Weir Oil & Gas launches intelligent systems for pressure control
HOUSTON -- Weir Oil & Gas, a leading upstream provider of pressure pumping and pressure control equipment and services, announced it has developed real-time measurements and automated controls to enhance safety, reduce non-productive time, and to enable operators to make more informed, faster decisions.
Until now, it has been challenging for operators to pinpoint actual, real-time fluid levels and gas flow rates in pressure control equipment. They had to rely on outdated methods for obtaining this information, which are prone to human error and therefore less reliable. As a result, they can be unaware of a problem until a tank overflows or a kick occurs, when they have only minutes to respond.
“When it comes to surface pressure control environments, customers need measurements they can trust,” said Paul Coppinger, president of Weir Oil & Gas. “However, providing the data is merely a starting point. We are empowering customers through a live stream of real-time information that can be stored and applied in a variety of analytic and reporting capabilities.”
Each of Weir’s Pressure Control Intelligent Systems products connects to a control unit via sensors that send real-time information from the equipment back to the control unit. The data is relayed to the customer in a secure, cloud-based portal, accessible by desktop and mobile devices and stored in Weir’s electronic data warehouse for historical reference. Should an issue with levels arise, the system will sound the alarm much sooner to ensure the operator has more time to adjust the flow from the choke or for the choke to adjust automatically.
Weir’s Pressure Control Intelligent Systems offering is also modular, giving operators the choice to fully integrate the systems or collect, monitor, analyze, and notate the data separately for any of the following pieces of equipment, all of which are available for rent:
- Mathena Mud Gas Separator Intelligent System (MGS-ISC) – provides precise measurements and automatically controls liquid levels within the mud gas separator, while simultaneously ensuring MGS vent gas separation performance. An industry first for drilling operations, The MGS-ISC helps to prevent overflows from occurring.
- Mathena Vent Gas Analyzer and Intelligent Flow Meter System (VGA-ISF) – integrates a gas-flow meter and vent-gas analyzer to more accurately measure gas flow rates and gas volume for methane and hydrogen sulfide, allowing operators to make better decisions and have more accurate information for reporting their carbon footprint to the EPA.
- Mathena ECO-Tank Intelligent System (ECO-ISL) – provides precise measurement of liquid levels in the tank or other secondary containment unit. Designed to maximize safety and minimize environmental impact, it’s the industry’s first active, real-time monitoring system for containment levels.
- Mathena Frac Flowback Intelligent System (FFB-ISL) – provides more accurate monitoring of flow-rate data and level change within frac tanks.
Currently, Weir is operating multiple Pressure Control Intelligent Systems in the field with favorable results. The MGS-ISC is experiencing dramatic success in mitigating issues in the Bakken field, where fluid overflow into the gas vent line is common. Along with reducing health, safety, and environmental risks, the MGS-ISC has alleviated approximately 12 overflow incidents per month and saved thousands of dollars in clean up costs and non-productive time.
Weir’s line of intelligent systems is supported in every major basin in North America and integrates with other drilling rig data management systems, allowing drilling engineers to aggregate their data in one place.
