4th Annual Appalachian Basin Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio June 3 – 5, 2013 Mark Scantlebury, P. Eng., BASc President

4th Annual Appalachian BasinGas Well Deliquification Workshop

Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio

June 3 – 5, 2013

Mark Scantlebury, P. Eng., BASc

President and CEO

Extreme Telematics Corp.

Applications for Magnetic Sensing in Plunger Lift

Overview

• Background

• Problems With Plunger Arrival Sensors

• Solving The Problems

• Other Benefits

• Other Applications

June 3 – 5, 2013 2013 Appalachian Basin Gas Well Deliquification Workshop, Marietta, Ohio

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Background

• Magnetic Sensing Has Been in Plunger Lift for Years

– Mechanical movement of a magnet as plunger arrives

– Coil Based Designs that Induce Current

– Riddled with problems

– One of the least expensive parts of the system can be the most critical

– Leads to poor system performance to compensate for bad sensors


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The Problems

• There are several problem with current designs

– False Detections

– Missed Arrivals

– Noisy Switch Closure

– Short Switch Closure

– High Power Draw


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The Problems

• Why Sensors Have False Detections

– Poor Noise Immunity – Interference from other devices, electrical noise, or temperature fluctuations.

– Designed with Too High of Sensitivity – Small movements seen as plunger arrival

– Manufacturing Defects – Not all coils created equally.


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The Problems


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The Problems

• Missed Arrivals

– Plunger travels too slowly past the sensor

– Plunger does not travel all the way past the sensor

– Sensitivity is not high enough

– Non-ferrous or alloy plungers are invisible

Venturi Viper™(titanium)

Viper™(stainless steel)


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The Problems

• Noisy Switch Closure

– Accepted as the norm

– Bouncing plungers

– Inconsistent movement

– System noise

– Plunger geometry


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The Problems

• Short Switch Closure

– Short Plungers

– Fast Plungers

– Output not active long enough

– Missed using polling architecture


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The Problems

• High Power Draw

– Fast moving plungers cause high current

– Large current consumption while switch is closed

– Would prefer a more consistent power draw


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The Solution

• A microprocessor based design that implements a magnetic field sensor.– Noise Immunity– Enhanced Detection Algorithms– Adjustable Sensitivity– Flexible Mounting Location– More Repeatability/Reliability– Upgradable Software– Real Time Debugging


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The Solution

• Noise Immunity

– Can’t prevent all noise

– Filter it out using a long term average


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The Solution

• Detection

– Continuously monitor the changes in the signal

– Low amplitude or short duration changes ignored

– Eliminates false detections


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The Solution

• Enhanced Detection Algorithms

– Determine a long term average/baseline

– Look for patterns

– Distinguish between slow or rapid change

– Adjust for different plunger types


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The Solution

• Adjustable Sensitivity

– Use a switch or some other input device

– Changed by operator/installer at any time

– Sets a threshold for detection of different plunger types

– Allows balance between false detects and missed arrivals


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The Solution

• Flexible Mounting Location

– Plunger does not need to pass by sensor

– Not dependent on speed

– Sense through thicker lubricators

– Mount on flow tee, master valve, or casing

– Sense movement of other lubricator parts when using non-ferrous plungers


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The Solution

• Repeatability/Reliability

– Easier to manufacture

– Better tolerances

– No moving parts to wear

– Factory calibration

– Self calibrating

– Large spread between thresholds

– Self test


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The Solution

• Upgradable Software

– Embedded firmware

– New images loaded on demand

– Feedback from the field


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The Solution

• Real Time Debugging

– Not limited to a switch interface

– Real time stream data

– Graph in real time

– Log to file

– Understand field data better

– Identify problems or limitations

– Truly an electronic “eye” on your well


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Data Capture Tools


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What’s Next

• Now that a new standard has been set, there are many more uses for this type of technology

– Enhanced Detection Algorithms

– Sensing Plunger Velocity


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Enhanced Detection Algorithms

• Gather Data From the Field

• Solve Additional Problems

– Interference from lightning

– Interference from other systems

– Different Plunger Types

• Continuous Improvement

– 100% detection is achievable


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Plunger Data


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Plunger Data


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Plunger Data


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Plunger Data


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Fast Plungers

• Fast Plungers are the #1 problem in Plunger Lift

• Costly to Replace Cracked Lubricator

• Incident Reports, Injury, or Death

• Desire to Detect and Correct Fast Plungers Before They Cause Problems


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Conventional Wisdom

• Why Not Use 2 Sensors?

• Too Reliant on Sensor Output

– Different Sensitivity

– Different Clocks

• Error in Position

• Need Additional Hardware

• Have to be Spaced out 10s -100s of meters to Reduce Error

• Not Practical


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Magnetic Domain

• Look at the Magnetic Domain Instead of Switch Output

• More Information Available in Waveforms

• Not Simple to Detect Velocity

• Captured Data from Cyclops is Invaluable

• Thousands of Test Runs During Development

• Variations in Plunger Types, Velocity, Position


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Sample Data


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Sample Data


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Sensing Plunger Velocity

• There are Some Challenges with these Waveforms

– Different for Each Plunger Type

– Variance in Sensitivity

– Differences Due to Position

• There Does Appear to Be Hope

– Deviation Correlated to Velocity

– Enough Similarities to be Usable


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Sensing Plunger Velocity

• ETC has Filed Patent Pending Algorithms for Detecting Plunger Velocity

• Use Combination of Deformation from Baseline, Waveform Timings, and Amplitude.

• Avoids Errors Associated with Using Multiple Independent Devices

• Well Head Mounted Velocity Sensor

• Practical Solution for Every Well


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Sasquatch IS

• First Plunger Velocity Sensor

• Well Head Mounted

• Same Rugged Design as Cyclops IS

• Reliable Detection up to 750 m/min

• Discrete or Modbus Interface

• Will Help Prevent Lubricator Breaches

• Field Trial Summer 2013


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Other Applications

• Monitoring Earth’s Magnetic Field

– Looking for a Change

– Rotating Equipment

– Sliding Metal

– Movement in Relation to Earth

• Lots of Other Applications

• Possibilities are Endless


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Questions?


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Copyright

Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop, they grant to the Workshop, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to:

– Display the presentation at the Workshop.

– Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

– Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author(s). The owner company(ies) and/or author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if they refer to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop where it was first presented.


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Disclaimer

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The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.

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Documents

4th Annual Appalachian Basin Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio June 3 – 5, 2013 Mark Scantlebury, P. Eng., BASc President