HEAVY IRON NEWS
GE & BP Are Making Wells Smarter
- By Design Team
- •
- 11 Aug, 2015
The Internet of Things is coming to BP. BP has joined with GE's Predix software to make its oil wells a bit smarter, which could vastly improve production and efficiency outlooks. GE's Predix software will use information collected from BP's wells for analysis and predictions, which can be used to then make further decisions regarding each individual well and production flows
BIG DATA IN BIG WELLS
Big data has been used throughout a variety of industries in an effort to improve efficiencies. GE's Predix software collects large amounts of data, which is generally too large to be compiled or analyzed by human eyes. This data can include the heat, pressure, flow and other important aspects of each well. The pilot program will include 650 wells and a half a million data points being collected every 15 seconds. Should the pilot program operate effectively, BP has further plans to include GE's software in 4,000 wells by 2016.
The advantage of these tremendously large data sets is that it reveals patterns and information that might otherwise not be identifiable to the human eye. Through these patterns, predictions can be made. BP will be able to use GE's Predix-provided data to determine whether a well may be close to failing or how long of a lifespan each individual well has. The more data is gathered, the more information BP will be able to glean.
THE ADVANTAGES OF THE INTERNET OF THINGS
Most wells today run on sensors rather than predictive analysis or big data. Though these sensors can tell certain immediate issues with a well, such as how hot it is running or what the pressure is at the time, it cannot predict future behavior based on prior information. GE's Predix software won't just collect and analyze data, but it will link all of the wells in the project to the Internet of Things. Ultimately this will make it easier for BP to prevent failures before they occur and minimize their downtime. If sufficiently advanced, the Internet of Things and predictive analysis could even make oil fields and oil wells safer.
GE has been working for years to create an Internet of Things that spans a large spectrum, from industrial applications to household appliances. The Internet of Things is a philosophy of always-on connectivity that includes granular access to a variety of controls and variables throughout a system, making it easier than ever to track efficiency and improve upon existing commercial and residential infrastructures. Such a substantial move into the industrial sector is a significant one.
BP and GE's new project should be exciting for industrial companies throughout the globe, not just those within the oil and gas industry. GE's Predix software can be used in and tailored to a variety of applications, and the scale at which BP's industrial Internet solution is being introduced is unprecedented. If the pilot project is counted as a success, GE's Predix solutions and the Internet of Things may very well be coming to a variety of other industries and companies, in addition to improving the productivity of BP's oil wells.
Subscribe to Email Updates
Recent Post
| A new project in development in Oman may be able to revolutionize the way that people think about solar energy and oil and gas. The Miraah project currently being developed will use solar power in order to produce oil, thereby reducing the amount of natural gas Oman residences will need to rely upon. Ideally, the Miraah project will be able to address many of the outstanding issues with solar technology related to energy capture, while creating a more efficient and effective method of oil production. |
Xodus Group, an international group of energy consultants, has now completed the first stage of its multiphase flow research project
, and is now entering the second. Multiphase flow is designed to research, simulate, and predict how dynamic forces act within the piping that is commonly used throughout the oil and gas industry, for a better understanding of the technology's potential improvements.
Reports have revealed that two-thirds of the natural gas in the United States are now coming from fracking
, thanks to the extensive shale gas resources and the proliferation of unconventional drilling throughout the country. Natural gas is increasingly being used throughout the globe as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to goal, and the domestic energy markets are seeing a significant reduction in utility costs.
As the oil and gas industry has been hard at work decreasing its oil production costs, the oil transportation industry has been similarly engaged. The need for oil transportation on a national and global level has been increasing alongside the need for oil throughout the world. As oil production ramps up in the United States, the old oil transportation methods have become insufficient and inefficient for the new volume of materials that need to be moved. New technologies are presently being developed to make it easier and faster to transport oil, thereby reducing overhead for the industry as a whole.
The Gulf of Mexico has been steadily increasing its oil production despite concerns regarding plummeting oil prices. In fact, production has increased enough that the Gulf of Mexico is expected to reach a record high in 2017. Many oil production companies and unconventional drillers have increased production throughout the United States rather than slowing down. Despite this, oil and gas remains a big and booming business.
