Continuously monitoring safety for oil rig workers

Owning and operating a fleet of more than 1400 oilfield service rigs, Key Energy invests heavily in technology to keep worker safety high and costs low for its customers. The company's most ambitious technology project, the KeyView system, automates data collection, transmission, analysis and reporting across its widely distributed fleet of rigs, improving both safety and efficiency in the process.

Initially, Key contracted with Advanced Measurements (AMI) of Calgary, Canada, a knowledgeable systems integrator, to ensure success on the project. For its part, AMI is a National Instruments Select Integrator with 15 years of LabVIEW development experience in a variety of applications, including oilfield data capture.

Using NI Compact FieldPoint rugged distributed I/O and the LabVIEW Real-Time Module, the KeyView project collects operations data on rig location (GPS), rig activity and job status using a graphical operator terminal.

The system monitors physical parameters including block position, hook weight, rod torque, hydraulic and pneumatic system, and engine performance. The system transmits this data from each rig via satellite, inserting it into a database at the corporate office. A custom website gives both staff and customers access to real-time and historical job information.

The KeyView system has three safety systems right on the rig. With the first system, sensors and software detect if the operator directs the block (the 'hook' part that performs the lifting) to approach the upper or lower limit on the derrick too quickly, risking impact. Should this occur, three outputs controlled by Compact FieldPoint take control to prevent impact as well as reduce injury and damage.

In the second system, sensors and software monitor at high speeds the weight suspended on the block. Sudden increases in weight while lifting indicate something is stuck; again, Compact FieldPoint takes control and limits the rig operation to prevent injuries and damage. With the third safety system, sensors monitor H2S gas concentrations, giving two levels of strobe and audible alarm for rig crews. The highest level alarm also triggers a satellite transmission, so outside supervision can provide an instantaneous emergency response if required.

By monitoring the actual on-site rig operations, the operations and maintenance staff can lower costs and provide better training, resulting in greater efficiency. In addition, data analysis tools at the corporate office give management the ability to not only monitor performance indicators, but also determine best operating practices.

Key consists of a series of former smaller businesses and having access to quantitative monitoring, recording, and analysis of rig operations across a large family of operations gives the company an opportunity to see the best operating practices for each area, procedure and even individual operation. From this knowledge, the company can develop a number of standard methods to reflect best practices.

According to NI, customers benefit by seeing in real time the location and job status of rigs that are working for them, giving them the ability to plan subsequent jobs and work programs more efficiently. They also have access to measured data showing the time required to perform the job and the amount of work performed, resulting in reduced supervision and more accurate billing. In addition, customers receive regular reports with objective and measured data showing the quality of the work performed.

John Hood, CIO at Key, says the success of KeyView required several critical components: the commitment of Key to use technology aggressively, AMI's ability to provide a complex, integrated solution, and the rugged and reliable NI Compact FieldPoint hardware. According to Hood, "KeyView will place Key at the forefront of its industry and provide the company with a significant competitive advantage."

"By monitoring the actual on-site rig operations, the operations and maintenance staff can lower costs and provide better training, resulting in greater efficiency. In addition, data analysis tools at the corporate office give management the ability to not only monitor performance indicators, but also determine best operating practices."