Predictive Digital Pressure Testing: Forging Optimization of Critical Path in New Ways

Blog: Enhancing Equipment Health with Digital Pressure Testing and Real-Time Monitoring

Predictive digital pressure testing (DPT) is revolutionizing the oil and gas industry by optimizing operational procedures and improving leak detection. This technology leverages data and analytics to provide quality assurance, potentially saving millions in well remediation costs. Integrating DPT with real-time monitoring enables operators to minimize equipment wear and tear, assess equipment fitness for service, and make informed maintenance decisions. This approach is particularly beneficial for managing critical components like elastomers in blowout preventers (BOPs), which are subject to various stresses and require timely maintenance to ensure operational efficiency. By utilizing DPT and real-time monitoring data, operators can gain deeper insights into equipment health, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.

Optimizing Equipment Health with DPT and Real-Time Monitoring

The integration of DPT and real-time monitoring provides a comprehensive view of equipment health. DPT delivers periodic data points every 14 to 21 days, essential for assessing components like the annular. Real-time monitoring offers continuous data on operational parameters, including the number of cycles the annular has undergone, applied pressure, and instances of stripping through the annular. This combination shifts maintenance from a time-based to a condition-based schedule, optimizing equipment usage and reducing downtime.

The DPT system, especially the Green Light software by Offshore Technical Compliance (OTC), has received technical qualification from DNV, highlighting its reliability and effectiveness. The system features tools for planning tests (Blueprint), real-time testing (Green Light), reporting (Leaflet), and trend analysis (Atlas). Green Light's independent test assessment ensures high accuracy in detecting leaks and other issues, proving effective in diverse operational environments, from deep water to shelf operations, and across various fluid types.

Enhancing Drilling Operations with Real-Time Monitoring and DPT

Real-time monitoring, implemented by OTC with Modu Spec, continuously provides insights into the performance of elastomers and critical components. This data is crucial for developing an elastomer health model that tracks performance and usage changes over time. Combining real-time data with periodic DPT results enables operators to understand equipment condition better and make informed maintenance and operational decisions. This integrated approach enhances reliability, safety, and efficiency in drilling operations.

The process starts with analyzing pressure test data to identify trends and anomalies. During low-pressure tests, any increase in annular regulator pressure to achieve a successful test indicates potential issues like small leaks. Comparing sequential tests helps detect performance and usage pattern changes, signaling equipment degradation. This method fosters continuous evaluation of a BOP's condition over time.

Further insights come from examining test times and pressure profiles. Variations in test durations and increased regulator pressure needs highlight elastomer wear and tear. Modeling these changes and correlating them with historical data allows operators to develop a component health index. This index predicts the elastomer's remaining useful life and assesses failure risks, especially in high-pressure, high-temperature wells or extended drilling operations.

Integrating DPT and RTM data offers a comprehensive view of equipment performance. Digital pressure testing provides precise measurements, reducing subjectivity in manual assessments. Comparing pressure curves and calculating deviation scores help identify early signs of equipment failure, enhancing pressure test accuracy and contributing to better maintenance planning and operational decisions.

Real-time monitoring data complements digital pressure testing by tracking elastomers' mechanical stress and pressure profiles throughout their lifecycle. By isolating elastomers and subjecting them to controlled cycles, operators can observe degradation patterns and correlate them with field data. This combined analysis enhances understanding of equipment health, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing unexpected failures.

The integration of predictive digital pressure testing and real-time monitoring is a significant advancement in the oil and gas industry. This technology provides a comprehensive view of equipment health, allowing operators to optimize maintenance schedules, reduce downtime, and enhance safety. Systems like Green Light by DNV have been technically validated for their effectiveness and reliability, underscoring their importance. As the industry adopts these technologies, cost savings and operational improvements will increase, making digital pressure testing and real-time monitoring essential for modern operations.

Similarly, applying digital pressure testing and real-time monitoring to the management of elastomers in BOPs offers significant benefits. Continuous analysis of test results and usage patterns provides insights into equipment performance, enabling informed decisions about maintenance and replacement. This approach improves operational efficiency and contributes to overall safety and reliability. Embracing these digital technologies will be crucial for predicting and managing equipment health, driving cost savings and risk mitigation in the industry.

Key Takeaways: Predictive Digital Pressure Testing: Forging Optimization of Critical Path in New Ways

Executive Summary

The webinar, "Predictive Digital Pressure Testing: Forging Optimization of Critical Path in New Ways," highlighted the transformative impact of pressure testing data and analytics on operational procedures, equipment failure analysis, and leak detection in the offshore oil and gas industry. Presenters Eric Livesay, Brian Lamarche, and Michael Frye from Offshore Technical Compliance, along with Michael Frye from Modu Spec, discussed how digital pressure testing (DPT) and real-time monitoring are being combined to enhance equipment performance and reliability. The integration of these technologies allows for better prediction of equipment maintenance needs, minimizing wear and tear, and ensuring quality assurance. The presentation included examples of how DPT is creating high-performance outcomes, with significant time savings and improved safety measures. The session also covered the development of custom algorithms and software for real-time calculations and predictions, emphasizing the importance of digital solutions in optimizing critical operational processes.

Speakers

Eric Livesay, Ph.D., President, Offshore Technical Compliance
Brian Lamarche, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Offshore Technical Compliance
Michael Fry, Director of Technology Innovation, ModuSpec
Moderator: Ivy Diaz, Digital Editor, World Oil

Key Takeaways

1. Optimize Operational Procedures: Combining digital pressure testing (DPT) with real-time monitoring (RTM) can significantly minimize equipment wear and tear, determine equipment fitness, and optimize operational procedures.

2. Predict Maintenance Needs: The integration of DPT and RTM data helps in developing elastomer health models, providing insights into the performance and usage of elastomers, and predicting maintenance needs.

3. Reduce Testing Time: The Green Light system, which includes tools like Blueprint, Green Light, Leaflet, and Atlas, has been shown to save an average of 37% in testing time compared to traditional methods, reducing equipment wear and operational costs.

4. Detect Equipment Failures: The use of declining pressure fall-off (DPF) algorithms provides higher assurance in detecting leaks and equipment failures, which can prevent costly well remediation and improve safety.

5. Extend Elastomer Life: The combination of DPT and RTM data allows for the development of predictive models that can help operators make informed decisions about equipment maintenance, potentially extending the life of elastomers and reducing operational risks.

Key Quote

Combining those two things, we're able to do a number of things that we can minimize equipment wear and tear. We can determine if the equipment's fit for service. We can determine if casing has been cemented properly and we can answer other operational questions such as pulling the BOP, Do we need to pull the BOP for maintenance off bottom? Can we well hop the BOP?

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FAQs: Predictive Digital Pressure Testing: Forging Optimization of Critical Path in New Ways

General Information

1. What is the main focus of the webinar?
The webinar focuses on predictive digital pressure testing (DPT) and real-time monitoring, and how these technologies are transforming the optimization of operational procedures, equipment failure analysis, and leak detection in the oil and gas industry.

2. Who were the presenters in the webinar?
The presenters were Eric Livesay, PhD, President of Offshore Technical Compliance; Brian Lamarche, PhD, Chief Technology Officer from Offshore Technical Compliance; and Michael Frye, Director of Technology Innovation from Modu Spec.

Digital Pressure Testing (DPT)

1. What are the benefits of combining digital pressure testing with real-time monitoring?
Combining digital pressure testing with real-time monitoring helps minimize equipment wear and tear, determine if equipment is fit for service, verify proper cementing of casing, and answer other operational questions such as the need for BOP maintenance.

2. What is the Green Light system?
The Green Light system is a digital pressure testing tool that assesses pressure tests in real-time, providing a pass, fail, or inconclusive result. It includes components like Blueprint for planning tests, Green Light for real-time testing, Leaflet for reporting, and Atlas for trending and monitoring.

3. How does Green Light differ from other pressure testing methods?
Green Light assesses each test independently without comparing it to previous tests, unlike comparative methods that benchmark against an initial test. This approach ensures each test is evaluated on its own merits.

4. What is declining pressure fall off (DPF) and why is it important?
Declining pressure fall off (DPF) is a condition where the pressure change over time is declining, indicating a successful leak test. It is important for ensuring the integrity of the equipment and is a requirement in standards like Norsok D010.

Real-Time Monitoring (RTM)

1. How does real-time monitoring complement digital pressure testing?
Real-time monitoring provides continuous data on equipment usage, such as the number of cycles and pressure applied, which complements the periodic data from digital pressure testing. This combination helps in understanding the health and performance of elastomers and other components.

2. What insights can be gained from real-time monitoring data?
Real-time monitoring data can reveal changes in elastomer performance, such as increased closing pressure or extended test times, indicating potential wear or damage. This helps in making informed decisions about maintenance and equipment usage.

Elastomer Health Model

1. What is the elastomer health model?
The elastomer health model is a predictive tool that combines data from digital pressure testing and real-time monitoring to assess the current health and performance of elastomers. It helps in predicting when maintenance or replacement is needed.

2. How does the elastomer health model benefit operators?
The elastomer health model provides operators with insights into the wear and performance of elastomers, allowing for better maintenance planning, reduced downtime, and extended equipment life. It helps in making data-driven decisions about equipment usage and maintenance.

Implementation and Results

1. How are time savings for pressure testing calculated?
Time savings for pressure testing are calculated by comparing the time taken using the Green Light system to the estimated time that would have been taken using traditional circle charts. On average, Green Light saves 37% of the time.

2. How is the data collected and used for performance improvement?
All test data is stored in the Atlas system, a cloud-based repository. This data is used to improve algorithms, develop the elastomer health model, and provide insights for better maintenance and operational decisions.

3. What are the benefits of using DPF in pressure testing?
Using DPF in pressure testing provides higher assurance of equipment integrity by objectively assessing pressure changes over time. This helps in identifying leaks that might not be detected through subjective methods, ensuring better equipment performance and safety.