Because revenues stop when the well is killed for an intervention, it’s important to minimize downtime and safety risks while increasing job quality and efficiency. I-Rig Certified equipment can do this.
Protecting People and Assets
Only intelligent rigs automatically collect data from the wellsite and provide operating crews with greater safety control functions. One such active safety-control capability is the electronic crown-out and floor-out prevention system. Sensor-based data on the block position and speed are fed directly to the automatic controls to predict and prevent excessive block speed and hook weight. If a load is raised or lowered too quickly, sensors will trip and the engine will automatically shift to neutral.
This is just one example of intelligent rig capability to reduce risks and additional downtime due to incidents that cost the industry $120 million last year. Knowing that these controls are in place and that safety protocols are followed could reduce insurance premiums more than $60 million annually.
Job Quality
In addition to protecting crews, data collected from intelligent rig systems can be used for improving job quality and efficiency. For instance, with a conventional service rig, rod and tubing makeup operations depend upon the skill level and discretion of the rig operator. However, intelligent rigs monitor and record torque data while alerting the operator if best practices are not adhered to. And better joint makeup means less wear on the rods and longer service life, which will ultimately mean less intervention frequency.
Improving job efficiency with intelligent rigs can be done through “flat-time” analysis of rig crew and equipment activity. This helps reduce idling service equipment costs, for which oil and gas producers were billed more than $500 million in 2006 alone.
I-Rig Certified rigs are crucial to realizing these safety and performance benefits. Other industry segments have far outpaced well servicing in utilizing technology to improve performance.
