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US RE41,173 E1Granted
System for use in controlling a hydrocarbon production well
AssigneeVetco Gray Controls Limited
InventorChristopher David Baggs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for use in controlling a hydrocarbon production well has a: computer at a control location remote from a well tree of the well. A processor at the well tree applies control signals to and receives signals from devices of well tree. The processor also receives further signals associated with the operation of the well. A bi-directional communication link extends between the remote computer and the well tree processor. The well tree further has a communications router coupled with the processor and receiver, for multiplexing the signals from devices at the well head and the further signals on to the bi-directional link.
Claims50
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex on a sea floor;
- first and second communicating devices at the well complex;
- a communications router coupled to the first and second communicating devices;
- a computer at a location remote from the well complex;
- a communication link extending between the computer and the router;
- and wherein
- the router receives signals from the first and second communicating devices and multiplexes the signals onto the communication link.
4 more elements
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex having at least one subsea tree containing electrical devices for controlling valves that control fluid flow in the tree and sensors for monitoring tree conditions;
- a processor at the well complex for providing signals to the electrical devices and receiving signals from the sensors;
- a communicating device at the well complex;
- a computer at a location remote from the well complex;
- a communications router at the well complex coupled with the processor and the communicating device;
- a communication link between the computer and the router, and wherein
- the router receives signals from the processor and the communicating device and multiplexes the signals onto the communication link.
4 more elements
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex having a plurality of subsea trees containing electrical devices for controlling valves that control fluid flow in the trees and sensors for monitoring tree conditions;
- a processor associated with each tree for providing signals to the electrical devices and receiving signals from the sensors;
- a communicating device associated with each tree that monitors a condition associated with the tree;
- a computer at a location remote from the well complex;
- a plurality of well tree routers, each associated with one of the trees and coupled to the processor and the communicating device of the same tree, each of the well tree routers communicating with the processor of the same tree by a selected data protocol and communicating with the communicating device of the same tree by at least one other data protocol;
- a communication link between the computer and the well tree routers;
- and wherein
- each of the well tree routers receives signals from the processor and the communicating device of the same tree and multiplexes the signals onto the communication link.
5 more elements
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex;
- a surface computer facility;
- at least one communicating device at the well complex;
- a modem at the well complex for communicating with the computer facility;
- a communications router at the well complex coupled to the modem;
- a communications link extending between the computer facility and the modem;
- a processor at the well complex coupled to the communications router for performing control and monitoring functions at the well complex;
- the communicating device being coupled directly to the router and by-passing the processor for communicating with the computer facility.
5 more elements
A subsea electronics module for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea modem;
- a subsea communications router coupled to the modem;
- at least one subsea communicating device coupled to the router;
- a subsea processor coupled to the communications router for performing subsea control and monitoring functions;
- the communicating device being coupled directly to the router and by-passing the processor.
2 more elements
A method for remotely controlling subsea equipment at a subsea well complex from a surface computer facility, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a surface computer facility;
- (b) providing a subsea processor;
- (c) providing a subsea communicating device;
- (d) providing a communication link between the surface computer facility and the processor and communicating device;
- (e) monitoring subsea equipment with the processor and routing a signal in response thereto from the processor to the surface computer facility;
- (f) controlling subsea equipment with the processor and routing a signal in response thereto from the surface computer facility to the processor;
- and
- (g) routing a signal from the communicating device to the surface computer facility by-passing the subsea processor.
5 more elements
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex on a sea floor;
- a processor at the well complex;
- at least one communicating device not coupled to the processor at the well complex;
- a communications router coupled separately to the processor and the communicating device;
- a computer at a location remote from the well complex;
- a communication link extending between the computer and the router;
- and
- wherein the router receives signals from the processor and the communicating devices and multiplexes the signals onto the communication link.
5 more elements
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex having at least one subsea tree containing electrical devices for controlling valves that control fluid flow in the tree and sensors for monitoring tree conditions;
- a processor at the well complex for providing signals to the electrical devices and receiving signals from the sensors;
- a communicating device not coupled to the processor at the well complex;
- a computer at a location remote from the well complex;
- a communications router at the well complex separately coupled with the processor and the communicating device;
- a communication link between the computer and the router;
- and
- wherein the router receives signals from the processor and the communicating device and multiplexes the signals onto the communication link.
5 more elements
A system for remotely controlling subsea equipment, comprising:
- a subsea well complex having a plurality of subsea trees containing electrical devices for controlling valves that control fluid flow in the trees and sensors for monitoring tree conditions;
- a processor associated with each tree for providing signals to the electrical devices and receiving signals from the sensors;
- a communicating device not coupled to the processor associated with each tree that monitors a condition associated with the tree;
- a computer at a location remote from the well complex;
- a plurality of well tree routers, each associated with one of the trees and separately coupled to the processor and the communicating device of the same tree, each of the well tree routers communicating with the processor of the same tree by a selected data protocol and communicating with the communicating device of the same tree by at least one other data protocol;
- a communication link between the computer and the well tree routers;
- and
- wherein each of the well tree routers receives signals from the processor and the communicating device of the same tree and multiplexes the signals onto the communication link.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.