Advantages of Wireless Technologies
For Gas Well Automation
Larry Compton
Cham Ocondi
VECO Gas Technology, Inc.
Abstract
New wireless technologies can significantly reduce the costs to automate gas wells. Wireless connectivity from multiple well sites to a single remote location (over 5 miles away) and the automation of multiple wells and their associated lease equipment from a single RTU are now feasible through the integration of these technologies:
- Spread-spectrum (SS) radios
Sort-range (< 5 miles) and long-range (> 5 miles) spread-spectrum radios are combined to create a wireless field network connecting multiple wells to a single RTU and multiple RTU’s to trucks in the field as well as the office LAN.
- Wireless remote I/O (RIO) units
RIO units, hard-wired to field end-devices at each well site; communicate with a centralized virtual RTU system to facilitate the monitoring, measurement and control of gas production.
- Virtual RTU system (VRTU)
The VRTU, consisting of a single board and software, is designed to allow a user to create “virtual” RTU’s in the software to automate multiple wells and their associated lease equipment from a single board.
Wireless connectivity eliminates the costly and hazardous installation of burial cable from each well to the RTU. In most cases, the material, trenching and installation costs of burial cable far exceed the costs of the wireless devices at each well. Another benefit is the elimination of induced transient currents in long cable conductors, which can often damage end-devices and RTU boards.
Another major economic advantage comes from sharing the cost of a single RTU system (RTU hardware, power and communications equipment) among multiple wells. While the wireless-virtual RTU concept reduces the hardware costs, it increases the software complexity and cost.
A cost analysis of the wireless-virtual RTU system will be examined.
A typical hardware installation and software setup for virtual RTU’s will be shown.