Why You Should Consider Diagnostic Surface Management for Oil & Gas Wells

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TURCK GmbH

Elementar Analysensysteme GmbH

ProMinent GmbH

Ametek Crystal Engineering

AMETEK GmbH

Advantages of a Reference Recorder

Using a reference recorder has several advantages over other instruments. Aside from higher accuracy and environmental resilience, data can be downloaded during a recording and transmitted to a central location for analysis.

As part of an industry trend toward replacing out-dated, task-specific tools with devices that complete multiple jobs, a reference recorder serves two purposes. First, it stores its readings continually, with read rates up to 10 times per second, allowing the operator to record an entire test from start to finish. Second, it acts as a consistent, accurate laboratory-grade reference, even for calibrations performed in the field.

Creating a Tamper–Proof Record

Reference recorders usually have an extensive internal memory capacity. It is not uncommon for these units to record up to 1 million data points in a single recording run. Using a reference recorder, field technician scan perform testing in any weather - and examine or even download their results while still recording. Anywhere long-term recording becomes necessary, a reference recorder readily takes the place of a chart recorder with better accuracy and digital data storage, which exports to Excel from any laptop.

Until now, a technician with a need to document test data as authentic has had limited options. He might use a chart recorder to produce a hard copy of his test results, but a chart is unreliable proof. A chart recorder’s pens can be manipulated to produce a chart without even applying pressure. Digital data loggers require an actual pressure input to record data, but most often, their data only exports into a spreadsheet or a text file. Once exported, there is no way to prove the data remained unaltered.

Because some reference recorders come with dedicated PC-interface and reporting software, there is a greater chance the device can create tamper-proof, digital records, directly from its recorded data. At present, the typical method is to export into an industry-standard, signed PDF. This export method makes it impossible to edit the data recorded by the reference recorder.

The Future of Oil–Well Monitoring?

Worldwide, test equipment inventories are aging. Reference recorders are positioned as the obvious replacement. They combine the most useful features of chart recorders and pressure gauges, while offering unprecedented logging capacity and calibration lab accuracy in nearly any oil field environment. As battery technology and sensor accuracy improve even more, these devices will take center stage in testing applications all across the industry.

* The author is P.E., Division Vice President and Crystal Business Manager at Ametek

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