction, and completion operations as their safety value and effectiveness is realized.
A new platform has been developed for the next-generation MPD system. The goal was the development of a user-friendly system that will improve critical decision making and execution by providing enhanced visual feedback and interaction. This may include pre- engineering, operation and post-job analysis, automation of time- and pressure-sensitive tasks, multiple software engines being able to evaluate limits, and multiple components being controlled in one place.
System Architecture
The new platform has been developed by use of a layered architectural approach and an object-oriented style. The layers of an application may reside on the same physical computer or may be distributed over separate computers; the components in each layer communicate with components in other layers through well-defined interfaces. Distributing the layers over multiple physical tiers improves scalability, fault tolerance, and performance, which increases availability.
There are also multiple physical components making up the system— for example, an intelligent control unit (ICU) houses electronics, including a programmable-logic controller. Singleor multiple-ICU-equipped systems can be connected through a universal switch that not only will serve as a central hub but also will provide plug-and-play ability for wellsite-information-transfer-specification (WITS) communication and additional analog sensors when required. The ability to function as a local WiFi hot spot, without interrupting operations or portability, and enabling a secure connection to external networks are other requirements for this universal switch. In addition, multiple computer stations will be hosting database servers, data-acquisition processes, real-time hydraulics, and other engines.
Although all computer stations (panels) are identical on the background, they will have dedicated roles and will work in a hierarchy, with one being designated as master while the other stations are running as backups. The master station will collect all data needed, execute calculations, store data in a database, and publish data to subscribers. Backup stations will check the “heartbeat” and will store data received from the master. In this way, valuable real-time data will be copied safely across multiple computer stations. To achieve fail-safe operation, in case of master-station failure, the master role will be transferred automatically to one of the backup stations.