Projects in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia set the pace for the digital oilfield of the future.

Working closely with Shell and other producers, vMonitor has implemented its integrated Web-based SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems and the latest wireless technology for remote production operations enabling the virtual oilfield concept of linking people to remote assets anytime, anywhere.

Producers' primary interests in leveraging this technology come from the drive to improve asset performance. Many technology developments around downhole and surface intelligent well hardware, communications, open architecture control systems and the Internet are ready to be harvested with Web-enabled technology.

Intelligent remote operations benefit not only future smart fields, but today's mature assets that are struggling to reach production targets. The payback for asset monitoring, control and data management systems, comes from lower capital and operating expenses, better reservoir analysis and production optimization.

Conventional SCADA vs. new e-SCADA technology

Traditional SCADA and automation technology have presented producers multiple challenges in remote operations and production data management (Figure 1). These difficulties include:
• Lack of integration - systems currently in use lack the ability to bridge together equipment at remote sites within the organizational infrastructure, and do not integrate with legacy applications.
• Complexity - too many different hardware and software components. The hardware requires power, extensive cabling and is complicated to operate, maintain and repair.
• Expense - the total cost to install integrated systems on land and offshore wells has been prohibitive.

This includes the cost of well instrumentation, data acquisition, wireless communication, SCADA and data management software.

As a result, most wells and surface facilities do not benefit from the latest advances in monitoring, communications and control.

vMonitor's approach to the digital oilfield has been to simplify the technology and provide tightly integrated systems that are open and Web-enabled. In this architecture, there are significantly fewer hardware components required at the remote site and one software system integrates all the data in the office (Figure 2). Communications are completely wireless, with short hop and long hop radio components that can easily handle remote locations in any geography or topography (Figure 3).

Recent implementations of vMonitor technology have demonstrated the flexibility and ease of deployment of these systems. A unique feature of these systems is new generation (ultra compact) battery, wireless-radio technology with an important innovation - a wireless input/output capability that processes analog and digital inputs. These devices are very easy to deploy and are configured into a "wireless mesh" that cost-effectively transmits data from downhole and surface sensors, meters and controls from an entire network to an eSCADA server. This elegant architecture reduces costs by eliminating the radio-telephone unit (RTU) and its associated power, cables and other components.

Venezuela - Shell

A vMonitor system was implemented on 12 remote platforms in the Urdaneta West Field in Lake Maracaibo. The implementation and deployment of the technology have proven to be both a technical and economic success.

On each platform, data are gathered wirelessly from multiple points and delivered to a single hub at each location. From these remote hubs, the data are transmitted to the eSCADA server on the main platform up to 12.5 miles (20 km) away. Monitoring and control capabilities of this architecture met several key requirements for Shell:

• The system had to be wireless with duplex, two-way communication capabilities for remote control.
• A low-power, battery operated system was highly desirable because of the limited power available on these platforms.
• The technology had to interface easily with existing legacy systems.
• The system had to be easily expandable since the infrastructure in this asset will continue to evolve.
• Easy deployment in the lake environment was critical.
• The system had to be cost effective from both an OPEX and CAPEX standpoint.

On some platforms more than 40 points are being monitored. These points include temperature and pressure sensors, flow meters, electric submersible pumps (ESPs) and well test equipment. Each vmBus unit processes up to four analog and four digital inputs. The wireless I/O capabilities have eliminated communication cabling and power at many sites.

Saudi Arabia - ARAMCO

An integrated hardware and software system has been deployed for wireless remote monitoring of oil, water injection and water supply wells. The project aims to quantify the benefits of remote monitoring and Web-based systems for lowering operating costs, maximizing production and ensuring health, safety and environment standards. The system components include:

A wireless remote well monitoring system for oil, water injection and water supply wells.
A fully integrated end-to-end system from the instrumentation at the well site to the Web-based SCADA, reporting and alarming system at the office.

A Web-based portal that integrates data from several legacy systems, databases and SCADA installations to provide data access throughout Aramco using thin-client software technology.
With fewer well site components, single-point Web-based data access and enterprise wide connectivity operational efficiency and control is immediately increased. The system's open architecture supports expansion, and an affordable virtual oilfield can be a reality.