Optical-Sensor Data Handling

Those who rely on data produced by in-well optical sensors are typically well site production engineers, reservoir engineers, and other operations-related staff within an oil company. The needs of each differ slightly and can vary at different phases of a reservoir’s lifetime. Therefore, the following information is compiled for the use of those concerned with the integration of data supplied by Weatherford optical sensing systems into oil company data access and management systems.

The diagram below shows a typical offshore platform arrangement:

Historically, MODBUS® protocols connected to supervisory control and data-acquisition (SCADA) systems or remote-terminal units (RTUs) have enabled platform production staff to correlate and combine production monitoring data. To maximize the benefit of the optical sensors, the reservoir engineer requires access to data stored at the highest data density possible. All of the Weatherford surface data systems compile data onto local storage media at high rates, ensuring easy access through local or wide-area networks (LAN/WAN).

The data-acquisition system software continually undergoes updates and improvement, based on input from the field. Maintenance and upgrade installation can be conveniently performed onshore if the systems are connected through a network, minimizing downtime and reducing the costs associated with transporting technicians to remote, offshore locations. In addition, connecting the systems to a network allows experts to support the software from locations around the world.

Weatherford encourages operators to connect optical data-acquisition systems to both the platform SCADA as well as the business wide-area network. The benefits of connecting the optical surface systems to a LAN/WAN are as follows:

• Insurance that backup data on the logger can be readily accessed over network if the SCADA/data historian link fails
• Easy access of higher-density data on the data logger after unplanned events, such as well shut-ins
• One shared network for MODBUS TCP/IP and OPC
• Remote troubleshooting, reconfiguring, and upgrading through the network from onshore locations
• Access to the structured-query-language (SQL) database through standard open database connectivity (ODBC)

Overview
Connection to Platform Automation System
Modbus Connection
CSV ASCII String Connection
OPC Connection
PROFIBUS Connection
Database Connection
Flat Files Connection
Network Accessible Storage