Session: 01-05-01: Congress-Wide Symposium on NDE & SHM: Computational Nondestructive Evaluation and Structural Health Monitoring

Paper Number: 144901

144901 - Modeling and Simulation of Wellhead Installation Digital Position Sensing Measurement 

Correct installation of the wellhead is crucial to drilling operations for the oil and gas industry. Installations are typically verified using manual methods (markings, visual inspections, and weight indications), posing a high potential risk for errors as a result of human factors. Recently, a digital position sensing solution for wellhead installation was developed. It removes the human factor and provides assurance that the equipment is properly landed as designed. The core technology is a set of ultrasonic transducers working in pulse-echo mode that is mechanically mounted on the wellhead housing exterior. The ultrasonic pulses sent into the housing reflect against the internal components, providing a unique signature of the internal state of the housing using a nonintrusive method. The reflected signals are digitally recorded and analyzed using a binary classification network that was trained through machine learning to confirm correct installation. The technology and algorithm were developed using extensive data collected through full-size prototype laboratory testing.

This work applies modeling and simulation to mimic the transducer measurement in laboratory testing. A model based on the finite element method (FEM) is developed to simulate the process, which consists of an ultrasonic signal traveling inside the wellhead, reflecting at the interface, and reaching the receiver. Two media, steel and water, and their interface’s effect are considered in the model. The ultrasonic input signal is assumed to be a Gaussian-modulated sinusoidal pulse. The cylindrical structure of the wellhead is simplified to a 2D axisymmetric model to reduce the computational time.

The simulation predictions were compared with the laboratory test receiver measurements. The comparison showed similarity in the wave pattern including initial pulse, subsequent echo, and the travel time of the reflected wave. A difference as observed in the signal strength of the reflected ultrasonic wave is within predefined accuracy expectations considering the potential effects of the input signals and the measurement process. The simulation method will provide predictions based on the physical mode to help improve the understanding of the sensing solution system.

The wellhead installation digital position sensing solution is the industry’s first digital installation advisor to provide real-time feedback to improve the reliability of wellhead equipment installation. The modeling and simulation method is targeted to provide the sensing solution with supplemental training data from the predictions based on the physical mode. In addition, the advisor can be integrated with an automation sensitivity study to optimize the transducer arrangement for the sensing solution.

Presenting Author: Yaou Wang SLB

Presenting Author Biography: The author obtained his doctorate degree in the department of Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University. After that, he worked in the automobile industry and then joined the oil and gas industry. Till now, he has accumulated more than ten years’ experience of computer aided design and analysis, and design and process optimization based on statistical methods. Currently, he is a Senior Modeling and Simulation Engineer at SLB, the world’s leading oilfield services provider. He is in charge of the drilling equipment design analysis and optimization, and new simulation method and automation procedure development.

Authors:

Yaou Wang SLB
Haw Keat Lim SLB
Yong Wee Lee SLB
Haitao Zhang SLB
Amandine Battentier SLB