General Interest

Objective/Scope

Pneumatic controllers and pumps are vital to the safe and efficient operation of upstream and midstream oil and gas facilities. Yet their performance is heavily influenced by the quality and consistency of the motive gas that powers them. Traditional sources—wellhead gas and instrument air—often introduce problems such as moisture, contaminants, freeze-ups, and compressor or power-system failures. These issues reduce reliability and increase maintenance workloads.

Oil and gas operators face growing expectations to improve operational performance, manage risk, and demonstrate responsible emissions management. Finalized New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) rules for OOOOa and OOOOb sites enable a more efficient, data-driven approach to Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) compliance. Under these regulations, operators can use traditional Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) surveys or new technologies approved under the advanced Alternative Test Methods (ATMs).

1. OBJECTIVES/SCOPE
Modern wellhead inspection systems depend largely on operators interpreting electromagnetic signal graphs displayed on their laptops. Because this task demands both extensive training and unwavering focus, results can vary or be inconsistent due to the subjective nature of human judgment.
This work seeks to present an approach based on intelligent algorithms to reduce such dependency, standardize the results and improve the reliability of the scanning process of production pipes and rods directly at the wellhead.

Beneath the Surface: Data-Driven Analysis Illuminates Well Performance

As companies move to lower their operating and maintenance costs, gas lift use has seen a dramatic increase in unconventional production patterns in the Permian Basin.1 Due to the corrosivity of acid gasses and the corrosive nature of produced water in these wells, asset protection is crucial to provide long-term production and minimize costly workovers. In this study, we will review a gas lift well in the Permian Basin that utilized internal plastic coatings as an alternative to traditional chemical inhibition methods. 

To address the escalating demands for decarbonization within the petroleum industry, a pioneering technology known as in-situ hydrogen (H2) production via electromagnetic-assisted catalytic heating has recently been proposed for extracting clean H2 directly from petroleum reservoirs. This study explores H2 generation from hydrocarbon/water reactions in the presence of natural rock powders under electromagnetic irradiation. Real-time data on temperature profiles of rock samples, gas production, and concentrations of generated gases are monitored and recorded.

The phenomenon of liquid loading is a dominant limitation in developed gas fields globally. Apparently, all gas wells will experience this depleting process in the subsequent phases of their production. The primary problem in dealing with liquid loading is the issue of forecasting its occurrence and accurately determining its onset. This paper is focused on developing an improved model for accurately predicting liquid loading in vertical gas wells as the available models often show variations.

Vulnerability of remote monitoring and control systems in the Oil and Gas industries By George Tyson and David Allen, Oiltek Systems LLC The Modern oil and gas industry extensively uses systems to remotely monitor and control operations throughout the process. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems have had wide acceptance and used for years. Many SCADA systems use the Modbus protocol, developed in 1979, to communicate between the parts of the system. Most of these systems operate under MS Windows or DOS. This creates an environment of ever expanding vulnerabilities.

Catastrophic accidents in offshore drilling operations have greatly endangered human lives, environment and capital assets. Although risks in offshore oil and gas operations cannot be completely eliminated, a substantial amount of risks can be minimized through preventive and mitigative measures. A key aspect of the offshore drilling risk is the reliability of drilling systems. According to the World Offshore Accident Dataset and many other investigations, the overwhelming majority of disastrous accidents in offshore drilling operations were caused by equipment failures and human errors.