过去30年，无线技术的快速发展改变了我们的工作场所和生活，从手机到Wi-Fi、智能手机和其他联网智能设备。在地面，油田领域也正在进行着这种转变，然而，井下无线指挥、控制和监测的优势尚未得到充分发挥。

油田行业全面实现数字化转型，应能提升运营效率、实时响应能力、工作场所安全，并更高效地利用人力和资产等资源。此次转型主要集中在地面作业，因为地面作业更容易实现现成技术和人工智能的定制化部署，并避免了井下环境的技术挑战。

智能完井

历史上，扩展井下实时监测和控制的唯一方法是使用电缆、控制线以及必须集成到完井系统并随完井系统一起安装的动力控制和监测设备。这些被称为“智能”或“智能完井”的设备在过去20年中已实现商业化应用（SPE 90664）。

这项技术并非新鲜事物。然而，由于成本和复杂性等因素，其应用尚未普及。市场调查显示，过去五年来，这一趋势并未发生显著变化，这充分表明该技术尚未被广泛应用。

许多技术论文对智能完井利用不足的问题进行了评论，并提出了克服这一问题的策略，包括改进候选方案选择工作流程和先进的项目管理（SPE 209965、SPE 122855）。在 SPE 209965 中，Nelson 等人深入探讨了智能完井设计和实施的复杂性及其工程考虑因素。在他的论文中，智能完井中控制管线的复杂性体现在控制流体设计所需的关注度和细节上，从流体调节到缓解可能导致阀门意外移动的热致控制管线压力升高。

尽管全球有大量油井可以从加强的井下控制和监测中受益，但智能完井的应用并不总是具有经济合理性，或者在技术上不可行。

无线系统

智能井和智能完井技术的重点主要集中在地面供电或控制的监控系统的永久性安装上。而对于采用无线监控系统来实现智能井和完井技术的考虑则相对有限。重要的是要考虑这项技术的优势，以便能够以经济高效的方式将指挥和控制扩展到更广泛的井下资产。

无线井下通信克服了在不使用控制线、馈通装置和接口的情况下为油井安装仪表和添加功能的挑战，同时能够安装在新的完井系统中或改造现有的完井结构（SPE 107117），Naldrett 2012）。业内有多种井下通信平台可供选择，每种平台都有其优缺点，Bouldin等人在2021年对其进行了广泛的综述。Bouldin的论文总结了2019年的最新技术，但最近的出版物表明，该技术的开发和应用正在迅速发展（SPE 221054）。

有什么好处？

无线指挥、控制和监控技术克服了与处理多样化和老化井库存相关的可扩展性挑战。由于消除了电缆和控制管线的复杂性，该技术易于与完井系统一起部署，并且可以通过钢丝或连续油管等简单的干预技术轻松改造到现有的完井系统中。

这些设备可从地面接收指令，或通过编程实现自主运行，无需地面指令即可对井下环境做出反应。地面监测或控制设备可轻松与地面基础设施或现有监测和控制系统集成。

系统性能会在地面定期监测，以便规划维护或及时更换这些设备，确保运营的连续性。这项技术通常无需集成到现有的控制系统中即可轻松运行，以后需要时再进行集成即可。

有哪些限制？

无线指挥、控制和监控技术主要受限于可用功率，目前主要基于锂电池技术。这些设备的工作寿命取决于功耗或使用情况以及可用的电池寿命。

虽然井下工具有涡轮机等发电解决方案，但目前尚无可靠的可充电电池可在高温下长期使用。业界仍在持续研发，以降低这些设备的功耗，并延长电池技术的井下使用寿命。

应用

这些系统实时监测井下参数，并通过无线方式将数据传送至地面，用于储层和生产优化或井筒完整性监测。监测通常与控制相结合，以便在上部或下部完井的指定位置实现远程流量控制。

该技术继续应用于各种井下应用：井测试的远程监控；井测试阀门驱动；更换失效的永久性井下仪表（SPE 192940）；为现有井增加流量控制和监控；用于控制分段生产间隔流量贡献的多种设备；以及更换失效的地下安全和井下屏障监控装置（IPTC 22891）。

无线的未来

为了全面实现工业4.0和真正的数字化油田，需要井下实时监控、指挥和控制，以优化油藏性能、提高产量并增强从油藏到地面的安全性。无线井下技术是少数易于应用于大量、多样化且日益老化的井群的解决方案之一，这些井群无法通过智能完井技术进行维护。这些无线系统更具成本效益，并且通过避免重新完井和最大限度地减少干预，对环境的影响更小，从而在延长现有资产寿命的同时减少二氧化碳排放_。

进一步阅读

SPE 221054 未来是无线控制和监控， 作者：K. Forrest 和 J. Abbott。

IPTC 22891 集成无线屏障监控系统提高了 CO™ 井干预效率， 作者：V. Azevedo、F. Paluruan 和 R. Skwara。

SPE 192940由 A. Green、P. Lynch 和 B. Bugten开发和现场试验世界上第一个云连接无线智能完井系统。

G. Naldrett 和 TI Asen 合著《无线井筒——未来之路》 。《石油技术杂志》（2012 年）。

SPE 209965 系统工程建议，以改进智能完井， 作者：R. Nelson、E. Handley、J. Joubran、R. Musayev 和 D. Patel。

SPE 90664 用于可调流量控制的智能井下阀门设计， 作者：M. Konopczynski 和 A. Ajayi。

SPE 122855 数字油田解决方案的前景与挑战——从全球实施中吸取的教训和未来方向， 作者：S. Sankaran、J. Lugo、A. Awasthi 和 G. Mijares。

SPE 107117 智能井作业的成就：水电完井案例研究， 作者：I. Raw 和 E. Tenold。

乔纳森·阿伯特（Jonathan Abbott），SPE，是TAQA油井完井卓越中心的首席技术官，负责一系列旨在优化油井与油藏之间界面的技术。他拥有英国谢菲尔德大学的工程学硕士和德语硕士学位。阿伯特在运营、销售、技术支持、产品开发和项目管理方面拥有超过23年的国际经验。他的职业生涯曾在加拿大、俄罗斯、中东、非洲和欧洲等地工作。他在以油藏为中心的生产和完井优化方面拥有丰富的专业知识，并拥有多项行业首创技术，并获得了技术专利和行业认可的出版物的支持。

 

 

乔纳森·阿伯特（Jonathan Abbott， SPE）是TAQA油井完井公司的首席技术官，负责一系列旨在优化油井与油藏之间界面的技术。他在运营、销售、技术支持、产品开发和项目管理方面拥有超过23年的国际经验。阿伯特拥有英国谢菲尔德大学的工程学硕士和德语硕士学位。他的职业生涯曾在加拿大、俄罗斯、中东、非洲和欧洲等地工作。他在以油藏为中心的生产和完井优化方面拥有丰富的专业知识，并拥有多项行业首创技术，并获得了多项技术专利和行业认可的出版物的支持。

In the past 30 years the rapid growth of wireless technology has transformed the workplace and our lives from cellular phones to Wi-Fi, smart phones, and other connected smart devices. At the surface this transformation is also ongoing in the oil field, however the benefits of downhole wireless command, control, and monitoring are yet to be fully exploited.

A fully realized digital transformation in the oilfield sector should offer increased operational efficiency, the ability to respond in real time, improved workplace safety, and a more efficient usage of resources including both people and assets. This transformation has been focused mainly on the surface where the implementation of off-the-shelf technologies and artificial intelligence is more easily customized, and the technical challenges of the downhole environment are avoided.

Intelligent Completions

Historically, the only way to extend real-time monitoring and control downhole was by using cables, control lines, and powered control and monitoring devices that must be integrated into and installed with the completion. These are known as “smart” or “intelligent completions” which have been commercially available for the past 20 years (SPE 90664).

This technology is not new. However, its application is not widespread mainly due to a combination of cost and complexity. The lack of widespread industry adoption is evident in market surveys demonstrating no significant change in this trend over the past 5 years.

A number of technical papers comment on the underutilization of intelligent completions and propose strategies to overcome this from improved candidate selection workflows to advanced project management (SPE 209965, SPE 122855). In SPE 209965, Nelson et al. provide insight into the complexity and engineering considerations for the design and implementation of intelligent completions. In his paper, .the sheer complexity of control lines in intelligent completions is underscored by the level of attention and detail required for the design of control fluids from fluid conditioning to mitigating thermally induced control-line pressure gains that can lead to unintended valve movement.

Although there is a significant, global well stock that would benefit from enhanced downhole control and monitoring, the application of intelligent completions cannot always be economically justified or is simply not technically feasible.

Wireless Systems

The focus on smart wells and intelligent completions technology has been predominantly on permanent installations of surface-powered or -controlled monitoring and control systems. There has been limited consideration of implementation of wireless monitoring and control systems to achieve the same. It is important to consider the benefits of this technology to enable a cost-effective expansion of command and control to a wider range of downhole assets.

Wireless downhole communication overcomes the challenge to instrument and add functionality to wells without the use of control lines, feedthroughs, and interfaces while enabling the installation in new completions or retrofit into existing completion architecture (SPE 107117), Naldrett 2012). There are a range of downhole communication platforms available in the industry, each with their pros and cons extensively reviewed by Bouldin et al. in 2021. Bouldin’s paper provides a summary of the state-of-the-art in 2019, yet more recent publications demonstrate that the development and application technology is progressing rapidly (SPE 221054).

What Are the Benefits?

Wireless command, control, and monitoring technology overcomes the scalability challenges associated with addressing a diverse and aging well stock. Removing the complexity of cables and control lines makes this technology simple to deploy with the completion and easily retrofittable into existing completions via straightforward intervention techniques such as slickline or coiled tubing.

These devices can be commanded from surface or programmed to operate autonomously and react to the downhole environment without command from surface. Surface monitoring or control equipment is then easily integrated with surface infrastructure or existing monitoring and control systems.

System performance is routinely monitored at surface to plan service or timely replacement of these devices and ensure continuity of operations. This technology can often function easily without integration into existing control systems, which can always be done at a later date when required.

What Are the Limitations?

Wireless command, control and monitoring technology is mainly limited by the available power which today is based on lithium battery technology. The working life of these devices is dictated by the power consumption or usage and available battery life.

Although power-generation solutions such as turbines exist for downhole tools, there is currently no reliable rechargeable battery for long-term application at high temperatures. The industry continues research and development to both reduce power usage of these devices while extending the downhole longevity of battery technology.

Applications

These systems provide real-time monitoring of downhole parameters and wirelessly relay this data to surface for reservoir- and production- optimization or well-integrity monitoring. Monitoring is often combined with control to enable remote control of flow at desired locations in the upper or lower completion.

This technology continues to be applied in a variety of downhole applications: remote monitoring for well test; well-test valve actuation; replacement of failed permanent downhole gauges (SPE 192940); adding flow control and monitoring to existing wells; multiple devices for control of flow contribution from segmented production intervals; and replacing a failed subsurface safety and downhole barrier monitoring (IPTC 22891).

A Wireless Future

For the full realization of Industry 4.0 and a truly digital oil field, real-time monitoring, command and control are required downhole to optimize reservoir performance, improve production, and enhance safety from the reservoir to the surface. Wireless downhole technology is one of the only solutions that is easily applied to a large, diverse, and increasingly aging well stock that cannot be serviced by intelligent completions. These wireless systems are more cost effective and have a lower environmental impact by avoiding recompletion and minimizing intervention, thereby also reducing CO₂ emissions while extending the life of existing assets.

For Further Reading

SPE 221054 The Future Is Wireless Control and Monitoring by K. Forrest and J. Abbott.

IPTC 22891 Integrated Wireless Barrier Monitoring System Improves CO₂ Well Intervention Efficiency by V. Azevedo, F. Paluruan, and R. Skwara.

SPE 192940 Development and Field Trial of the World's 1st Cloud-Connected Wireless Intelligent Completion System by A. Green, P. Lynch, and B. Bugten.

Wireless Wellbore–The Way Ahead by G. Naldrett and T.I. Asen. Journal of Petroleum Technology (2012).

SPE 209965 System Engineering Recommendations To Improve Intelligent Completions by R. Nelson, E. Handley, J. Joubran, R. Musayev, and D. Patel.

SPE 90664 Design of Intelligent Well Downhole Valves for Adjustable Flow Control by M. Konopczynski and A. Ajayi.

SPE 122855 The Promise and Challenges of Digital Oilfield Solutions—Lessons Learned From Global Implementations and Future Directions by S. Sankaran, J. Lugo, A. Awasthi, and G. Mijares.

SPE 107117 Achievements of Smart Well Operations: Completion Case Studies for Hydro by I. Raw and E. Tenold.

Jonathan Abbott, SPE, is the chief technology officer at TAQA Well Completions’ Centre of Excellence where he is responsible for a range of technologies designed to optimize the interface between the well and the reservoir. He holds an MEng and a master’s degree in German from the University of Sheffield, UK. Abbott has more than 23 years of international experience in operations, sales, technical support, product development, and project management. His career includes stints in Canada, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He has significant expertise in reservoir-centric production and completion optimization, with a proven track record of multiple technical industry firsts, supported by technology patents and industry-recognized publications.

 

 

Jonathan Abbott, SPE, is the chief technology officer at TAQA Well Completions where he is responsible for a range of technologies designed to optimize the interface between the well and the reservoir. He has more than 23 years of international experience in operations, sales, technical support, product development, and project management. Abbott holds an MEng and a master’s degree in German from the University of Sheffield, UK. His career includes stints in Canada, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He has significant expertise in reservoir-centric production and completion optimization, with a proven track record of multiple technical industry firsts, supported by technology patents and industry-recognized publications.