US 9,850,746 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for detecting plunger arrival

AssigneePcs Ferguson, Inc.

InventorsTerry R. Wright, Burke E. Lowery, Paul T. Roberts

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The disclosed device provides a high-accuracy plunger arrival detection system comprising a low-power magnetometer with high sensitivity and which is capable of sampling low or high intensity magnetic fields. The device processes gathered data from sensors, stores at least some processed data in memory, executes a trending algorithm which compares the magnetic field of the plunger to the ambient magnetic field or a predetermined set of initialization values, and generates an output which is relayed to a well controller. An output signal may be via hard wire, RF, wireless or other known means. In addition, the implementation of two sensing devices mounted in series and in spaced relation to each other, can provide for an actual plunger average velocity. An actual plunger average velocity, as opposed to approximate average velocity, can be used to better optimize well control and improve safety of the overall well production system.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An apparatus for mounting to a lubricator to detect a plunger arrival at a wellhead, comprising:

a magnetometer system having at least a first axis magnetic field sensor for measuring first axis magnetic field values of a first axis of a magnetic field and a second axis magnetic field sensor for measuring second axis magnetic field values of a second axis of the magnetic field, wherein measurement axes of said first axis magnetic field sensor and said second axis magnetic field sensors are transverse;
a microprocessor operatively connected to said magnetometer system to gather said first axis and second axis magnetic field values and configured to:
generate:
a first baseline magnetic field value for said first axis of the magnetic field;
and
a second baseline magnetic field value for said second axis of the magnetic field;
identify a first magnetic field change of one of said first axis of the magnetic field and said second axis of the magnetic field relative to a corresponding one of said first baseline magnetic field value and said second baseline magnetic field value;
identify a second magnetic field change of one of said first axis of the magnetic field and said second axis of the magnetic field to a previous magnetic field value for a corresponding one of said first axis of the magnetic field and said second axis of the magnetic field;
and
upon identifying said first change and said second change, generate an output to an electronic wellhead controller to indicate a plunger arrival.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/920,512Filed 22 Oct 2015 · continuation
Priority: 15 Jun 2011
Published: US 2016/0230518 A111 Aug 2016
Granted: 26 Dec 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

E21B 47/092
Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked…:…
E21B 23/00
Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the
E21B 43/121
Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells: lifting well fluids
E21B 47/00
Survey of boreholes or wells

Family

Application13/161,431Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Jun 2011
US 2016/0230518 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Aug 2016
US 9,181,768 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0323493 A1Published application
US 9,850,746 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.