US 12,729,604 B2Granted

Apparatus, system, and process for remote well control

AssigneeSentry Frac Services, LLC

InventorsJimmy Enriquez, Scottie Ross

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Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for the simultaneous remote control and monitoring of multiple wells. A main housing houses a plurality of hydraulic controls sets, each set of hydraulic controls corresponding to the fluid control valves of a well being controlled by the system. The controls are controlled by a programmable logic controller via solenoids. A control station housing houses a control station with separate touch screens for each well being controlled. The user can open and close the fluid control valves of each well using the corresponding touch screen. The touch screen also displays data for each well that is collected by a series of sensors throughout the well. The system can be pre-programmed with pre-approved valve sequences and/or safety alerts that are triggered based on the data collected by the sensors.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An apparatus for the remote control of multiple wells comprising:

a first control in communication with a fluid control valve of a first well;
a programmable logic controller;
a control station comprising a first user interface;
the control station, programmable logic controller, and first control are in electronic communication;
the first user interface of the control station comprises a mechanism for sending instructions to the first control to open or close the first fluid control valve of the first well;
and
the control station is a distance from the first well wherein the control station is outside a redzone surrounding the first well;
a second control in communication with a fluid control valve of a second well;
the control station comprising a second user interface;
the second control is in electronic communication with the programmable logic controller and the control station;
the second user interface comprises a mechanism for sending instructions to the second control to open or close the fluid control valve of the second well;
and
the control station is a distance from the second well wherein the control station is outside a redzone surrounding the second well;
the first control comprises a plurality of hydraulic controls and the first valve of the first well comprises a plurality of fluid control valves;
and
the second control comprises a plurality of hydraulic controls and the second fluid control valve of the second well comprises a plurality of fluid control valves;
the first user interface and second user interface are touch screens;
the first user interface comprises an interactive diagram of the first well displaying the fluid control valves of the first well;
the second user interface comprises an interactive diagram of the second well displaying the fluid control valves of the second well;
instructions to open and close the fluid controls valves of the first well can be sent to the first control via the interactive display of the first well;
and
instructions to open and close the fluid control valves of the second well can be sent to the second control via the interactive display of the second well;
a first set of sensors in communication with the first well and in electronic communication with the programmable logic controller;
a second set of sensors in communication with the second well and in electronic communication with the programmable logic controller;
the first set of sensors capture data from the first well and transmit the data to the programmable logic controller;
the second set of sensors capture data from the second well and transmit the data to the programmable logic controller;
the data captured by the first set of sensors is displayed in real-time via the first user interface;
and
the data captured by the second set of sensors is displayed in real-time via the second user interface.

26 more elements

An apparatus for the remote control of multiple wells comprising:

a main housing comprising a front panel, first side panel, second side panel, back panel, top panel, and bottom panel;
a first set of hydraulic controls mounted to the front panel of the main housing wherein the first set of hydraulic controls are in communication with a set of fluid control valves of a first well;
the set of fluid control valves of the first well comprising well slide fluid control valves and zipper manifold control valves;
the first set of hydraulic controls further comprising a first sub-set of controls and a second sub-set of controls, wherein the first sub-set of controls are in communication with the well side fluid control valves of the first well and the second sub-set of controls are in communication with the zipper manifold fluid control valves of the first well;
a second set of hydraulic controls mounted to the front panel of the main housing wherein the second set of hydraulic controls are in communication with the a set of fluid control valves of a second well;
the second set of hydraulic controls further comprising a first sub-set of controls and a second sub-set of controls, wherein the first sub-set of controls are in communication with a well side fluid control valves of the second well and the second sub-set of controls are in communication with a zipper manifold fluid control valves of the second well;
actuator wings of each hydraulic control protruding through the front panel;
a hydraulic power unit reservoir;
a control valve manifold mounted on the hydraulic power unit reservoir;
a solenoid assembly mounted to the hydraulic power unit reservoir comprising a plurality of solenoids;
each solenoid of the plurality of solenoid connected to a corresponding control and in electronic communication with a programmable logic controller;
a hydraulic accumulator tank;
an electric engine;
a diesel engine;
wherein both the electric engine and the diesel engine are configured to provide power to the apparatus;
a control station housing comprising a control station;
the control station in electronic communication with the programmable logic controller;
the control station comprising a first touch screen user interface corresponding to the first well and a second touch screen interface corresponding to the second well;
the first touch screen user interface comprising an interactive diagram of the fluid control valves of the first well;
and
the second touch screen user interface comprising an interactive diagram of the fluid control valves of a second well;
and
the control station is a distance from the first well and the second well wherein the control station is outside of a redzone of the first well and the second well.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/359,461Filed 15 Oct 2025 · us provisional application
Priority: 15 Oct 2024
Published: US 2026/0103956 A116 Apr 2026
Granted: 8 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

E21B 34/16
Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells: control means therefor being outside the borehole
E21B 43/2607
By forming crevices or fractures: surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
E21B
Earth or rock drilling