Back to results
US 9,803,461 B2Granted
Rig fuel management systems and methods
AssigneeNabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc.
InventorScott G. Boone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for managing fuel and electrical power supplied to a drilling rig during all phases of a drilling operation. The system includes a power source in electrical communication with the drilling rig, and an engine management module operatively associated with the power source and configured to monitor power consumption of the drilling rig and recommend methods to manage energy provided thereto.
Claims27
A system for managing power provided to a petroleum drilling rig, comprising:
- a power source in electrical communication with the drilling rig, wherein the power source comprises a plurality of engine-generator combinations (gensets);
- and
- an engine management module that is operatively associated with the power source and that is configured to:
- start an initial bank of gensets from the plurality of gensets;
- monitor power consumption associated with the drilling rig;
- recommend methods to manage power usage and generation associated with the drilling rig, wherein the methods comprise:
- adding one or more gensets to the initial bank of gensets before an increase in power requirements is needed, and
- distributing excess power to complete an activity earlier than specified in a drilling program;
- and
- in response to the recommended methods, add the one or more gensets to the initial bank of gensets before the increase in power requirements;
- and distribute the excess power to complete the activity earlier than specified in the drilling program.
8 more elements
An electronic method for managing power use on a petroleum drilling rig, which comprises:
- determining a power requirement for each of a plurality of specific activities on the drilling rig;
- monitoring, using an engine management module, power consumption on the drilling rig;
- comparing, using the engine management module, the determined power requirement and the power consumption;
- recommending, using the engine management module, and in response to the comparison of the determined power requirement and the power consumption, methods to manage power use for at least one of the plurality of specific activities, wherein the recommending comprises:
- instructions to add one or more gensets before an increase in power requirements is needed, and
- instructions to distribute excess power to complete an activity from the plurality of specific activities earlier than specified in a drilling program;
- in response to the recommending, adding the one or more gensets before the increase in power requirements;
- and distributing the excess power to complete the activity from the plurality of specific activities earlier than specified in the drilling program.
5 more elements
A method for managing power use of a plurality of gensets for a drilling rig, comprising:
- starting an initial bank of gensets to supply power to the drilling rig to begin a drilling process;
- monitoring, using an engine management module, upcoming power consumption needs for the drilling process;
- determining, using the engine management module, a required number of gensets to supply the upcoming power consumption needs;
- recommending, using the engine management module, in response to the determination of the required number of gensets to supply upcoming power consumption needs, methods to manage power use for the drilling process, wherein the recommending comprises;
- instructions to add one or more gensets to the initial bank of gensets before an increase in power requirements is needed, and
- instructions to distribute excess power to complete an activity earlier than specified in a drilling program;
- in response to the recommending, adding the one or more gensets to the initial bank of gensets before the increase in power requirements;
- distributing the excess power to complete the activity earlier than specified in the drilling program;
- and continuing to monitor and determine until the drilling process is complete.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.