Serialization and database methods for tubulars and oilfield equipment
09824347 · 2017-11-21
Assignee
Inventors
- Paul Steven Griggs (Conroe, TX, US)
- Patrick M. Ljungdahl (Kingwood, TX, US)
- Stephen Sarradet (Houston, TX, US)
- Larry Williams (Houston, TX, US)
- Matthew G. Miller (Late of Richmond, TX, US)
- Tuong Thanh Le (Katy, TX, US)
Cpc classification
G06Q10/087
PHYSICS
E21B17/006
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
G06Q10/08
PHYSICS
Abstract
Methods and apparatus identify downhole equipment and correlate input data with the equipment to improve planning and/or inventory operations. For some embodiments, oilfield equipment or tubular goods such as drill pipe include a shaped recess along an outer circumference for receiving a tag cartridge by shrink fitting. Once tagged, detector system configurations at pipe yards may facilitate logging the presence and location of each drill pipe and correlating specific data, such as inspection data, to each drill pipe. Further, this correlation populates a database utilized to achieve other business functions such as forecasting number of additional drill pipe needed to purchase, invoicing customers according to actual tracked wear/use of the drill pipe being returned, and providing well or job specific drill string population using known history pipe joints.
Claims
1. An apparatus, comprising: an oilfield tubular having a cavity formed on an outer surface thereof; and a tag cartridge configured to be disposed in the cavity of tubular, the tag cartridge having a remotely readable identification tag, wherein the tag cartridge includes a relief port formed through a body of the tag cartridge, a first end of the relief port opens to a surface of the cavity, and a second end of the relief port opens to an exterior of the apparatus.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cavity includes sides that converge toward an opening that opens perpendicular to a longitudinal center axis of the tubular member.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tag cartridge is shrink fit into the cavity.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tag cartridge is threaded with a misfit engagement within the cavity of the tubular member.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a snap ring retains the tag cartridge within the cavity of the tubular member.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tag cartridge includes unidirectional angled teeth that secure the tag cartridge within the cavity of the tubular member.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remotely readable identification tag comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remotely readable identification tag comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) tag.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention may be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(13) Embodiments of the invention relate to identification of downhole equipment and correlation of input data with the equipment to improve operations. For some embodiments, oilfield equipment or tubular goods such as drill pipe include an improved tag. Once tagged, detector system configurations at pipe yards may facilitate logging the presence and location of each drill pipe and correlating specific data, such as inspection and usage data, to each drill pipe. Further, this correlation populates a database utilized to achieve other business functions such as forecasting and refining future purchasing of additional drill pipe, handling customers' accounts, returning drill pipe based on actual tracked wear/use of the drill pipe being returned, and providing well or job specific drill string population using known history pipe joints.
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(16) For some embodiments, the tag cartridge 300 includes or encapsulates in a protective manner a remotely machine readable identification member such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, optical bar code, and/or surface acoustic wave (SAW) tag that is unaffected by radiation such as from well logging tools. A top surface 306 of the tag 300, a bottom surface of the tag 300, or both may include visible identification markings or alphanumeric coding (depicted as “ABC” and hereinafter referred to as numbers), unique to the drill pipe 100 as a secondary or primary identification mechanism. Unique coding may differentiate the type of asset (e.g., drill pipe, casing, etc.), the manufacturer, and/or the owner.
(17) Penetration to profile the top surface 306 of the tag 300 may form a barcode that may still be read should some damage occur to the top surface 306. In some embodiments, a two dimensional (2D) bar code or matrix code may encode redundant information at various different locations within the bar code such that the information may also still be read in the event some damage occurs to portions of where the bar code is located. For example, the 2D bar code may be burned by laser with penetration of about 0.076 millimeters into the top surface 306 of the tag cartridge 300, which may be formed of stainless steel, and/or applied directly to the drill pipe 100. The 2D bar code contains a grid of square cells instead of bars or stacked bars representing linear codes. Further, the numbers on the tag 300 may match or be correlated to numbers stenciled onto a bottom surface 202 of the groove 106 in the drill pipe 100, which is protected by the cartridge 300. This redundancy in identifying the drill pipe 100 enables at least manual identification of the drill pipe 100 in the event that the cartridge 300 fails or is lost.
(18) Dimensions of the groove 106 ensure sufficient material for secure shrink fitting or bonding of the cartridge 300 within the groove 106 and aid in providing space for multiple legible numbers to be visible on the top surface 306 of the cartridge 300 and/or the bottom surface 202 of the groove 106. For some embodiments, the groove 106 measures about 4.0 inches in length and about 0.75 inches in width. Minimum outer diameter standards for the drill pipe 100 may determine a maximum depth of the groove 106.
(19) The foregoing describes improved tagging designs. Therefore, the tag cartridge 300 and groove 106 in the drill pipe 100 provide exemplary techniques to identify each individual item whether drill pipe, as used as an example herein, or other oil field equipment in a unique manner, whether or not the equipment is expendable or reusable. However, some embodiments of the invention may incorporate different identification tagging designs in their implementation.
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(21) The detectors 408, 412, 414, 416, 418 may represent any RFID reader (antenna and decoder), magnetic flux leakage detector, or other suitable device such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with a scanner or camera, which reads the identification members and records to a database maintained in a computer (see,
(22) Information input, contained and/or manipulated in the database may include asset tracking inputs such joint serial number, customer name, number of days out, and delivery ticket number. Inspection inputs may include report number, joint serial number, inspection standard used (e.g., ISO, RP7G, TH HILL, or NS1 and/or NS2), and test method used (e.g., dye penetrant, liquid penetrant, transverse, longitudinal, or shear wave). The database may further contain maximum and minimum dimensions by specification. In addition, the physical properties of the inventory input into the database may include size, weight, grade, and overall length. Tool joint related information may be captured in the database, such as thread, condition (e.g., pass/fail or reface/machine), double shoulder threaded connections (e.g., pin length and box length), counter bore, bore back, stress relief groove, bevel diameter, benchmark (e.g., yes/no), outer diameter of the box, outer diameter of the pin, inner diameter of the pin, hard banding (e.g., yes/no, pin, box, center dimension). Input relating to a tube may include API values and may relate to class (e.g., new, premium plus, premium, or class 2), minimum wall thickness, and straightness. With respect to tube and tool joint, information input may include plastic coating (e.g., yes/no and condition), inner diameter condition, and drifting (e.g., full length drift pass/fail and dimensions). Other inventory input data may include drill collar information (e.g., elevator recess outer diameter and slip recess outer diameter) and other relevant data (e.g., heavy-center wear pad outer diameter, spiral-spiral outer diameter center, heavy and spiral-integral or welded).
(23) Each drill pipe within the pipe lineup 406 undergoes inspection for wear and fatigue damage. During this inspection the identification members may be read automatically (e.g., there may be a plurality of stationary readers mounted in proximity to the inspection rack) or at least by machine with the hand-held detector 412 operated by a user 410. The individual serial numbers and inspection results communicate to the database and correlate in the database where this input information is stored for future manipulation and analysis described hereinafter. For some embodiments, the hand-held detector 412 may be integrated with a caliper or other inspection tool to enable automated writing to the database regarding inspection information, such as wall thickness in the case of the caliper. The inspection results may include wall thickness, outside diameter, inside diameter, crack detection, pitting, maintenance history, length, connection size and type, material type and strength, API or ISO grade/condition, customer job history and run data, and dates of inspection. The customer job history may include data regarding rotating hours, corrosive environment hours and deviated rotating hours for the drill pipe.
(24) Writeable RFID tags used as the identification members enable storing information such as pipe dimensions and mechanical properties or material certificates, inspection results, where/when used, physical properties, operating parameters and inventory. Writing the information to the RFID tag may occur during or after inspection and/or when the pipe is manufactured. Depending on the on-rig identification equipment used by the customer, the identification members may thus contain the actual job history for each individual pipe, which may also be logged in other electronic storage media or printouts for later input into the database during the inspection.
(25) Further, some of the detectors 408, 412, 414, 416, 418 and/or additional detectors may attach to forklifts, trucks, hoisting/lifting/moving equipment, and/or the racks 404, 407. When placed on this equipment, reading the identification members on the drill pipe permits the serial number and movement information within the pipe yard 400 to be communicated to the database. For example, the serial numbers may transfer to the database as pipe rolls across the racks 404, 407 when the detector is placed on, or in proximity to, the racks 404, 407. Avoiding manual serial number reading prevents hand crush injuries in the pipe yard 400 due to pipe rolling or shifting while hands are adjacent the pipe or are even handling or touching the pipe to, for example, rub the serial number clean. For this reason, the hand-held detector 412 also distances hands and other body parts of the user 410 a safe distance from the pipe since a reader portion of the hand-held detector 412 is affixed to the end of a wand so that the reader portion may be extended to a position proximate the identification member of a given piece of pipe. The hand-held detector 412 may extend a fixed or adjustable length of at least 1.0 foot, more than 2.0 feet, or even 3.0 feet or more depending on location of the identification members. The hand-held detector 412 also thereby helps with inspection of pipe that is racked in large arrays because the user 410 of the hand-held detector 412 does not have to crawl on the racked pipe to read every identification member.
(26) Strategic placement of one or more of the detectors 408, 412, 414, 416, 418 may enable recordation of loading or unloading of trucks going/coming from vendors/customer and automatically communicate to the database. For example, the gate detector 408 at the entrance of the pipe yard 400 may include arrays of fixed antenna coupled through circuitry to differentiate the direction of the trucks coming from and going into the pipe yard 400, and hence, determine whether drill pipes carried on the trucks are entering or leaving the pipe yard 400 or shipping/receiving station depending on where the gate detector 408 is located. Computer software connected to the database may generate reports showing the inventory status of the drill pipe having identification members and generate shipping and receiving tickets or e-mail notification to customers upon shipment.
(27) The first, second and third triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 positioned around the pipe stack 402 demonstrate further pipe location tracking capabilities for some embodiments. The triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 may include additional detectors operating on the same principles as the triangulation approach described herein. Detectors may provide redundancy and cross verification. Also, the detectors may scan across different planes, as the first, second and third triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 define one plane. In operation, the triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 read identification members on each piece of pipe within the pipe stack 402 and determine a distance to any given pipe from a given detector. Analysis of time distance of arrival (ping response time), received signal strength indication, and angle of arrival of transmitted signals may determine these distances. Any other signal processing methods may further facilitate distance calculations between the triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 and the individual identification members such as methods based on phase rate of change of backscatter-modulated signals.
(28) With the distances to the triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 determined and the location of the triangulation detectors 414, 416, 418 known whether fixed, movable or hand-held, using trilateration may determine an accurate location of each identification member and hence each pipe. For example, calculating the difference in distance between the first and second triangulation detectors 414, 416 for one particular identification member forms a curve that indicates all possible identification member locations as determined by the first and second triangulation detectors 414, 416. Using the third triangulation detector 418 further limits the possible locations such that calculating the intersection point of the curves results in a location for the drill pipe.
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(31) At an inspection input step 602, inspection results communicate to the analysis step 606 for correlation to each individual drill pipe. Comparing the inspection results of returned drill pipe with prior inspection results that are maintained in the database and obtained before shipment to the customer enables determining whether anomalies (such as excessive wear) require further investigation, and may further flag such anomalies within a customer account management system. Therefore, fee evaluation output step 608 automatically initiates or at least instigates billing. For example, the fee evaluation output step 608 may invoice according to wear and/or use of the drill pipe as determined after inspection input step 602.
(32) The inspection input step 602 also aids in managing inventory levels in the pipe yard 400. Decisions regarding retirement of the drill pipe occur at inspection input step 602, thereby reducing inventory levels with each drill pipe retired. However, the inspection data obtained at inspection input step 602 and input into analysis step 606 also contains valuable information with respect to remaining inventory (i.e., non-retired drill pipe) in order to help forecast the number of additional items to buy in purchasing output step 612. In practice, rental companies can only place orders from pipe manufacturers or suppliers at limited time windows making purchase decisions imperative prior to actual need that can be difficult or impossible to predict with limited information. For example, data from the inspection input step 602 once correlated in the analysis step 606 may provide evaluations such as percentage of pipe having less than 50% of useable wall thickness left and hence useable at only one more job. These evaluations performed by the computer at the analysis step 606 may further differentiate among quantity of certain sizes of pipes and possible trend-lines for wear patterns based on, for example, the region or particular customers. To more accurately forecast number of drill pipe to buy at purchasing output step 612, the analysis step 606 may receive data regarding known future orders from customers and/or make projections based on past recent customer orders as depicted by upcoming rental order input step 604. Furthermore, results of the purchasing output step 612 may automatically trigger purchases of the forecast number of drill pipe needed.
(33) With input information as described herein correlated to each individual drill pipe, the inventory output step 610 may facilitate searches for particular customer requirements during an order filling output step 614, and otherwise aid in locating and directing pipe having certain characteristics within the pipe yard 400. In this regard, customers may require drill pipe meeting certain standards, which may be identified such as shown in
(34) Other job planning aspects include ordering joints of the drill pipe within a string at order filling output step 614 to improve and lengthen useful life of the drill pipe. By way of example, the order filling output step 614 may select pipe having low or no deviated rotating (i.e., rotation at a directional induced bend) hours for a section of the string where deviated rotating hours are expected to be incurred. On the other hand, the order filling output step 614 may choose pipe with relatively higher deviated rotating hours for disposing in sections of the string where the drill pipe only rotates in substantially straight portions of the borehole. Therefore, the order filling output step 614 may maintain the pipe in inventory with deviated rotating hours below a dangerous threshold without leading to premature retirement of certain drill pipe due to high deviated rotating hours. Further, the use of the drill pipe can be rotated at the rig to reduce cumulative fatigue and wear by tracking the hours in deviated sections of the well.
(35) In some embodiments, the computer with the database as described heretofore enables internet access to the information therein and the output functions such as the order filling, inventory, purchasing, and fee evaluation output steps 614, 610, 612, 608. A website may thus provide access or at least limited access from a remote location. For example, remote access may make the graphic representation shown in
(36) Referring back to
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(41) While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.