| 摘要 |
There are certain wellhead emergencies that present a danger in that it is extremely hazardous to approach the well close enough to activate the manual emergency shut in valve. An additional way of actuating the shut-in valve is disclosed, employing a remote handheld radio controller. Thus, we describe a well for extraction of hydrocarbons, and an associated control system, comprising a flow conduit for the hydrocarbons leading from a subsurface region to an above-surface region, a normally-closed shut-in valve located in the subsurface region of the flow conduit, a hydraulic system arranged to cause the shut-in valve to open when the hydraulic system is pressurised, and a release valve for releasing pressure in the hydraulic system, a wireless interface having a unique identifier, and being adapted to open the release valve on receipt of a wireless communication from a remote device, and a plurality of remote devices, each comprising a wireless transmitter compatible with the wireless interface and able to transmit control instructions to the wireless interface, at least one control instruction in any sequence of control instructions issued by the remote device induding the unique identifier, wherein the wireless interface is adapted to ignore control instructions containing an identifier differing from the unique identifier. A pressure sensor is ideally provided in the hydraulic system, to detect the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system. The wireless interface is preferably adapted to transmit data relating to this detected pressure, allowing users to confirm that the shut-in valve has operated. The plurality of remote devices ideally each include a directional antenna for communicating with the wireless interface, which assists in a number of ways. |
