CONFIGURABLE MONITORING SOLUTIONS - ACHIEVING

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES BY LEVERAGING THE LATEST

ADVANCEMENTS IN CONNECTIVITY AND CLOUD COMPUTING

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David Faichnie, Andrew Cappello, Benoit Le Bihan, Alex Pietrapiana, Matteo Zorloni,
TechnipFMC.

This paper was presented at the 15th OMC Med Energy Conference and Exhibition in Ravenna, Italy, September 28-30, 2021. It was
selected for presentation by OMC 2021 Programme Committee following review of information contained in the abstract submitted by
the author(s). The Paper as presented at OMC 2021 has not been reviewed by the Programme Committee.

ABSTRACT

TechnipFMC's approach to integrate remote monitoring systems onto oilfield equipment aims to
provide a safe, reliable, and low-cost solution for 24/7 monitoring of customer assets from
anywhere in the world. The technology offering supplies real time data to determine the status of
oilfield equipment and its subsystems to support production optimization, maintenance planning,
improved HSE and reduced operating expenditure, making operations more efficient and cost
effective. This paper presents and discusses a flexible and cost effective upstream monitoring
system to allow production assets in the field to be monitored and optimized remotely. This
improves the performance of the assets while reducing operating expenditures and allows
operators to make more informed decisions in real time, based on latest performance data from the
field. The paper will discuss a novel approach and architecture to allow the petroleum industry to
easily, quickly and cost effectively take advantage of new IOT and advanced analytics
technologies to inform decisions and optimize production performance and efficiencies. Leveraging
novel software applications allows such technology to scale easily, allowing operators to future
proof their systems and protect the investment already made in existing infrastructure. Real world
examples and field deployments will be described to illustrate application areas currently explored
and some insight into future capability to be incorporated will be discussed. These will include
wellhead monitoring, tank level monitoring, virtual flow computer, and production systems
examples showing how small applications can then be easily integrated to give full system
automation and optimization.

INTRODUCTION

The Oil & Gas industry (and energy sector in general) are currently in the midst of trying to
negotiate their way through digital transformation and understand and navigate all the potential
solutions open to them to build systems capable of autonomous operations and optimization of
equipment while reducing operating costs and environmental impact. Some key areas of focus to
increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve safety performance and environmental impact of
operations:
 Reduction of manpower needed through automation of equipment and processes
 Prevent equipment downtime via real time & remote monitoring
 Automate data collection and reporting
 Decentralize data insights and increase visibility of operations
 Increase safety through reduction of human intervention/operation

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When assessing a system architecture there are some important aspects to consider early in the
design phase to ensure any system developed can accommodate a range of applications:
 Ensure the solution is suitable for both greenfield and brownfield deployment to protect
existing investments while still allowing new technology to be leveraged to augment and
improve operations
 Easy retrofittable without major disruption to operations

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 Interoperability, allowing the system to interface to other new or legacy systems installed
onsite. This gives the ability to pull data from different systems and allow all data to be
collected and presented under a single interface.
 System should be data agnostic, meaning it can handle data from many different pieces of
equipment seamlessly.
 Scalable (can be used from very small to large projects). The architecture should be flexible
and simple enough to allow small projects to be executed while supporting large scale
project deployments when required
 Ease of integration, making sure operations are not disturbed during deployment to
maintain production.
 Complexity of adoption should be low ensuring personnel can be easily trained with
interactive and simple user interfaces while reducing the need for custom software and
onsite hardware deliveries.
 Reduction of engineering effort per project by utilising common hardware and software
modules that can be easily integrated and deployed as stand alone applications or as part
of a larger system delivery. This will allow projects to be delivered quickly and cost
effectively.
 System security is paramount to ensure there is no risk of data escapes or cybersecurity
issues and to maintain confidence in the system and its operation.
 Ensure that the system can be implemented to improve environmental impact of the
equipment.
Often for surface applications power requirements can be a project driver which makes it attractive
to install as little hardware at the field location as possible. Solar solutions are available to power
equipment in remote areas but to keep costs low then you want the minimal hardware footprint
available to reduce solar panel and battery sizes required. Our approach is to try and replace
functionality of separate hardware components in a system with a series of software modules that
can be run simultaneously on a single common processor to reduce size, complexity and power
requirements of the overall solution.
The next section describes how we take such requirements and design solutions that can be
applied across the value stream of oil & gas operations to support the growing needs of the
industry. Leveraging such systems will ensure the industry remains competitive and can continue
to meet the overall efficiency gains and cost reductions while reducing carbon footprints of
operations and associated environmental impacts.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The system architecture is broken down into a number of distinct but interlinked functional blocks
that can be delivered as an integrated end-to-end solution or can be broken down just to cover
gaps in existing systems.
The two operational technology blocks on the left hand side of figure 1 provide all the functionality
of a traditional DCS/SCADA solution but combined with a software module to securely transfer
encrypted data back to a cloud repository, existing in what we refer to as the IT environment,
designated by InsiteX in figure 1. This architecture is very important since it allows data, normally
locked within DCS/SCADA archivers and physical servers, to be transferred and stored in a central
repository where entire organisations can have access to current real time data. It also means

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once that data is available in the cloud, any number of existing IT packages or software solutions
can be leveraged to provide further processing and insights into the data and performance of the
equipment. The last element of the system resides to the right hand side of figure 1 where we
couple an artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning (ML) workbench to the system, allowing
company subject matter experts to use the data for their own purposes, to further enhance their
use of the available data sets.

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Fig.1: System Architecture

Integration of the operational technology and information technology worlds ensures that the right
data is available to the right people at the right time in the organisation. It will also help with data
sharing between customers and suppliers to improve response times to solve issues and failures,
often replacing physical trips to sites which can be very time consuming and costly.

INSTRUMENTATION & SENSORS

Equipment is configured with integrated instrumentation packages to allow mission critical data to
be collected reliably, ready for further analysis or processing. Both wired and wireless options are
available with specific models selected based on specific project needs and functionality
requirements. In cases of brownfield retrofit, existing instrumentation can also be interfaced
through the same common interface to allow system capability to be upgraded with minimal
investment. Both wired and wireless sensors can be deployed depending on the use case and
project needs and often a mixture of wired and wireless sensors are used on any one project.

Wired Sensors

Depending on the application a range of wired instrumentation can be used and incorporated into
systems including simple limit switches to measure valve positions. Wired pressure, temperature,
level and flow measurements are also possible where they are most appropriate.
Flowmeters including turbine meters, PD meters, ultrasonic flowmeters and Coriolis meters can be
used as required. Multiphase meters can also be interfaced using the same platform to allow full
field monitoring along with other industry standard 3rd party instrument can also be included using
standard industry protocols. Such sensors can be new or existing ones allowing brownfield
expansion of capability to incorporate this latest technology to improve performance of existing
assets.

Wireless Sensors

For many applications use of wireless sensors is now very attractive since it adds flexibility (easy to
install and setup), speeds up installation and reduces costs (no trenching needed or electricians),
no need for wiring (including trenching or installation of conduit) and generally no extra permitting

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is required to allow installation quickly. Modern wireless devices are fit-for purpose, reliable,
intrinsically safe, field proven and provide long battery lifetimes making them suitable for long term
use in upstream oil & gas installations. It's important when assessing the type of wireless
technology to use that the specific issues associated with upstream oil & gas operations are
considered.
Considerations include:
 Transmission Range: wireless transmission distance from sensor to gateway is an

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important parameter to ensure gateways can cover as many wellsites as possible in remote
locations. The transmitter technology we use provides longer range capability than
traditional WirelessHART and ISA100 systems detailed in table 1. Various frequencies are
available, covering requirements for global deployments with ranges given in Table 1.

Tab. 1: Transmission Range

Transmission Frequency Range

868MHz 5.2 Miles [8.4km]
900/915MHz 1.4 Miles [2.3km]
2.4GHz 5.7 Miles [9.2km]
2.4GHz (LP) 1.4 Miles [3.0km]

New IOT technology is also starting to become available using Sigfox and LoRaWAN
technology platforms which can further extend the range at which data can be transferred,
20km becoming possible for some solutions. It's important to consider the field layout early
in the planning phase to reduce the number of gateways needed to collect data from
multiple assets.
 Battery lifetime: 10 year battery lifetime with 60 second measurement frequency is
possible. Longer lifetimes reduce the service intervals and risks of battery failure. Battery
voltage is also transmitted by the sensor itself which allows the user to monitor power levels
and plan replacement prior to failure.
 Sensor Agnostic: various industry standard sensors can be connected to the transmitters
(assuming sensor meets certification requirements and also input/output signal
requirements). Transmitters can also support being connected to multiple sensors
simultaneously (3 pressure sensors plus 1 discrete sensor can be connected to each
analog/discrete transmitter). This gives the system flexibility to adapt to different project
needs.
 Ex Certified: Wireless transmitters should be certified per ATEX/IECEx/CSA for zone 1
hazardous area locations. Battery packs can also be replaced while in the hazardous zone.
 Rugged and Field Proven: Devices are packaged for demanding upstream oil & gas
applications, certified for operation from -40°C to +70°C and have extensive field
references.
 LCD display as standard: In-Built LCD screens are supplied on all transmitters to allow
local personal to remain informed on equipment status.
 Secure communications: Secure AES encryption used for local communications. Its very
important that nobody can either inject rogue data into any network, nor intercept any
valuable process data, making for safe and secure communications throughout the
network.

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The security on the network is guaranteed through Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
encryption on each message at the Radio Frequency (RF) layer and authenticated through the use
of security keys at the data layer, satisfying the security needs of some of the world's largest
energy companies. Available Wireless Transmitters allow all typical oilfield measurements to be
made including pressure, temperature, level and flow measurements. Networks can be built of a
combination of such sensor technologies to provide full field monitoring and automation of assets
and facilities.

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DIGITAL TWIN ARCHITECTURE

The platform combines a powerful edge controller with an advanced set of digital capabilities in the
cloud and encrypted data gateway to provide unique capabilities on oil & gas equipment.
Performance data measured on equipment can be locally actioned if required and then data is sent
securely to a cloud repository where further analysis and reporting is available. Data can be
transferred using various wired or wireless technologies (cellular data, satellite, etc) depending on
the location where the equipment is installed and what local infrastructure is available. Once
transferred, the data can be processed further to provide full digital twin capability if required.
Figure 2 gives a summary of the capability available across the system from the edge device (Field
Control Unit) and the secure cloud where more capability is added that requires higher computing
power.

Fig.2: Insite X Architecture

HIGHLIGHTS OF SECURE EDGE

Leveraging our unique software architecture for upstream assets allows some data processing and
control to be executed on low cost devices installed directly with the field equipment. This allows
the operators of assets to maintain better control and gain better insights into equipment
performance at the field location. This should improve decision making capability with more
information on process conditions and impacts. Functionality includes:
 IO Drivers Software: Allows the platform to interface to many different off-the-shelf
hardware options using a wide range of industry standard communications protocols. This
lets us read status of sensors or set positions of actuators to allow a wide range of controls
functions to be implemented.

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  Logic Engine Software: This module allows typical control logic execution to be performed
to allow implementation of control functions (open or close of a valve as an example) based
on inputs from sensor readings.
 Graphical User Interface: This module allows HMI screens to be configured to allow local
equipment users to interact and operate the equipment when required.
 Data Storage & Reporting Software: This archiving module allows local storage of

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performance data to be kept on the equipment itself. Storage and forwarding of data can
also be implemented to ensure no data is lost during any period of network outage. Once
the asset is back online, it updates accordingly to ensure all data are saved.
 Flow Computer Software: This module allows the system to perform flow measurement
correction calculations without the need for deploying a separate flow computer module
which saves costs and system complexity.
 Remote Data Service Software: This module establishes a secure link between the local
equipment and a central cloud server to allow performance data to be securely exchanged
without risk of cybersecurity attacks.
This system can provide all local control functions, archiving and HMI functions expected from a
full DCS or SCADA system, ensuring no local functionality is lost.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SECURE CLOUD

By leveraging the increased cost-effective computational power available in the cloud, a larger
suite of options is available to process, trend, and predict performance of equipment and
operations from the data received.
Advanced Analytics Features:
 Advanced Diagnostics: This module allows configuration of heuristics based or physics-
based diagnostics to identify the condition of the equipment. These diagnostics enable field
engineers with any early warning signals as well as to help them perform root cause
analysis of any abnormal equipment behaviour.
 Advanced Prognostics: This module allows the execution of machine learning models
that can be built and trained on historical data to predict anomalous behaviour or to predict
specific failure modes before even they happen. This helps engineers to take preventive
actions on the field to reduce unplanned downtime.
 Virtual Meters/Sensors: By using available process measurement and inputs from
machine learning models, virtual sensors can be configured to provide real-time
performance information when the direct measure is not possible.
Platform Features:
 Digital Twin: Digital Twin feature allows users to define the digital replica of the operations
with streaming real-time operational data along with the easy-to-use configuration to define
the equipment and the operating states for the equipment.
 Data Storage: Allows data from different classes of equipment and asset to be stored and
organized in a central repository. It provides an integrated data storage capability for the
time series data from the sensors as well as the contextual information about the
equipment.
 Monitoring & Reporting: This feature enables real time condition based monitoring as well
as plots and analyses trends as required by the user to allow manual interrogation of the
performance of equipment. It also creates and exports standard reports and KPIs for daily
reporting
 Security & User Management: Allows security levels and user access to be controlled to
ensure people in the organization only have access to the functions and data they require
to streamline operations. Various user groups can be created to control access to
application features at low granularity.

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  Notification Engine: Allows the user to configure numerous email or SMS notifications to
specific mailing groups of users to provide real time updated and notifications/alarms of
equipment performance. Alarms can be set and activated to specific user groups when
equipment goes out of normal operating ranges to ensure issues are actioned early before
further damage or problems occur.
This architecture allows field data typically locked in Distributed Control Systems (DCS) or SCADA
systems to be available to entire remote organisations in real time, allowing better informed

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decisions to be made. This system is an integrated AI/ML engineering workbench, linked to a direct
feed of field performance data, allowing subject matter experts to access data (real time and
historical), giving them access to information not normally available. Remotely accessing such data
from central locations also reduces the need to automatically send experts to the field to diagnose
problems. This also has the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by
limiting physical movement of company experts to a minimum, reducing their carbon footprint and
allowing them to support more assets simultaneously.

EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS

Wellhead Monitoring

In this application, upstream well assets are instrumented to provide real time data and visibility of
status to provide more information of well performance. Sensors can be installed to provide critical
temperatures and pressures during operation, valve positions can be monitored to ensure well
status is tracked and ESD events identified quickly. Sand monitoring can be implemented to give
indications of sand production to allow operators to know when sand may be an issue before
production separators fill with sand and need shutdown to empty.
Measurement of pressures of annular outputs allow well integrity to be assessed and trended to
ensure any integrity issues are identified early before they become more serious issues to
manage. Early identification can make ilt easier to plan remedial action to be conducted at a
convenient time instead of reacting to a pressure build up detected during a period inspection of
equipment. Historical trended data can also be analysed to check what lead up to any events
detected and aid with route cause analysis.
One example deployment was for a remote well in Columbia which had been identified as having
integrity issues, resulting in the well operator sending staff to check well pressure status and
submit reports to the local government agency. Sending personnel added cost and increased the
risk of accident or injury during the technicians journey to the remote site. The well was
instrumented with wireless pressure sensors and a gateway panel installed with solar power to
provide these measurements to our InsiteX platform for trending and reporting. Now the operator
uses the data contained in the website for regular report submission without having to send any
personnel to site. Pictures of this installation are shown in figure 3.

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Fig.3: Wellsite Installation

Tank Level Monitoring

A tank level application was developed to allow an integrated monitoring solution to be deployed in
situations where tanks were regularly being handled and monitored manually. This removed the
safety risk to send personnel up onto tanks to carry out dip tests, as well as their exposure to any
fumes during such operations via hatches in the tank. It also improved response times with access
to real time information. In addition, manual tracking of tanks often results in overspills which has
both cost and environmental issues.
The system comes with high accuracy resistive level sensors that can be easily installed by one
person. These sensors are highly resistant to scale build up due to the material selection used in
the probe design, reducing any maintenance required. The sensors can measure oil and water
levels simultaneously in the tank, if needed, using two floats and the sensor has an inbuilt
temperature sensor. Data is sent to a local gateway wirelessly and can be displayed to local
personnel using a low cost tablet. The local gateway can also interface to pumps, valves and
warning lights to control and automate the process in a single solution as shown in figure 4.
Tank level data are then shared with the central repository "Data Central" where it can be stored
and accessed. Within the Cloud, alarms and notifications can be configured to prevent any risk of
overspill or similar malfunction. The right people in the organisation are alerted immediately to
allow them to remedy the problem before it leads to failure and shutdown of the system.

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Fig.4: Tank Monitoring

Fig.5: Tank Monitoring GUI Example

Data are displayed via a user friendly interface as shown in figure 5 visually representing tanks
levels and performance statistics so as to monitor the efficiency of the entire system. The high
quality data produced by this system, and high accuracy level sensors can also meet the needs of
API 18.2 when it comes to custody transfer, removing the need for excess equipment and lowering
the cost of the overall solution.

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One extra feature that can be leveraged from the system is to add a sensor to the thief hatch to
measure the position and to check if it is open or closed. Tanks can be high contributors to leakage
of methane gas to the environment, especially if the thief hatches open under pressure or are
accidently left open by a technician. Using a discrete input built into each resistive level sensor
allows the status to be monitored and alarms raised to local field personnel to close the hatch. This
helps reduce any fugitive emissions of Green House Gas to the environment, improving overall
performance.

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Virtual Flow Computer

A flow computer is a device used during custody transfer of hydrocarbons. It ensures accurate
volume measurements are conducted and records retained. This is often a separate piece of
hardware deployed in the field where the measurements are made which adds cost and site power
requirements which can be important if running from solar power in remote locations.
In our case the flow computer calculations were taken and embedded within our gateway unit as
an added software module, removing the need for a separate flow computer. The gateway unit
interfaces with the flow meters to gather the necessary data with added input from other sensors in
the system monitoring critical temperatures and pressures to maintain accuracy. The API
correction tables were also built into this software module, allowing for a systematic processing of
the data.
The module was extensively tested within our certified flow laboratory in Erie, USA and the
corrected measurements using the virtual flow computer were compared to two industry standard
flow computers. Thousands of batches were executed, ranging from 10,000 pulses to 15,000,000
pulses with differences ranging from 0.0002% and 0.004% without diverging. This showed that the
virtual flow computer had as good a performance as the traditional methods of correction using a
separate physical flow computer.

Fig.6: LACT GUI Example

This tested software module can now be very easily dropped into any application and deployed as
a fully integrated and cost effective solution. Figure 6 illustrates a LACT (Lease Automatic Custody
Transfer) skidded solution where the flow computer software module is used to reduce hardware
footprint of the overall system while retaining the overall accuracy of the system. As indicated
previously this reduces the cost of hardware and also power consumption to further optimise the
overall system.

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CONCLUSIONS

Presented in this paper is an novel architecture allowing field assets to very quickly and easily be
connected to a cloud repository to allow data collected from field assets to be more widely
available to organisations. This architecture seamlessly couples DCS/SCADA functionality at the
field asset with a powerful artificial intelligence engine in the cloud to provide more insight to more

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users than ever before. The use of such systems ensures that operations can become more
efficient, can reduce the amount of physical trips to sites, reduces environmental impacts of
operations and improve the safety of all personnel involved in the field. This immediate access to
current and historical data allows Global SME's to support operations more effectively, enabling
fast response to ongoing issues without the need to physically travel to site.
The architecture described provides a unique value proposition and will support digitalisation of
oilfield operations for many years to come. Applications are being built and added continually and
performance of the system improves as more data is gathered and more insights are used to
improve performance. The system is flexible enough to allow it to be used on a single wellhead if
required but can easily be scaled to full production facilities when needed. As the system is further
rolled out its performance and models can be further enhanced to allow automatic decision making
to occur, providing even further efficiency gains in the future.

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