Communicatively Connecting a Control Workstation with Wellsite Equipment

Abstract

An apparatus and method for communicatively connecting a control workstation with wellsite equipment. The apparatus may include a data communication hub communicatively connected with fluid control equipment of a well construction system for constructing a well at an oil/gas wellsite, and a control workstation communicatively connected with tubular handling and rotation equipment of the well construction system. The control workstation may be communicatively connected with the data communication hub and with the fluid control equipment via the data communication hub.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a data communication hub communicatively connected with fluid control equipment of a well construction system for constructing a well at an oil/gas wellsite; and   a control workstation communicatively connected with tubular handling and rotation equipment of the well construction system, wherein the control workstation is communicatively connected with the data communication hub, and wherein the control workstation is communicatively connected with the fluid control equipment via the data communication hub.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fluid control equipment comprises at least one of:
 a fluid processing system; 
 a well control system; 
 a managed pressure drilling control system; and 
 a choke pressure control system; and 
 
 the tubular handling and rotation equipment comprises at least one of:
 tubular handling equipment operable to move drill pipe at the oil/gas wellsite; 
 drill string make up and brake out equipment operable to connect and disconnect drill pipe; 
 drill string hoisting equipment operable to move a drill string within a wellbore; and 
 drill string rotation equipment operable to rotate the drill string within the wellbore. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the fluid control equipment comprises:
 a choke manifold; 
 a liquid gas separator; and 
 a gas sensor. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the fluid control equipment and the data communication hub are connected to a common frame, and wherein the fluid control equipment, the data communication hub, and the common frame form at least a portion of an equipment skid movable as a single unit. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the fluid control equipment comprises a choke manifold and a liquid gas separator, and wherein the liquid gas separator is configured to receive fluid passing through the choke manifold. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data communication hub comprises:
 a processing device; 
 an actuator drive communicatively connected with the processing device and electrically connected with an electrical actuator disposed in association with or forming at least a portion of the fluid control equipment; and 
 an electrical junction communicatively connected with the processing device and electrically connecting the data communication hub with a plurality of sensors disposed in association with or forming at least a portion of the fluid control equipment. 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data communication hub is operable to:
 receive information from the fluid control equipment; and 
 convert the information to a communication protocol signal for reception by the control workstation. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the data communication hub is operable to:
 receive first information using a first communication protocol from the fluid control equipment; and 
 transmit the first information using a second communication protocol to the control workstation; and 
 
 the control workstation is operable to:
 receive the first information using the second communication protocol from the data communication hub; and 
 receive second information using the second communication protocol from the tubular handling and rotation equipment. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein:
 the control workstation is operable to:
 transmit first control commands using the second communication protocol to the data communication hub; and 
 transmit second control commands using the second communication protocol to the tubular handling and rotation equipment; and 
 
 the data communication hub is operable to:
 receive the first control commands using the second communication protocol; and 
 transmit the first control commands using the first communication protocol to the fluid control equipment. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control workstation, the tubular handling and rotation equipment, and the data communication hub are communicatively connected with a rig control communication network to communicatively connect the control workstation with the tubular handling and rotation equipment and the data communication hub. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a control workstation for controlling a well construction system operable to construct a well at an oil/gas wellsite, wherein the control workstation is operable to:
 receive from fluid control equipment of the well construction system first information indicative of operational status of the fluid control equipment; and 
 receive from tubular handling and rotation equipment of the well construction system second information indicative of operational status of the tubular handling and rotation equipment; and 
   a data communication hub communicatively connected with the fluid control equipment via a plurality of first multi-conductor cables each connected with a corresponding piece of the fluid control equipment, wherein the data communication hub is communicatively connected with the control workstation via a second multi-conductor cable, and wherein the data communication hub is operable to:
 receive first information from the fluid control equipment via the plurality of first multi-conductor cables; and 
 transmit the first information to the control workstation via the second multi-conductor cable. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the fluid control equipment comprises at least one of:
 a choke manifold; 
 a liquid gas separator; and 
 a gas sensor. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein:
 the fluid control equipment and the data communication hub are connected to a common frame; 
 the fluid control equipment, the data communication hub, and the common frame form at least a portion of an equipment skid movable as a single unit; 
 the fluid control equipment comprises a choke manifold and a liquid gas separator; and 
 the liquid gas separator is configured to receive fluid passing through the choke manifold. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the data communication hub comprises:
 a processing device; 
 an actuator drive communicatively connected with the processing device and electrically connected with an electrical actuator disposed in association with or forming at least a portion of the fluid control equipment; and 
 an electrical junction communicatively connected with the processing device and electrically connecting the data communication hub with a plurality of sensors disposed in association with or forming at least a portion of the fluid control equipment. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the second multi-conductor cable is a single multi-conductor cable, and wherein the data communication hub is operable to transmit the first information to the control workstation via the single multi-conductor cable. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 operating a well construction system to construct a well at an oil/gas wellsite while:
 generating first information indicative of operational status of fluid control equipment of the well construction system; and 
 generating second information indicative of operational status of tubular handling and rotation equipment of the well construction system; 
   operating a data communication hub to:
 receive the first information; and 
 transmit the first information using a predetermined communication protocol; and 
   operating a control workstation for controlling the well construction system to:
 receive the first information from the data communication hub; and 
 receive the second information from the tubular handling and rotation equipment. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the fluid control equipment comprises at least one of:
 a choke manifold; 
 a liquid gas separator; and 
 a gas sensor. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising operating the data communication hub to convert the received first information to the predetermined communication protocol. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising operating the well construction system to transmit the second information to the control workstation using the predetermined communication protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 operating the control workstation to:
 transmit first control commands using the predetermined communication protocol to the data communication hub; and 
 transmit second control commands using the predetermined communication protocol to the tubular handling and rotation equipment; and 
 
 operating the data communication hub to:
 receive the first control commands using the predetermined communication protocol; and 
 transmit the first control commands using another communication protocol to the fluid control equipment.