Abstract:
A method of managing invoices for goods services provided by several contractors working at a remote well site involves entering invoice data into a mobile computer at the well site and transmitting the data over a wireless communication link to a home base computer. In some forms of the invention, the invoice data is validated by transducer-generated data, which is produced by a transducer that senses a service operation (e.g., replacing sucker rods) being performed at the well site. Passwords prevent unauthorized use. Some information displayed on the computer at the well site reassures the contractors that the computers are communicating. The method is particularly useful when the contactors are independent contractors using different service vehicles in performing significantly different service operations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention generally pertains to managing billing information and more specifically to managing billing information of more than one contractor at a well site.  
           [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 replacement parts and services are periodically provided to maintain the well. Such parts and services 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 an independent contractor that the well company (e.g., well owner or operator) hires to service the wells. Typically, the contractor performs the work and later mails the well company an invoice. However, before paying the invoice, the well company may want to confirm that they have actually received the products or services for which they are being billed. Unfortunately, acquiring such confirmation can be difficult, time consuming, and perhaps even impossible in some cases.  
           [0006]    For example, it may be difficult for a well company to determine whether a pump has actually been replaced after the pump has already been installed at the bottom of the well bore. Or, if the well company had no representative at the well site to witness a chemical treatment being applied to the well, it may be difficult or impossible to later determine the chemical&#39;s quantity or its concentration. Even if a company witness were present to observe the performance of a service or delivery of a product, payment of the invoice may still be delayed until after the company&#39;s accounting department discusses the invoice with the witness. If the witness fails to recall what occurred at the well site, payment of the invoice may be delayed even further.  
           [0007]    Moreover, a variety of complicating issues may further delay the company&#39;s payment of the invoice. For example, several owners may share the ownership of the well; several different independent contractors may service the well; and invoices may cover a wide assortment of goods and services, such as consumable materials, non-consumable parts, direct labor, subcontracted labor, and equipment rental. Sorting through the various issues can take a lot of time.  
           [0008]    Consequently, suppliers may experience significant delays in receiving payments for their products and services. Such delays may not only create cash flow problems for the supplier, but they may also breed a supplier&#39;s contempt for the well owner. As for the well owners, the time spent “shuffling papers” and settling questions about an invoice can be costly. Moreover, a long delay between receiving an invoice and when the actual goods or services were provided may raise a well owner&#39;s suspicion of their suppliers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    To avoid the problem and limitations of current methods of managing billing information, it is an object of the invention to create invoice data directly at a well site.  
           [0010]    A second object of the invention is to have a service vehicle transport a computer to a well site and have a contractor of the service vehicle enter invoice data into the computer, wherein the primary purpose of the service vehicle is to facilitate performing a service operation at the well site.  
           [0011]    A third object is to communicate the invoice data from the computer at the well site to another computer at a remote home base location where an oil company can review the invoice data.  
           [0012]    A fourth object is to use a wireless communication link to communicate invoice data between a computer at a well site and another computer at a remote location relative to the well site.  
           [0013]    A fifth object is to display on the computer at the well site information that indicates invoice data has been made available to another computer, and/or a well company has no immediate objection to the invoice data.  
           [0014]    A sixth object is to authorize a contractor to enter, send, or receive invoice-related information by requiring the contractor to enter a password.  
           [0015]    A seventh object to approve invoice data by having a company representative enter a password into a computer upon witnessing goods or services provided by a contractor.  
           [0016]    An eighth object is to substantiate invoice data with data created from an electrical signal that a transducer generates upon sensing a delivery, part or service operation.  
           [0017]    A ninth object is to use a computer at a well site to collect invoice data from more than one independent contractor doing different service operations or providing different goods.  
           [0018]    A tenth object of the invention is to collect invoice data of different service operations, such as manipulating sucker rods, manipulating tubing, pumping a fluid (e.g., acid or cement), or downhole logging.  
           [0019]    These and other objects of the invention are provided by a method of managing billing information that involves transporting a computer to a well site, providing a wireless communication link between a home base computer and the one at the well site, entering invoice data from more than one independent contractor into the computer at the well site, and communicating the data to the home base computer. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of managing billing information according to a currently preferred embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 illustrates a method  40  of managing billing information pertaining to goods and services associated with a well  42  at a well site  44 . The term, “billing information” refers to a price or cost for the well-related goods or services. The term, “goods and services” refers to any item or process used in servicing a well.  
         [0022]    Well  42  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  42  includes a string of outer piping known as casing  46 . When perforated, casing  46  provides a conduit that conveys fluid from within the ground to the inlet of a submerged reciprocating pump  48 . An inner string of pipe, known as tubing  50 , provides a discharge conduit that conveys the fluid from the outlet of pump  48  to the surface. A powered pivoting beam (not shown) moves a string of sucker rods  52  up and down, which in turn moves the pump&#39;s piston up and down to pump the fluid.  
         [0023]    To service or maintain well  42 , an oil company  54  (e.g., well owner, operator, or representative thereof) hires one or more contractors  56  and  58  to provide the necessary goods and services. Examples of common parts that contractors  56  or  58  may replace at well site  42  include, but are not limited to, casing  46 ; tubing  50 ; sucker rods  52 ; pump  48  or its components, such as seals and valves; casing couplings  60 ; tubing couplings  62 ; sucker rod couplings  64 ; packer glands; and various parts associated with the pivoting beam, such as its drive motor. Examples of various consumable and non-consumable fluids  66  that may be added to the well bore include, but are not limited to hot oil, acid, or cement. Examples of common services operations that contractors  56  or  58  may perform at well site  44  include, but are not limited to, delivering parts; manipulating sucker rods (e.g., installing, torquing, or replacing rods  52 , as indicated by arrow  68 ); manipulating tubing (e.g., installing, torquing, or replacing tubing  50 , as indicated by arrow  70 ); perforating casing  46 , as indicated by a perforating gun  72  suspended from a cable or wireline  74 ; down hole logging, as indicated by a transducer  7  also suspended from a wireline; pumping fluid  66  (e.g., cement, acid, hot oil, etc.) into well  42 , as indicated by pump  78  and arrow  80 ; welding; fracture treatments; drilling; stimulating; swabbing; bailing; testing; providing rental equipment; and various other work that is familiar to those skilled in the art. The list of possible goods (e.g., consumable and non-consumable parts and fluids) and services could be considered endless, as new components and services are continually being developed.  
         [0024]    To provide the various goods and services, contractors  56  and  58  preferably use a service vehicle. The term, “service vehicle” refers to any vehicle used to facilitate delivering parts and/or performing one or more service operations on well  42 . Examples of a service vehicle include, but are not limited to, mobile work-over unit  82  and a tanker  84 . Work-over unit  82  includes a variety of equipment including, but not limited to, tongs  86  (e.g., rod tongs or tubing tongs), and a wireline winch and/or a hoist  88 . Work-over unit  82  is particularly suited for removing and installing well components, such as sucker rods, tubing, etc.; lowering instruments into the well bore via a cable or wireline; and may even be used in actually drilling the well bore itself. Tanker  84  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.  
         [0025]    One of the service vehicles, such as vehicle  82 , also transports a computer  90  to well site  94 , as depicted by arrow  91 . 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, personal computers, PC, desktop computer, laptop, notebook, PLC (programmable logic controller), data logger, etc. Computer  90  with common software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Access; Visual Basic; C++; etc.) allows contractor  56  to enter invoice data  92  that pertains to goods or services provided by contractor  56  with the assistance of vehicle  82 . Computer  90  also allows contractor  58  to enter invoice data  94  that pertains to goods or services provided by contractor  58  with the assistance of vehicle  82 . The steps of entering data  92  and  94  are schematically represented by arrows  96  and  98  respectively, and can be accomplished manually by using a keyboard  100  or can be entered in some other conventional manner, such as scanning a bar code label or sensing a radio frequency identification device. Invoice data refers to any information commonly associated with a bill for goods or services. Invoice data  92  and  94  may include information such as part numbers, price, quantities, descriptions, labor fees, rental costs, taxes, miscellaneous charges, or other invoice related information. Invoice data  92  can be an entire invoice or just one line item of an invoice having several line items.  
         [0026]    To help support the validity of invoice data  92  and  94 , computer  90  can be provided with electrical signals from one or more transducers that monitor various activities at the well. For example, when pumping fluid  66  (e.g., hot oil, chemical, acid, gas, water, steam, cement, etc.) a transducer  1  can generate an electrical signal  11  in response to monitoring things such as the fluid&#39;s volume or mass flow rate, pressure, temperature, acidity, or concentration. A conventional A/D converter associated with or incorporated within computer  90  converts electrical signal  11  (or any other electrical signal) to a digital value  21 . Value  21  and perhaps a time stamp  102  (indicating the date or time of day that transducer  1  was operating) can then be stored on computer  90 . An internal clock of computer  90  can provide time stamp  102 . Value  21  could then help validate an invoice charge for fluid  66 . Likewise, various other transducers for measuring other service operations can be used to validate other invoice data.  
         [0027]    In some service operations, such as the removal and replacement of sucker rods  52 , packer glands, tubing  50 , etc., a transducer  2  (e.g., a proximity switch) could determine whether parts are being removed or installed. When replacing sucker rods  52  or other well components, a transducer  3  could monitor the load on hoist  88  by sensing the force or weight being carried by vehicle  82 . Transducer  3  in conjunction with a transducer  4  for monitoring a hoist engine speed could monitor the force and horsepower required to pull rods  52  or tubing  50  from the well bore. An electrical signal  13  from transducer  3  could be converted to a digital value  23  and stored on computer  90  to help validate invoice data  92 . For tongs  86 , which are powered by a hydraulic system on vehicle  82 , transducer  5  can be used to monitor or control the tong&#39;s hydraulic pressure or torque. Another transducer  6  can be used to monitor or control the tong&#39;s rotational speed. Transducer  7  can indicate the density of the ground surrounding casing  46  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  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7  respectively provide electrical signals  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16  and  17 , with digital values  21  and  23  being based on signals  11  and  13  respectively.  
         [0028]    Invoice data  92  and  94 , and optional supporting information (e.g., values  23 ,  21 , time stamp  102 , and another time stamp  104  associated with transducer  3 ) can be communicated to another computer  106  at a remote location  108 , such as a home base from which company  54  operates. The term, “remote location” refers to a location that is beyond the immediate property or land on which well  42  is contained or one mile away from well  42 , whichever is greater. Data  92  and  94 , values  23  and  21 , and time stamps  104  and  102  can be communicated from computer  90  to computer  106  through a wireless communication link  108 . 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  108  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  110  and an antenna  112  associated with computer  106 , and another modem  114  and an antenna  116  for computer  90 , data  92  and  94  can be exchanged between computers  90  and  106  using the Internet and any one of a variety of common formats including, but not limited to, HTML, e-mail, etc.  
         [0029]    Once data  92  and  94  are made available to computer  106 , information  118  to that affect could be displayed on computer  90 . One example of information  118  would be a statement such as, “Data  92  has been successfully submitted.” A confirmation  120  could also be displayed on computer  90  to inform contractors  56  and  58  that company  54  currently has no objection to invoice data  92  or  94 . One example of confirmation  120  could be a statement, such as, “Thank you—Your invoice will be processed shortly.” 
         [0030]    To expedite the process of approving invoices submitted by contractors, company  54  may provide contractors  56  and  58  with confidential alphanumeric passwords  122  and  124 , respectively. Passwords  122  and  124  can be randomly generated by computer  4 , or can be generated by computer  4  and communicated to computer  4  over communication link  4 . Passwords  122  and  124  can be used in different ways.  
         [0031]    For example, in some forms of the invention, entering such a password into computer  90  would serve as a prerequisite for entering data  92  and  94  and/or for displaying confirmation information  120 .  
         [0032]    In another version of the invention, a representative  126  of company  54  can be at well site  42  to witness or confirm that contractors  56  and/or  58  have actually provided their goods and services. Company  54  can then immediately, but tentatively, approve invoices by having representative  126  enter (indicated by arrow  130 ) a confidential alphanumeric password  128  into computer  90 . Password  128  would indicate that representative  126  has witnessed or approved the supplied goods and services. If contractors  56  and  58  mail their invoices to company  54 , then including password  122  or  124  along with the written invoices would inform company  54  that representative  126  has already given his or her approval, thus reducing the time for processing the invoices. In this example, passwords  122  and  124  have been generated as a random number in response to representative  126  entering into computer  90  approval information in the form of password  128 . Password  122  or  124  being included along with an invoice submitted to company  54  would mean that company  54  (or its representative) has already approved particular goods and/or services provided by a certain contractor for a particular well on a certain date and within a certain price range. By using passwords  122  and  124  in this manner, company  54  does not have to waste time investigating the accuracy or validity of submitted invoices. After the invoices have been submitted to company  54  or after company  54  processes the invoices, passwords  122  and  124  expire, thus preventing those passwords from being misapplied to other invoices.  
         [0033]    It should be noted that method  40  is particularly useful when contractors  56  and  58  are independent contractors, and vehicles  82  and  84  each assist in performing a different service operation. The term, “independent contractors” refers to contractors that are not employees of company  54 , wherein each contractor has their own employees.  
         [0034]    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.