Transforming Sand Management with eFlowback: How EnerCorp Leveraged Ignition SCADA and Opto 22 groov for Automated Efficiency in Oil & Gas Operations.
Problem: Flow stream sand removal and management is labour intensive, dangerous and inefficient
Sand removal and management is labor intensive
Traditionally, sand removal and management is predominantly manual.
Personnel have to frequently engage with the equipment—sometimes as often as every five minutes during peak sand production. This involves physically walking to the vessel, manually operating a series of valves to dump the sand into a weighing device, and then recording the weight before disposing of the sand.
Sand removal and management is dangerous and inefficient
Additionally, personnel must monitor for leaks and erosional damage, as the abrasive nature of the fluid flow poses significant risks. This manual process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also exposes workers to hazardous conditions, thereby increasing the risk of accidents and decreasing overall operational efficiency.
Objective: Develop an automated solution that enhances site efficiency and safety by minimizing human interaction with these high-risk areas.
Solution:
EnerCorp & MAC innovatively addressed operational challenges by designing a SCADA system, powered by Ignition SCADA, that provides autonomous control of flowback and sand management. The automated system reduces equipment footprint and personnel costs and minimizing emissions.
Engineering stack:
• AB Logix PLC
• groov EPIC PLC
• x2 extreme HMI
• Ignition
• iX Developer
• AWS Platform
Project by the numbers:
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Technologies deployed
Ignition SCADA
Ignition SCADA is the heart of the transformation from traditional flowback to the fully autonomous eFlowback system. By leveraging Ignition’s powerful capabilities, eFlowback seamlessly integrates industry-leading sand separation technology with advanced automation and a cloud-based high performance interface. This enables operators to remotely monitor and control flowback sites in real time, ensuring continuous operation with minimal manual intervention. Ignition’s flexibility and scalability are essential in driving the system’s autonomy, significantly enhancing safety, efficiency, and performance.
Opto 22 groov EPIC System
If Ignition serves as the heart of eFlowback, then the Opto 22 groov EPIC system functions as its brain, leveraging a second-generation design. The groov EPIC interfaces with all critical end devices, including valves, pressure transmitters, and discrete safety switches. Transitioning to the groov EPIC facilitated more efficient communication through MQTT Sparkplug B, significantly enhancing real-time data sharing. This upgrade not only improved operational efficiency and responsiveness but also streamlined the monitoring and control of the flowback process.
Opto 22 groov RIO System
The Opto 22 groov RIO system is a sophisticated tool used for tracking sand volume in decoupled sand accumulators. It utilizes MQTT Sparkplug B protocol to transmit sand volume data in real time, ensuring timely and accurate monitoring. Additionally, the system is set to incorporate Node-RED for edge intelligence, which will enhance its capability to track fluctuations in sand volume. This integration promises to improve the precision and efficiency of sand volume management processes.
Beijer x2 Extreme HMI
The Beijer x2 Extreme HMI proved to be an ideal choice for the eFlowback system, delivering robust performance. The intuitive software platform, iX Developer, enhanced visualization and control, improving operator efficiency and decision-making in real time for local operators and technicians. Additionally, the durable construction and wide temperature range of the x2 Extreme HMI guaranteed reliable operation, making them a dependable solution for optimizing the flowback process and enhancing overall system performance.
Asset Tracker System
eFlowback utilizes cellular modems equipped with the ability to forward GPS data, enhancing the functionality and accuracy of asset tracking. A custom software package was developed to import this data into the eFlowback system by converting NMEA data into MQTT format, specifically tailored for Ignition. This software, and NMEA to MQTT Publisher is managed within MAC’s GitHub repository and operates within a Docker container, running parallel to the eFlowback Ignition container. This setup ensures efficient data integration and seamless operation, tailored to meet the specific needs of the eFlowback system.
User Provisioning System
Granting access to the EnerCorp Ignition system is a central feature for eFlowback customers, designed to enhance their experience by providing tailored information. As eFlowback assets frequently move between various customer locations, it is crucial that each customer has access exclusively to information related to eFlowback assets connected to their specific production equipment. The system has been expertly designed and implemented to ensure that it appears custom-made for each customer, allowing for a more personalized and effective user experience.
Outcome
The implementation of our system has dramatically enhanced operational efficiency, safety, and control, enabling a single operator to manage more wells than ever before. To date, the system has been successfully applied to over 200 wells, where it has automatically separated and quantified over 8 million pounds of sand without any leaks or uncontrolled releases. This robust performance underscores our commitment to reliability and environmental safety with the power of Ignition.
Technology Partners
Team
Meet the MAC automation, SCADA and electrical engineers that executed this project:
MAC Automation
MAC Engineering