American Oil and Gas Reporter - March 2018 - 73

SpecialReport: Advancing Shale Science
mated tank monitoring and gauging is a
good example. By applying wired or wireless level monitoring, the operator can
gain continuous insight into tank levels,
minimize high-level alarms and prevent
spills in accordance with the API MPMS
Chapter 18.2 standard (Custody Transfer
of Crude Oil from Lease Tanks Using Alternative Measurement Methods).
This allows workers to stay off the
top of tanks, eliminating safety risk from
manual tank gauging, while also reducing
measurement uncertainty. Operators can
also detect oil/water interfaces to prevent
oil losses to the water tank.
With respect to reliability, wireless
sensors automatically detect conditions
that can lead to equipment failure, replacing periodic manual readings with
online insights into equipment health. An
example is pressure gauge replacement
on wellhead tubing, casing and bradenhead
pressure measurements. With this technology, operators can monitor casing and
tubing pressures along with chemical
tank levels with wireless pressure gauges.
Wireless pressure gauges improve reliability and reduce traditional gauge failures by eliminating mechanical bourdon
tubes. Harsh process environments such
as vibration, overpressure, extreme temperatures and corrosion can cause bourdon
tubes to stretch, freeze, break and experience issues from unexpected damage.
State-of-the-art digital pressure gauges
reduce gauge failures and ensure better
accuracy and performance.
Optimizing Production
Increasing the amount and type of information coming from field assets gives
producers predictive analytics to reduce
deferred production by optimizing tasks
with more accurate, reliable and timely
information. An example of this is improper separator temperatures, which can

reduce separation efficiency by not allowing emulsions to break up and inhibit
reaching correct vapor pressure limits for
transportation requirements, or boil off
valuable natural gas liquids reducing
crude quality. Adding wireless temperature
measurements to a well pad heater treater
helps achieve optimal separator temperatures in existing and new assets.
Another example is optimizing production chemical usage by monitoring
the chemical tank level and correlating
changes in chemical levels to production
data. One operator that implemented
this additional monitoring reduced chemical usage by 180,000 gallons a year.
An existing WirelessHART sensor network allows operators to easily add the
additional level sensor and integrate the
data through existing methods without
expensive wiring or a "one-off" monitoring solution.
At the same time, wirelessly monitoring
emergency relief valves and tank levels
ensures a quick response to upsets, minimizing emissions and improving the
safety of storage tanks. This is critical,
especially as tank emissions regulations
continue to increase. Pressure vacuum
relief valves and emergency vent/vacuum
relief valves prevent tank damage caused
by abnormal situations and pressure
surges. By monitoring the activity (opening/closing) of relief valves, operators
can ensure a quick response to upsets.
Bringing It All Together
Beyond drilling and completion operations, a wireless sensor network can improve reliability as well as health, safety,
security and environmental risk mitigation
through cost-effective, real-time asset
monitoring. Gaining visibility into the
condition of a producing asset can reduce
overall LOE, improve cash flow and
ensure more predictable operations.

A seldom considered hidden profitability lever is the opportunity cost of
deferred production related to infrequent
or unreliable tank inventory management.
An Eagle Ford operator realized a 6,600
boe/day production increase throughout
the course of a year simply by monitoring
in real time the inventory levels in its
tank batteries, reducing shut-in events.
This timely information also can optimize
transportation service costs by increasing
the confidence in inventory levels and
dispatching transportation service providers
only when necessary.
In addition, wireless monitoring of
continuous and high tank level conditions
reduces one of the largest safety hazards
to company and contract employees in
production operations: exposure to vapor
during manual gauging and fluid transfer
operations.
Increasing well productivity is undoubtedly the largest lever for improved
well economics, but wireless technologies
can provide operational efficiency and
true sustainable cost savings. Wireless
solutions enable operators to reduce their
cost basis through efficient facility construction and a scalable architecture, delivering future flexibility for field developments and production optimization.
Operators that standardize on wireless
capabilities can improve production, reliability, emissions and safety, and when
economics dictate further field development, a wireless infrastructure gives them
the ability to be more responsive than
their competitors.
r

Coming In April
Special Report:
Vision 2020:
Diamond Anniversary Issue

Tom Bass is the wireless business development director at Emerson Automation Solutions Rosemount, headquartered in Shakopee, Mn. Since joining Emerson in 2006, he has
served in several industry focused business development roles. In his current capacity,
Bass is responsible for leading business development for Rosemount Wireless and manages
the Plantweb™ pervasive sensing application portfolio.

TOM
BASS
MARCH 2018 73

American Oil and Gas Reporter - March 2018

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