Paper: SCADA System Options For The Oilfield

The purpose of this paper is to share the authors" experiences in applying SCADA technology to the oilfield. This paper discusses some currently available SCADA technologies, how SCADA technology is typically applied to onshore oil and gas production, and the practical considerations of implementing oilfield SCADA. This is based on the authors" experiences as control system engineers in oil and gas producing operations. The intended audience is people familiar with onshore oil and gas production operations. The manufacturers mentioned in this paper do not represent all of the available devices on the market, nor are they necessarily the best, but are included as examples from our experience that have been popular in the oil patch and that the reader might find familiar. Topics covered in this paper are: -RTUs including Electronic Flow Meters, Pump off Controllers, PLCs Communication protocols (Modbus, Ethernet, others) - Human Machine Interface (HMI) options - Communication pathways (Wireless, Cable, Fiber Optic) - Project economics - Project implementation strategies - System purpose vs. reliability