Well lockout and automation systems and methods

Abstract

Techniques for coordinating performance of operations in a well system including receiving, using a central controller, a request to perform a next operation associated with a first operator that includes changing well system equipment from a current equipment state to a target equipment state from a first operator device, determining, using the central controller, whether completion confirmation of a preceding operation associated with a second operator has been received from a second operator device, in response to determining that the completion confirmation of the preceding operation associated with the second operator has not been received, blocking, using the central controller, the first operator from performing the next operation from the first operator device, and in response to determining that the completion confirmation of the preceding operation associated with the second operation has been received, permitting, using the central controller, performance of the next operation associated with the first operator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions executable by processing circuitry of a control sub-system in a well system, wherein the instruction comprise instructions to:
 determine, using the processing circuitry, whether a request to perform a next operation associated with a first operator has been received, wherein the next operation comprises transitioning well system equipment from a current equipment state to a target equipment state;   determine, using the processing circuitry, whether a completion confirmation associated with a preceding operation has been received from a second operator when the request to perform the next operation associated with the first operator has been received;   block, using the processing circuitry, performance of the next operation associated with the first operator via the control sub-system when the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has not been received from the second operator; and   permit, using the processing circuitry, performance of the next operation associated with the first operator via the control sub-system when the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has been received from the second operator.   
     
     
         2 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the instructions to block performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to maintain a lockout on the first operator to block the first operator from transitioning a fluid valve from a current valve state to a target valve state via the control sub-system; and   the instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to remove the lockout from the first operator permit the first operator to transition the fluid valve from the current valve state to the target valve state via the control sub-system.   
     
     
         3 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the instructions to block performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to block the first operator from transitioning the well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state from a first operator device in the control sub-system;   the instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to permit the first operator to transition the well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state from the first operator device in the control sub-system; and   the instructions to determine whether the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has been received from the second operator comprise instructions to determine whether the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has been received from a second operator device in the control sub-system.   
     
     
         4 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the instructions to determine whether the request to perform the next operation associated with the first operator has been received comprise instructions to determine whether the request to perform the next operation associated with the first operator has been received by a first operator device in the control sub-system;   the instructions to block performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instruction to block the first operator from transitioning the well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state from a second operator device in the control sub-system; and   the instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to permit the first operator to transition the well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state from the second operator device in the control sub-system.   
     
     
         5 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions to determine whether a request finalization has been received when the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has been received from the second operator, wherein:
 the instructions to block performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to block performance of the next operation associated with the first operator via the control sub-system when the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has not been received or the request finalization has not been received; and   the instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator via the control sub-system when the completion confirmation associated with the preceding operation has been received and the request finalization has been received.   
     
     
         6 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to:
 maintain a lockout on the first operator; and   automatically perform the next operation associated with the first operator at least in part by automatically instructing the well system to transition the well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state.   
     
     
         7 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to permit performance of the next operation associated with the first operator comprise instructions to permit a power sub-system in the well system to adjust power supplied to the well system equipment to facilitate transitioning the well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state. 
     
     
         8 . A well system comprising a control sub-system, wherein:
 the control sub-system is configured to be communicatively coupled to a power sub-system that selectively supplies power to well system equipment; and   the control sub-system comprises:
 a first operator device configured to enable a first operator to request performance of a next operation in the well system that includes transitioning the well system equipment from a current equipment state to a target equipment state; 
 a second operator device configured to enable a second operator to confirm completion of a preceding operation in the well system; and 
 a central controller communicatively coupled to the first operator device and the second operator device via a communication network, wherein the central controller is configured to permit performance of the next operation via the control sub-system only after the second operator has confirmed completion of the preceding operation. 
   
     
     
         9 . The well system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first operator device comprises:
 a first electronic display configured to display a visual representation of the current equipment state, the target equipment state, or both; and 
 a first user input device configured to enable the first operator to request performance of the next operation; and 
   the second operator device comprises:
 a second electronic display configured to display a prompt requesting that the second operator confirm completion of the preceding operation; and 
 a second user input device configured to enable the second operator to respond to the prompt. 
   
     
     
         10 . The well system of  claim 8 , wherein the control sub-system is configured to:
 maintain a lockout on the first operator to block the first operator from performing the next operation in the well system from the first operator device before the second operator has confirmed completion of the preceding operation; and   remove the lockout from the first operator to enable the first operator to perform the next operation at least in part by adjusting operation of the well system equipment from the first operator device after the second operator has confirmed completion of the preceding operation.   
     
     
         11 . The well system of  claim 8 , wherein the control sub-system comprises a third operator device and is configured to:
 maintain a lockout on a third operator to block the third operator from performing the next operation in the well system from the third operator device before the second operator has confirmed completion of the preceding operation; and   remove the lockout from the third operator to enable the third operator to perform the next operation at least in part by adjusting operation of the well system equipment from the third operator device after the second operator has confirmed completion of the preceding operation.   
     
     
         12 . The well system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first operator device comprises a first mobile device, a first tablet computer, a first laptop computer, or a first skid-mounted human-machine interface; and   the second operator device comprises a second mobile device, a second tablet computer, a second laptop computer, or a second skid-mounted human-machine interface.   
     
     
         13 . The well system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first operator device is configured to enable the first operator to finalize the request to perform the next operation in the well system after the second operator has confirmed completion of the preceding operation; and   the control sub-system is configured to:
 cancel the request to perform the next operation when the first operator does not finalize the request to perform the next operation; and 
 when the first operator finalizes the request to perform the next operation, facilitate performing the next operation in the well system at least in part by instructing the power sub-system to adjust power supplied to the well system equipment to enable the well system equipment to transition from the current equipment state to the target equipment state. 
   
     
     
         14 . The well system of  claim 8 , wherein the control sub-system is configured to facilitate performing the next operation in the well system at least in part by instructing the power sub-system to adjust power supplied to a fluid valve to enable the fluid valve to transition from a current valve state to a target valve state. 
     
     
         15 . The well system of  claim 14 , comprising an equipment sensor communicatively coupled to the control sub-system, wherein:
 the equipment sensor is configured to provide sensor feedback indicative of the current valve state of the fluid valve; and   to facilitate performing the next operation in the well system, the control sub-system is configured to:
 determine whether the sensor feedback indicates that the fluid valve has achieved the target valve state before a sensor timeout is reached; 
 at an earlier of the sensor feedback indicating that the fluid valve has achieved the target valve state and the sensor timeout being reached, instructing the power sub-system to adjust power supplied to other well system equipment to enable the other well system equipment to transition from another current equipment state to another target equipment state; and 
 indicate that the equipment sensor is potentially faulty if the sensor timeout is reached. 
   
     
     
         16 . A well system, comprising:
 a fluid valve;   an equipment sensor configured to provide sensor feedback indicative of a current valve state of the fluid valve;   other well system equipment; and   a control sub-system communicatively coupled to the equipment sensor, wherein the control sub-system is configured to:
 determine whether the sensor feedback indicates that the fluid valve has achieved a target valve state before a sensor timeout is reach; and 
 at an earlier of the sensor feedback indicating that the fluid valve has achieved the target valve state and the sensor timeout being reached, instruct the well system to transition the other well system equipment from a current equipment state to a target equipment state. 
   
     
     
         17 . The well system of  claim 16 , wherein the control sub-system is configured to indicate that the equipment sensor is potentially faulty if the sensor timeout is reached. 
     
     
         18 . The well system of  claim 16 , comprising a power sub-system configured to selectively power the other well system equipment, wherein:
 the control sub-system is communicatively coupled to the power sub-system; and   to facilitate transitioning the other well system equipment from the current equipment state to the target equipment state, the control sub-system is configured to instruct the power sub-system to adjust power supplied to the other well system equipment.   
     
     
         19 . The well system of  claim 16 , comprising a power sub-system fluidly coupled to a valve actuator of the fluid valve, wherein:
 the control sub-system is communicatively coupled to the power sub-system; and   the control sub-system is configured to facilitate transitioning the fluid valve from the current valve state to the target valve state at least in part by instructing the power sub-system to supply pressurized actuation fluid to the valve actuator of the fluid valve.   
     
     
         20 . The well system of  claim 16 , wherein the other well system equipment comprises a fluid pump or another fluid valve.