Automated preventive and predictive maintenance of downhole valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590752-B2
Application number	US-201615181005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A method of automated preventive and predictive maintenance for downhole valves in a well system includes receiving, at a plurality of first times, first diagnostics data of the plurality of downhole valves, where each downhole valve is at a respective first valve position at a respective first time, and the diagnostics data represents a valve condition of each downhole valve at a respective valve position and at a respective time. The method also includes receiving, at a plurality of second times, second diagnostics data of the plurality of downhole valves, where each downhole valve has been moved from the respective first valve position at the respective first time to a respective second valve position at a respective second time. The first diagnostics data and the second diagnostics data are compared. Based on results of comparing, a valve maintenance operation is selected for each downhole valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method in a well system comprising a plurality of downhole valves, each downhole valve positioned below a surface and in a wellbore included in the well system, each downhole valve controlling flow of well fluid through the wellbore:
detecting a change in a valve line pressure of a first downhole value of the plurality of downhole valves;
determining, in response to detecting the change in the valve line pressure, whether the change is due to a planned maintenance;
performing, in response to determining that the change is not due to a planned maintenance, a diagnostic test on the first downhole valve, the diagnostic test comprising:
receiving, at a first time and by one or more processors, first diagnostics data of the first downhole valve of the plurality of downhole valves, wherein the first diagnostics data represents: (i) a first valve condition of the downhole valve at a first valve position and at the first time, and (ii) a first well head pressure at the surface of the well system for the first downhole valve at the first valve position and at the first time;
causing the first downhole valve to move from the first valve position to a second valve position;
receiving, at a second time and by the one or more processors, second diagnostics data of the first downhole valve, wherein the second diagnostics data represents: (i) a second valve condition of the downhole valve at the second valve position and at the second time, and (ii) second well head pressure at the surface of the well system for the first downhole valve at the second valve position and at the second time;
comparing, by the one or more processors, the first diagnostics data and the second diagnostics data; and
based on results of comparing the first diagnostics data and the second diagnostics data, selecting, by the one or more processors, a valve maintenance operation for the first downhole valve.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after collecting the second diagnostics data of the first downhole valve at the second valve position, returning the first downhole valve to the first valve position.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at a third time and by the one or more processors, third diagnostics data of the first downhole valve, wherein the first downhole valve is at the first valve position at the third time, and the third diagnostics data represents a third valve condition of the first downhole valve at the first valve position and at the third time;
causing the first downhole valve to move from the first valve position to the second valve position;
receiving, at a fourth time and by the one or more processors, fourth diagnostics data of the first downhole valve, wherein the fourth diagnostics data represents a fourth valve condition of the first downhole valve at the second valve position and at the fourth time;
comparing, by the one or more processors, the first diagnostics data and the third diagnostics data;
comparing, by the one or more processors, the second diagnostics data and the fourth diagnostics data; and
based on results of comparing the first diagnostics data and the third diagnostics data and comparing the second diagnostics data and the fourth diagnostics data, scheduling, by the one or more processors, a second valve maintenance operation for the first valve at a future time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a reliability for the first downhole valve based on the results of comparing the first diagnostics data and the third diagnostics data and comparing the second diagnostics data and the fourth diagnostics data, wherein the reliability indicates a probability that the first downhole valve would fail during a predetermined duration of time; and
determining the respective future time for the second valve maintenance operation for the first downhole valve based on the reliability.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein for the first downhole valve the third time is three months from the first time, and the fourth time is three months from the second time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of downhole valves are choke valves.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second diagnostics data further includes at least one of:
valve attribute data including at least one of valve position, line pressure, or a fluid flow rate through the first downhole valve, the valve position including at least one of an open or a closed position, and the line pressure including a well fluid pressure in a flow path controlled by the first downhole valve;
well production attribute data including well fluid production rate through the wellbore; or
fault detection attribute data indicating at least one of leakage in a valve actuator, looseness in a valve assembly, or a hydraulic failure in the first downhole valve.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the first diagnostics data to the second diagnostics data comprises performing a correlation operation on the first diagnostics data and the second diagnostics data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the valve maintenance operation is at least one of replacing the first downhole valve, stopping flow of well fluid through the first downhole valve, repairing the first downhole valve, or capturing the diagnostic data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
for the first downhole valve, storing the first valve position, the first time, the second valve position, and the second time; and
providing an alert based on the results of comparing the first diagnostics data and the second diagnostics data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the well system is a multilateral well comprising a mother wellbore and multiple lateral wellbores, the mother wellbore and each lateral wellbore comprising at least one of the plurality of downhole valves.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on results of comparing the first diagnostics data and the second diagnostics data, adjusting, by the one or more processors, a frequency of capturing diagnostic data.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations in a well system comprising a plurality of downhole valves, each downhole valve positioned below a surface and in a wellbore included in the well system, each downhole valve controlling flow of well fluid through the wellbore, the operations comprising:
detecting a change in a valve line pressure of a first downhole value of the plurality of downhole valves;
determining, in response to detecting the change in the valve line pressure, whether the change is due to a planned maintenance;
performing, in response to determining that the change is not due to a planned maintenance, a diagnostic test on the first downhole valve, the diagnostic test comprising:
receiving, at a first time and by one or more processors, first diagnostics data of the first downhole valve of the plurality of downhole valves, wherein the first diagnostics data represents: (i) a first valve condition of the downhole valve at a first valve position and at the first time, and (ii) a first well head pressure at the surface of the well system for the first downhole valve at the first valve position and at the first time;
causing the first downhole valve to move from the first valve position to a second

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Gouhi Al-Waleed A
• Almadi Soloman M
• Isichei Obiomalotaoso L

Classifications

• F16K37/0075

  For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment · CPC title

• G05B23/0283

  Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06) · CPC title

• E21B34/06

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• E21B47/00 Primary

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title