Abstract: Systems and methods for performing an intervention operation in a wellbore using a friction reducer fluid include a coiled tubing insertable into the wellbore, a pump operable to pump the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing and into the wellbore, and sensors operable to detect wellbore conditions. A controller including a processor is operable to automatically predict a wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur a lock-up in the future based on the wellbore conditions and control the pump to pump the friction reducer fluid though the coiled tubing and into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing a gas lift operation using gas to increase production of production fluid through a production tubing in a wellbore. Included is an optical bubble sensor usable to detect bubbles per unit volume of the production fluid in the production tubing. Also included is a pump operable to pump gas into an annulus in the wellbore outside the production tubing, a valve operable to control whether gas from the pump enters the annulus, and a controller comprising a processor. The controller is operable to automatically convert the detected bubbles per unit volume into a gas/liquid saturation index (GLSI) using a transformation function; automatically execute, at designated intervals, a decision function based on the GLSI to either pump or not pump gas into the wellbore; and automatically control the pump and the valve to pump gas into the annulus when indicated by the decision function.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing a wellbore cleanout operation in a production tubing in a wellbore extending through a reservoir. The systems and methods include a sensor usable to detect a wellbore production volume of a production fluid from the production tubing per unit time, a conveyance, and a controller including a processor. The controller is operable to automatically determine a differential flowrate for locations along the production tubing based on a difference between a recorded flowrate and a modeled flowrate at the locations, determine any of the locations where the differential flowrate is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and control deployment of the conveyance into the wellbore to perform the cleanout operation at any of the determined locations where a change in a wellbore cleanout utility function using the modeled flowrate compared to using the recorded flowrate is equal to or greater than an improvement factor.

Abstract: A system for automatically monitoring and performing diagnostic procedures on a conduit of a hydrocarbon well operation is disclosed. System examples can use a combination of sensors, data acquisition devices, and computing devices to provide fully automated conduit monitoring and diagnostic procedures that can be based on a variety of different triggering conditions. At least one sensor can be located in fluid communication with the interior of a conduit. A pressure wave traveling through the conduit as a result of deliberate action or a natural occurrence is reflected by abnormal conditions in the conduit. The sensor can receive signals comprising the pressure wave reflections. Pressure data generated by the sensor in response to receiving the signals may be automatically collected and subsequently provided to a computing device that can analyze the pressure data and determine the existence and nature of one or more abnormal conditions of the conduit.

Abstract: A system for benchmarking a flowline temperature model using acoustic detection techniques is disclosed. A predicted velocity of a pressure wave introduced into the flowline by an acoustic detection subsystem can be determined using temperature data from a known temperature model, and an expected time of flight of the pressure wave to a flowline target feature can be calculated using the predicted velocity. An actual time of flight of the pressure wave to the target feature can also be observed from received pressure data, and when the system detects a difference between the actual and predicted times of flight, an actual pressure wave velocity may be calculated based on the actual time of flight. A corrected temperature value corresponding to the actual pressure wave velocity may be subsequently calculated, and the known temperature model can be revised by substituting the corrected temperature value for the predicted temperature value.

Abstract: Systems and methods of the present disclosure relate to identifying geometric features of a conduit. A method includes controlling a flow into or out of a conduit to induce pressure waves in the conduit; measuring, with a pressure transducer, pressure responses in the conduit due to contact of the pressure waves with a geometric feature of the conduit; and identifying the geometric feature, based on the pressure responses.

Abstract: A pigging tool may include a housing positionable in a pipeline. The housing may define a bypass channel that extends along an axis that is nonparallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing. An energy generation device can be positioned in the bypass channel of the housing such that fluid is receivable by the energy generation device to generate energy for the pigging tool. Further, an energy storage device may store energy generated from the energy generation device. The energy storage device may provide the pigging tool with energy to perform one or more operations in the pipeline.

Abstract: A system for controlling pressure applied in a well intervention operation using a physics-based model is provided. The system can include a stripper element that includes a pressure retention element for sealing a wellbore during an intervention operation that uses coiled tubing; a stripper circuit that includes a hydraulic actuator to apply a pressure to the pressure retention element; a processing device coupled to the hydraulic actuator that can receive, from the stripper circuit, a feedback signal. The processing device may receive a physical characteristic of a component and then determine, using data from the feedback signal and the physical characteristic, a minimum pressure level to contain wellhead pressure. The processing device may then output a command to cause the hydraulic actuator to change the pressure on the pressure retention element to be the minimum pressure level or within a pre-set deviation of the minimum pressure level.

Abstract: A pigging tool may include a housing positionable in a pipeline. The housing may define a bypass channel that extends along an axis that is nonparallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing. An energy generation device can be positioned in the bypass channel of the housing such that fluid is receivable by the energy generation device to generate energy for the pigging tool. Further, an energy storage device may store energy generated from the energy generation device. The energy storage device may provide the pigging tool with energy to perform one or more operations in the pipeline.

Abstract: A system for controlling pressure applied in a well intervention operation using a physics-based model is provided. The system can include a stripper element that includes a pressure retention element for sealing a wellbore during an intervention operation that uses coiled tubing; a stripper circuit that includes a hydraulic actuator to apply a pressure to the pressure retention element; a processing device coupled to the hydraulic actuator that can receive, from the stripper circuit, a feedback signal. The processing device may receive a physical characteristic of a component and then determine, using data from the feedback signal and the physical characteristic, a minimum pressure level to contain wellhead pressure. The processing device may then output a command to cause the hydraulic actuator to change the pressure on the pressure retention element to be the minimum pressure level or within a pre-set deviation of the minimum pressure level.

Abstract: A system is provided including a coiled tubing reel apparatus including a reel drum for storing a coiled tubing string spooled on the reel drum and a hydraulic reel drive motor that controls rotation of the reel drum. The system further includes a reel controller that determines an estimated reel back tension for a portion of the coiled tubing string between the reel apparatus and the injector based on a set of parameters related to a coiled tubing operation. The reel controller determines a target reel back tension to be applied to the portion of the coiled tubing string by adjusting the estimated reel back tension based on a historical job dataset. The reel controller then determines and sets a target hydraulic pressure of the reel drive motor to achieve the target reel back tension in the portion of the coiled tubing string.

Abstract: A system is provided including a coiled tubing reel apparatus including a reel drum for storing a coiled tubing string spooled on the reel drum and a hydraulic reel drive motor that controls rotation of the reel drum. The system further includes a reel controller that determines an estimated reel back tension for a portion of the coiled tubing string between the reel apparatus and the injector based on a set of parameters related to a coiled tubing operation. The reel controller determines a target reel back tension to be applied to the portion of the coiled tubing string by adjusting the estimated reel back tension based on a historical job dataset. The reel controller then determines and sets a target hydraulic pressure of the reel drive motor to achieve the target reel back tension in the portion of the coiled tubing string.

Abstract: A system is provided including a coiled tubing injector including at least two gripper chains for gripping a coiled tubing and a gripper system for generating a gripper force applied to the at least two gripper chains by adjusting gripper pressure on at least one gripper cylinder. A gripper controller is configured to determine a minimum gripper pressure and a maximum gripper pressure for the gripper cylinders, based on a current set of parameters related to lowering the coiled tubing into a wellbore or pulling out the coiled tubing from the wellbore. The gripper controller selects a target gripper pressure between the minimum gripper pressure and the maximum gripper pressure based on a historical data model and sets the target gripper pressure for the at least one gripper cylinder.