Guided Wave Radar Helps Drive Performance for Oil Well Cementing Trucks
Mixing and pumping cement into a drilled borehole is one of the most critical steps in oil and gas well production. The injected slurry hardens to form a strong, protective sheath around the drilling string and isolates it from surrounding geologic features. Oil well cementing is typically among the first operations to prepare a well for production and one of the last operations to plug a well prior to its abandonment.
The cement sheath creates a smooth internal bore for operating well-drilling equipment. It fortifies drill pipe strength, protects the casing from shock loads during operation, and wards off contamination and corrosion. Through zonal isolation, cementing segregates the various zones that may have different pressures or fluids. By sealing off high-pressure zones from the surface, cementing curbs blowout potential.
Cementing also stabilizes surrounding geology and prevents unstable formations from caving-in and bogging down the drill string to bring production to a halt. Cement’s impermeable seal prevents water, soil, and sand from contaminating the well flow.
Level Control Considerations for Oil Well Cementing
Mixing and injecting the cement into a well is accomplished by truck-mounted, trailer-mounted and skid-mounted equipment configurations. The mobile cementing truck, with its integrated mixing, pumping, and control systems, is the preferred choice among oilfield professionals. Trucks feature bulk transport or batch mixing units and an accompanying high-pressure pump to force the slurry down the casing. The mixing system blends Portland cement, water, and various additives that affect the weight, density, behavior, and setting time of the slurry. Control systems typically include automatic density control and data recording systems with user-friendly interfaces, serial data output, and manual backup controls. An essential consideration for the performance of the control system is effective level control.
準確的混合和儲罐液位是關鍵參數。測量必須精確且響應迅速，因為緩慢的液位響應可能會導致延遲控製反應，從而在儲罐超過高液位或低液位限值時損壞固井係統並關閉操作。在設備的整個使用壽命期間，液位控製提供一致、均勻、符合性能標準的混合泥漿的能力至關重要。除了準確性、響應性、用戶友好性和可靠性之外，移動式液位控製裝置還必須非常堅固，能夠承受油田日常行駛的衝擊。乐动体育下载
一個成功的故事
A leading manufacturer of cementing equipment in China wanted the above attributes in level controls for the cementing trucks it manufactures. The measured medium is a complex mix: an agitated slurry with foam, solids, and changing density. Operation is under atmospheric pressure with a typical temperature of around +95oF (+35o C). Liquid additives mixed into the slurry reduce viscosity to about 60 centipoise (cP), which is similar in viscosity to corn oil.
Given the nature of this application, the petroleum machinery manufacturing company selected the Magnetrol® Eclipse® Guided Wave Radar (GWR) level transmitter with an overfill-capable probe installed in an external cage with a 31 inch (800 mm) center-to-center measurement range. The closed coaxial design tends to reject the false target that foam is known to produce, and the probe’s high accuracy ensures safe and efficient operation. The convenient user interface makes field adjustment and configuration quick and easy.
The ECLIPSE guided wave radar unit was tested against competitive GWR instrumentation. Two advantages gave ECLIPSE transmitters the edge. First, the response time was extremely quick – within one second – and thus showed operators real-time level. Competitors’ units required a full 10 seconds to respond. Second, the overfill safe probe delivered outstanding performance, giving accurate level readings to the top of the probe and close to the very top of the tank. By demonstrating best-in-class transmitter response time and full probe measurement range, over 100 ECLIPSE GWR transmitters were used for upgrades to the customer’s oil well cementing trucks.
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