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A centralized automatic control and data-handling system has been installed in the remotely located Virginia Hills field of Alberta. It permits the automatic or manual control of the whole area from one point and gathers all data at the same point. The design uses a parallel-transmission multiplexing system for control and data handling. Data-generating devices give a digital output. The mechanical installation under control is outlined and the supervisory system operation is described in detail. This installation illustrates that complete oilfield supervisory systems are both feasible and economical. Introduction Automation has now reached the stage of development such that highly sophisticated systems can be applied to most oilfield operations. The producing industry's interest has been sharpened in recent years by the serious cost-price squeeze that it is experiencing. Automation can materially reduce the cost of producing oil. A centralized system of supervision, control and data gathering, combined with tape programing for flexible scheduling, appeared to offer the most desirable answer to the requirements of automatic oilfield control in the Virginia Hills field. This system was installed in Nov., 1960, and is at present controlling 45 wells drilled on 160-acre spacing. The average depth of these wells is 9,300 ft. They are flowing wells with no water production. The Virginia Hills field (Fig. 1) is located in a remote section of Western Canada where the land is characterized by deep valleys, heavy timber and an abundance of muskeg (swamp). Before oil was discovered, no use was being made of the area and access was possible only in winter. A first-class road has now been built to the nearest highway 27-miles away, thereby reducing the distance to the nearest town to 50 miles. Because the staff required to operate this area would not be large enough to justify even the minimum of medical, educational and recreational facilities and because the cost of providing staff accommodations would be prohibitively high, a system of production control that could reduce the staff to a minimum was most desirable. Field Layout and Equipment A "satellite" system of facility layout usually results in the minimum investment per well and, thus, was used when planning the Virginia Hills field development. In a satellite system of production, many wells are produced through each central producing station (or battery), in this way the use of common equipment, such as line heaters, group separators, surge tanks, etc., is maximized and its cost per well is minimized. To offset the increased length of flow lines, remotely located satellite test stations are used for well testing and control. The total production from each satellite is transported through a common flow line to the central producing station. The area under control in the Virginia Hills field is divided into a number of sub-areas due to topography, accessibility and partnership interest. JPT P. 22^

Centralized Automatic Production Control and Data Gathering in the Virginia Hills Field