Utilizing Vision Systems at a Wellsite

Abstract

Utilizing vision systems at a wellsite, which may include operating a video camera to generate a video signal comprising images of one or more pieces of equipment or components and receiving the video signal by a processing system, which may then process the images to determine physical and/or operational characteristics associated with the one or more pieces of equipment in the images. The video signal may contain images of a crown block and/or a drawworks of a hoisting system at an oil and gas drill rig. The processing system may then process the video signal to determine when a traveling block of the hoisting system is within a threshold distance from the crown block.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 operating a video camera to generate a video signal comprising images encompassing a top of a tubular extending above an elevator of a drill rig at an oil and gas wellsite while the tubular is retained by the elevator; and   operating a processing system to process the video signal to determine a height of the top of the tubular relative to the rig floor of the drill rig, wherein the processing system comprises a processor and a memory storing a computer program code.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tubular is a section of drill pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tubular is a section of casing. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein operating the processing system comprises determining a distance between the top of the tubular and the top of the elevator by determining a quantity of video pixels spanning between the top of the tubular box end and the top of the elevator, and wherein the determined quantity of video pixels is indicative of the distance between the top of the tubular and the top of the elevator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  determining the distance between the top of the tubular and the top of the elevator comprises converting the determined quantity of video pixels to physical measurements. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein converting the determined quantity of video pixels to physical measurements is based on:
 a radial distance of the drill pipe from the video camera; 
 a height of an image sensor of the video camera; 
 a focal length of the video camera; and 
 height of the images. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining the height of the top of the tubular from the rig floor is based on:
 a block position having a known distance between a predetermined reference point of a traveling block or top drive of the drill rig and the rig floor; 
 a distance between upper eyes of tubular handling assembly links of the top drive; 
 a distance between lower eyes of the tubular handling assembly links and the top of the elevator; and 
 a distance between the upper eyes and the lower eyes. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tubular is an upper tubular threadedly coupled with a lower tubular extending from a wellbore to a stick up height, and wherein the method further comprises determining length of the upper tubular based on the stick up height and the determined height of the top of the upper tubular from the rig floor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the video camera is a first video camera, wherein the video signal is a first video signal, and wherein the method further comprises:
 tripping the tubular within a wellbore; 
 operating a second video camera to generate a second video signal comprising images encompassing the top of the tubular extending above the elevator while the tubular is retained by the elevator; and 
 operating a processing system to:
 process the second video signal to determine the height of the top of the tubular relative to the rig floor of the drill rig; and 
 cause the tripping of the tubular within the wellbore to stop when the determined height of the top of the tubular reaches a predetermined stick up height. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 operating a video camera to generate a video signal comprising images encompassing at least a portion of a crown block of a hoisting system of an oil and gas drill rig; and   operating a processing system to process the video signal to determine when a traveling block or elevator of the hoisting system is within a threshold distance from the crown block, wherein the processing system comprises a processor and a memory storing a computer program code.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein operating the processing system comprises determining a distance between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator by determining a quantity of video pixels spanning between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator, and wherein the determined quantity of video pixels is indicative of the distance between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising converting the determined quantity of video pixels to physical measurements to determine the distance between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator by utilizing a relationship between:
 the quantity of video pixels spanning between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator; 
 a radial distance of the crown block from the video camera; 
 a height of an image sensor of the video camera; 
 a focal length of the video camera; 
 heights of the images; and 
 the distance between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein operating the processing system further comprises automatically causing the traveling block to stop or reduce speed of upward movement when the traveling block or elevator is within the threshold distance from the crown block. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein operating the processing system further comprises automatically initiating a visual and/or audio alarm when the traveling block or elevator is within the threshold distance from the crown block. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 operating a video camera to generate a video signal comprising images encompassing at least a portion of a drawworks of a hoisting system of an oil and gas drill rig; and   operating a processing system to process the video signal to determine when a traveling block or elevator of the hoisting system is within a threshold distance from the crown block, wherein the processing system comprises a processor and a memory storing a computer program code.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein operating the processing system comprises determining a length of cable wrapped around a drum of the drawworks, and wherein the determined length of the cable is indicative of distance between the crown block and the traveling block or elevator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein determining the length of cable wrapped around the drum comprises determining a quantity of layers and/or wraps of the cable around the drum. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein determining the quantity of layers and/or wraps of the cable wrapped around the drum comprises determining height and/or width of the cable wrapped around the drum. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein operating the processing system further comprises automatically causing the traveling block to stop or reduce speed of upward movement when the traveling block or elevator is within the threshold distance from the crown block.