Inc. “We’re seeing more companies look at fails) to a condition-based and predictive patterns in the data to identify faults or
having experts in one location and being methodology, where operators apply underutilization. Mitchell points to wells
able to leverage those people over many maintenance to equipment based on its in an area like Cold Lake, Alberta as an
assets.” current health and the impact of poor example, where wells can get sanded in
performance on operational goals. within a couple of hours, drastically
Matrikon’s ProcessMonitor technology is reducing production. “It’s very difficult to
a web visualization tool that monitors “It’s a far better maintenance model,” he have operators driving around in trucks
on- and offshore wells from a remote explains. looking at these wells on a routine basis,”
location, using real-time data to provide he says. “We can get an operator out
information on pressures, flows and there one or two hours before a well
temperatures. Mitchell says it is an sands in.”
example of a shift in maintenance
thinking, from reactive maintenance
(where operators wait until equipment
Advancing technology is allowing
companies like Matrikon to provide
real-time monitoring for process
optimization. These tools can also be used An important aspect of these real-time
for predictive maintenance by identifying software programs is how the
information is displayed. Matrikon Inc.
conducted focus groups to identify the
most effective ways to showcase the
data.
“Humans are not designed to look at a
thousand things at a time,” Mitchell says,
referring to a spreadsheet with one
thousand rows. “You can spend an hour
or two to get the information you need.”
KBR has been serving clients
in Canada since 1951 as one
of the largest Engineering and
General Industrial Contractors.
EPC • REFINERY • OILSANDS • INFRASTRUCTURE
LNG • POWER • INDUSTRIALCONSTRUCTION
PIPE FABRICATION • MODULAR ASSEMBLY
In ProcessMonitor, wells are represented
simultaneously on screen using
individual coloured boxes. The size of
each box is determined by production
levels, and the colour is determined by
the number of outstanding faults the well
has logged.
“The eye is drawn to the big red box,”
Mitchell says, adding that this would
represent a large producing well with
many faults. ■
We are committed to safety,
quality and customer satisfaction,
and we take great pride in
our work.
KBR
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P.O. Box 5588
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 6P8, Canada
Tel: (780) 468-1341
Fax: (780) 490-3375
Edmonton.communication@halliburton.com
1700, 639 5th Avenue S. W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 0M9, Canada
Tel: (403) 503-8940
Fax: (403) 503-8954
www.halliburton.com
KBR Energy and Chemicals is a division of Halliburton.
© 2006 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved. KA170
Remote operations can be controlled via the
internet
PHOTO BY Joey Podlubny
