从 MPD 到 PMD：Opla Energy 的压力管理装置改造控压钻井

Opla Energy 的远程管理压力钻井技术允许用户从加拿大的办公室在二叠纪盆地进行远程操作。

OplaSmart™ 可利用人工智能工程实现自动化性能和高效钻井作业。（来源：奥普拉能源）

经过
杰克森
凯恩斯
哈特能源

大约 15 至 20 年前引入控制压力钻井 (MPD) 时，它是一种创新——一种在控制整个井眼环空压力的同时进行钻井的方法。很快这种做法就变得司空见惯，因为环空压力的控制使操作员能够钻出通常被认为不切实际的井。尽管它在首次亮相时具有独创性，但所使用的方法或技术并没有太大变化。

然而，加拿大 MPD 解决方案公司 Opla Energy 发明了一种远程、自主的控压钻井新方法。

Opla Energy 总裁兼创始人 Elvin Mammadov 告诉 Hart Energy：“PLA 的系统是全自动井下压力控制系统，可实时计算井下压力并相应调整地面压力，以保持恒定的井下压力” 。“这会自动考虑井下条件，例如不同的泥浆重量、自动浪涌拭子补偿和泵速的变化，而无需斜坡时间表或在性能钻井连接上花费额外的时间。”

（来源：奥普拉能源）
Opla Elvin Mammadov （来源：Opla Energy）

Opla 能够通过其专利压力管理装置 (PMD) 实现这一切。PMD 被设计为一种一体式自主 MPD 设备，可取代旋转控制设备、管道和歧管。PMD 尺寸紧凑，可以轻松集成到钻机中，独立连接到钻机数据，并使用 Opla 的专利非线性阻流反应技术自主控制阻流位置。

OplaSmart云平台

虽然该系统是自主的，但主题专家仍然需要输入更新的泥浆密度和定向测量信息等数据，因为 PMD 仅控制井下压力而不控制地面压力。为此，实时操作员可以使用双向云平台 OplaSmart。

OplaSmart 在现场创建资产的数字孪生并将其发送到实时运营中心。从那里，主题专家 (SME) 将数据输入数字孪生并运行数字引擎以确保安全。

“我们比实时时间提前五分钟，检查如果我们做出改变会发生什么，”马梅多夫说。“如果安全的话，它将允许设置，我们将能够看到数据已传输到云端以及从云端传输到现场”，允许 [OplaSmart 和] 远程操作来监控一切并将命令发送回 PMD。”

测试技术

创建包含许多不同系统的钻井解决方案需要时间和耐心，特别是对于 Opla 来说，因为他们整合了九项不同的专利技术。

“我们创造了一套技术，”Mammadov 说，“包括 PMD、实时液压发动机、扭矩和阻力发动机、云和自动化平台，融合了多层先进技术、非线性 PID [比例-积分-微分]控制器和物联网[物联网]软件平台。我们还开发了基于 Linux 的 MPD 操作系统，这在 MPD 领域是非常新的，因为没有一家 MPD 公司拥有自己的操作系统。

Opla 自 2019 年以来一直致力于这项技术的研究，并于 2021 年 9 月在二叠纪盆地进行了首次试验，实际操作的远程控制是在其位于加拿大卡尔加里的办公室进行的。尽管是完全远程操作，Opla 仍然派出了一名操作员以确保一切顺利进行。这种单一的操作员与过去截然不同，过去需要五人或更多人组成的团队被派往现场进行操作，而现在所需要的只是一名主题专家。

目前，Opla 正在不同的州和国家/地区开展许多远程工作，所有工作均在卡尔加里的办公室进行。虽然 Opla 才刚刚起步，但 Mammadov 已经着眼于未来。

“我们已经开始探索机器学习和人工智能对我们运营的潜力。我们的中小企业正在使用 OplaML，这是一种为 PID 控制器设置提供建议的工具，有助于提前识别潜在的钻井问题，监控实时压力并在每个连接处绘制图表，并以比人类更先进的方式监听数据。该工具一直在后台运行并接受培训，在支持我们的远程操作之旅方面显示出巨大的潜力。”

原文链接/hartenergy

From MPD to PMD: Opla Energy’s Pressure Management Device to Transform Managed Pressure Drilling

Opla Energy’s remote managed pressure drilling technology allows users to operate remotely in the Permian Basin all the way from their offices in Canada.

The OplaSmart™ allows for automated performance and efficient drilling operations using artificial intelligence engineering. (Source: Opla Energy)

By
Jaxon
Caines
Hart Energy

When managed pressure drilling (MPD) was introduced some 15 to 20 years ago, it was innovative – a way to drill while controlling the annular pressure throughout a wellbore. Soon this practice became commonplace as the control of annular pressure allowed operators to drill wells that wouldn’t normally be seen as practical. But despite its originality at debut, there hasn’t been much change in the method or technology used.

However, Opla Energy, a Canada-based MPD solutions company, has invented a new approach to managed pressure drilling, one that is both remote and autonomous.

“Opla’s system is a fully automated downhole pressure control that, in real-time, calculates downhole pressure and adjusts surface pressure accordingly to maintain a constant downhole pressure,” Elvin Mammadov, president and founder of Opla Energy, told Hart Energy. “This automatically takes into account downhole conditions such as different mud weights, automated surge swab compensation and changes in pump rates without the need for ramp schedules or extra time spent on connections for performance drilling.”

(source: Opla Energy)
Opla Elvin Mammadov (Source: Opla Energy)

Opla is able to achieve all of this through its patented Pressure Management Device (PMD). The PMD was designed to be an all-in-one autonomous MPD device that replaces the rotating control device, piping and manifold. The PMD is a compact size and can easily be integrated into a rig, connecting independently to rig data and using Opla’s patented, non-linear choke reaction technology to control the choke position autonomously.

OplaSmart cloud platform

While the system is autonomous, subject matter experts still need to input data such as updated mud density and directional survey information, as the PMD only controls downhole pressure and not surface pressure. To facilitate this, the real-time operators can use the bi-directional cloud platform OplaSmart.

OplaSmart creates a digital twin of the asset in the field and sends it to the real-time operating center. From there, the subject matter experts (SMEs) input the data into the digital twin and run the digital engine to ensure safety.

“We’re stepping up five minutes ahead of real time and checking what will happen if we make a change,” Mammadov said. “If it is safe, it will allow the set and we'll be able to see that data has been transmitted to cloud and from the cloud to the field… allow[ing] the [OplaSmart and] remote operations to monitor everything and send the command back to the PMD.”

Testing the technology

Creating a drilling solution that incorporates many different systems requires both time and patience, especially for Opla as they incorporated nine different patented technologies.

“We have created a suite of technologies,” Mammadov said, “including PMD, a real-time hydraulics engine, a torque and drag engine, cloud and automation platforms that incorporate multiple layers of advanced technologies, non-linear PID [proportional-integral-derivative] controllers and an IoT [Internet of Things] software platform. We have also developed a Linux-based MPD operating system that’s very new in the MPD world, as none of the MPD companies owns their own operating system.”

Opla has been working on this technology since 2019, with the first trial conducted in September 2021 in the Permian basin with the actual remote controlling of the operation being conducted from their offices in Calgary, Canada. Despite being a totally remote operation, Opla still sent down an operator to ensure that things ran smoothly. This singular operator is a far cry from days of the past, when teams of five or more people were sent on location to run the operations – now all that’s needed is a subject matter expert.

Currently Opla is running a number of remote jobs in different states and countries, all from their offices in Calgary. And while Opla is just getting started, Mammadov already has his eyes set on the future.

“We have already begun exploring the potential of machine learning and artificial intelligence for our operations. Our SMEs are using OplaML, a tool that provides suggestions for PID controller settings, helps identify potential drilling problems in advance, monitors real-time pressure and graphs it at each connection and listens to the data in a way more advanced way than a human. This tool has been running in the background and undergoing training and has shown great potential in supporting our remote operations journey.”