21/2/2018 Wireless Simultaneous Acquisition and Analysis of Dynamometer and Fluid-Level Data

Wireless Simultaneous Acquisition and Analysis of Dynamometer

and Fluid-Level Data
01 March 2015
Topics: Intelligent fields/surveillance

Fig. 2—(a) Wireless base station, (b) polished-rod and horseshoe load cells, and (c) fluid-level and pressure
sensors.

wireless sensors

Real-time analysis and visualization of the performance of a rod-pumped well are achieved by use of
multiple small and compact wireless sensors that simultaneously transmit acquired data to a digital laptop
manager that integrates the measurements, displays performance graphs, and provides advanced tools for
analysis and troubleshooting of the pumping system. The paper describes the hardware and user interface,
the procedures for installation and acquisition, and several examples of field data and well-performance
analysis for a variety of rod-pumping installations.

Introduction
The new generation of software and hardware discussed in this paper takes advantage of the tremendous
increase in laptop processing speed, memory size, and screen resolution to generate in real time a
quantitative visualization of the downhole rod-pumping operation, plunger motion, valve action, and fluid
flow. This animation is presented simultaneously with the corresponding fluid distribution in the wellbore
obtained from the acoustic fluid-level survey to let the user see the complete performance of the well and lift
system without having to interpret the conventional dynamometer card or fluid-level record for the majority of
monitored wells (Fig. 1).

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Fig. 1—Schematic of the well and artificial-lift system monitored by the wireless sensors.

Hardware
The preferred configuration of the system includes a wireless base station connected to the universal serial
bus (USB) port of a laptop computer that communicates with multiple wireless sensors and manages data
transfer and communications. Fig. 2 above shows the base station with two radio antennae next to the
wireless polished-rod transducer (PRT). Included in the base station is a global-positioning-system (GPS)
chip that monitors the base station’s present location. The current location coordinates of the base station
are used by the software to access and interrogate the database that contains information about the wells
and other assets and to indicate to the user his or her current position in relation to nearby wells or facilities.

Wireless Sensors. The sensors discussed in this paper include those typically used in conjunction with rod-
pumped wells to monitor annular fluid level, the dynamometer, and tubing pressure. Additional sensors are
being developed to monitor electrical-motor power and current and for data logging of wells operated by
plunger lift and will be discussed in a subsequent paper. Sensors are powered by long-lasting rechargeable
batteries.

Fluid-Level Monitor. This sensor provides wireless acquisition of fluid-level and pressure data. It includes a
remotely fired gas gun and an integral pressure sensor that is generally connected to the casing valve but
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can also be installed on the pumping tee for special monitoring (see Fig. 2).

Pump Monitor. Two sensors are available for wireless acquisition of polished-rod load and acceleration: a
PRT for easy installation below the carrier bar and a horseshoe transducer rated at 30,000 lbf for installation
between the carrier bar and the polished-rod clamp (see Fig. 2).

Pressure Monitor. Wireless acquisition of tubing pressure is achieved simultaneously with dynamometer
acquisition by use of a wireless pressure sensor rated in accordance with the pressure observed at the
stuffing box. One objective described in this paper is to monitor pressure variations during normal pumping
and to perform tubing-integrity and pump-pressure testing.

Wired Well Analyzer. The existing echometer-well-analyzer electronics also can be used as a front end for
the new total-asset monitoring (TAM) software to perform fluid-level and dynamometer acquisition with the
conventional wired sensors. The software also has the flexibility of performing data acquisition with a mix of
wireless and wired sensors. For example, using a wireless PRT with a wired remotely fired gas gun and
pressure sensor allows performing simultaneous dynamometer and fluid-level measurements to aid in
optimizing timer settings.

Software and User Interface

TAM. The acquisition-and-analysis module includes totally redesigned software to provide real-time pump-
dynamometer calculation and visualization of plunger motion and fluid flow in the pump. Easy access to
previously recorded fluid-level and dynamometer tests facilitates analysis of present well performance by
overlaying of the previous data and the current records. Graphical tools have been updated and improved
significantly to assist in the analysis of complex records.

Installation and Monitoring Procedures

The wireless hardware and software are fully initialized and commissioned before shipping to the user. Well-
data entry is streamlined by use of templates for the most common wellbore combinations. Uploading well
information and data records from existing well files is automated and requires minimum user intervention.

Initialization of Monitoring Session. Before initiating a monitoring session, the recommended procedure is
to verify that all sensor batteries are fully charged. Well information, such as recent-well-test flow rates or
changes in wellbore configurations, is updated in the well database after loading the TAM software. The
base station is then plugged into the USB port, and the system is ready for deployment.

Sensor Installation. The small size of the sensors makes for easy and quick installation. A typical
monitoring session at the well begins when the user arrives at the site. The software automatically selects
the particular well’s information on the basis of the GPS coordinates of the user and displays the last data
records that were acquired previously. The user decides which sensors to use, then installs them on the well
and initiates data acquisition. Sensors remain active during the session, so that continuous recording of
dynamometer data and repeated fluid-level measurements can be performed. Upon completion, the sensors
are uninstalled and the user proceeds to the next location.

Acquisition Control. Control of data acquisition and sequencing can be performed by the user either from
the installed sensors, by actuating the control buttons and observing the light-emitting diodes that are on the
sensor body, or by using the controls on the corresponding screens displayed on the laptop. Therefore, it is
not required that the user stay at the laptop location—generally located inside the vehicle—to drive the
acquisition sequence; the operator is free to move about the location and perform additional tasks while
acquisition of records continues automatically.

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the dynamometer-acquisition screen that illustrates how the load and position data
that are being acquired during the current stroke are plotted (in red) over the surface and pump
dynamometer graphs that correspond to the preceding stroke. At the same time, the pump viewer (at left in

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Fig. 3) shows the quantitative visualization of the pump’s liquid and gas fillage, the motion of the plunger,
and the opening and closing of the valves.

Fig. 3—Real-time visualization of pump fillage and dynamometers for Stroke 13 (red dot
and curve). Black curves show dynamometer record for the preceding stroke (Stroke 12).

A typical monitoring session may include a continuous record of dynamometer data lasting several minutes
(15 to 20 minutes), from the time the sensor is installed until the pump is finally stopped at the end of the
session. Depending on the pumping speed, the record will include a sufficient number of pump strokes (60
to 100) to establish the predominant fillage and performance of the pump. During this time, several fluid-
level measurements can be performed to monitor the variation of the fluid level and correlate pump
submergence with pump fillage.

Wireless Well-Monitoring Work Flow. The new monitoring software and the wireless sensors allow
streamlining the work flow. The operator’s main tasks are the installation of the sensors, initiation of data
acquisition, and operating the pumping-unit controls to start/stop the unit and perform the valve tests. The
software automatically processes the data in real time and presents the analysis on a single screen. The
user has multiple options to view the results on different screen configurations if an unusual result is
presented. The work flow for wireless well monitoring for most common well conditions is provided in the
complete paper.

The absence of cables and connectors improves the accuracy and reliability of the data and reduces
significantly the time required for installation and removal of the sensors. The work flow outlined in the
preceding has been completed, with no stress, in less than 18 minutes by a single new user of the wireless
system without assistance from other field personnel.

When desired, the user can perform valve tests without interrupting the dynamometer-acquisition record.
The software automatically detects that a test is performed and presents the corresponding analysis plot.
After the test is completed, acquisition of additional pump strokes is continued.

Detailed Analysis and Reporting Tools

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Whenever the user finds it necessary to undertake a more detailed analysis of the data, the software
provides very powerful tools for visualization and processing of the records. Following are some examples of
these features.

Overlay of Previous Records. Fig. 4 shows the stroke-viewer tool that allows superimposition of
dynamometer graphs for selected multiple strokes. The example shows an overlay of the first and last pump
strokes, from a sequence of 150 total strokes, that displays the change in pump fillage that has taken place
during this operating time. By having access to the entire test history for this well by use of the test-history
viewer available on the screen, it is simple to overlay acoustic traces to visualize the change in fluid-level
position over time or to compare the quality of the records.

Fig. 4—Dynamometer replay and stroke overlay.

Replay of Pump-Operation and Dynamometer Records. Upon completion of the acquisition session, the
complete record of pump strokes can be replayed in real time or at faster speeds to recreate the exact
performance and operation of the pump. This is especially useful when showing and explaining the
presence of unusual conditions to fellow operators or supervisors who were not present at the wellsite. The
replayed visualization also can be converted into a video clip that can be sent by email as an additional
document to supplement the analysis reports.

Multiple Analysis Methods. Fluid-level and pressure-distribution analysis in the wellbore is undertaken
automatically using the time and field-tested automatic liquid-level-detection and collar-count methods
developed for the well analyzer. In those instances when the acoustic record shows multiple echoes caused
by known diameter changes in the wellbore, or when the record includes multiple echoes that obscure the
liquid-level echoes, the user can access powerful special processing tools.

Special-Purpose Analysis. The software also provides several analysis tools used to diagnose
performance problems such as valve or tubing leakage. Tubing pressure is recorded vs. time while the flow
is moving normally to the flowline (time from 0 to 50 seconds), then as the flowline valve is partially closed
(time from 50 to 120 seconds) and after the flowline valve is completely shut. Then, the tubinghead pressure
increases from approximately 50 psi to 115 psi during a total of 14 pump strokes, after which the pump is
stopped. This increase is an indication that the pump is operating normally and can pressure up the tubing.
The additional increase in tubing pressure after the pump is stopped, from 250 to 700 seconds, is an
indication that the fluid in the tubing is a mixture of gas and liquid and that gas slugs are percolating to the

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surface without the possibility of gas expansion in the tubing because the flowline valve is closed and the
standing valve is holding pressure.

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 165023,
“Wireless Simultaneous Acquisition and Analysis of Dynamometer and Fluid-Level Data for Real-Time
Monitoring of Well Performance,” by James N. McCoy and Dieter Joseph Becker, Echometer
Company; Gustavo Fernandez, Upco de Venezuela; and Anthony L. Podio, The University of Texas at
Austin, prepared for the 2013 SPE Artificial Lift Conference—Americas, Cartagena, Colombia, 21–22
May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Wireless Simultaneous Acquisition and Analysis of Dynamometer and Fluid-Level Data

01 March 2015

Volume: 67 | Issue: 3

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