IP Library Granted Patent US 12,264,580
Granted Patent B2
US 12,264,580 · App. 17/464,080 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Detecting gas leaks in oil wells using machine learning

Inventors: Mohammed Y. Al Daif (Qatif, SA); Sultan S. Al Sumat (Dammam, SA)
Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
E21B47/117E21B47/002E21B47/103E21B47/113G06F18/214G06N3/08
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,264,580
App. No.
17/464,080
Filed
Sep 1, 2021
Granted
Apr 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Examiner
MANG, LAL C
Art Unit
2863
USPC
702/12
Abstract

In an example method a system obtains first data regarding a first oil well, including one or more first thermal images of the oil well generated by one or more first thermal cameras. The system determines, using computerized neural network, a presence of a gas leak at one or more locations on the first oil well based on the first data. The one or more locations include at least one of a first location along a pipeline configured to convey gas to a flare area of the first oil well, or a second location at a rig floor of the first oil well. In response to determining the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations, the system generates a notification indicating the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations.

Claims (74)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, using one or more processors, first data regarding a first oil well, wherein the first data comprises one or more first thermal images of the oil well generated by one or more first thermal cameras;

determining, using the one or more processors implementing a computerized neural network, a presence of a gas leak at one or more locations on the first oil well based on the first data, wherein the one or more locations comprise at least one of:

a first location along a pipeline configured to convey gas to a flare area of the first oil well, or

a second location at a rig floor of the first oil well; and

responsive to determining the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations, generating, using the one or more processors, a notification indicating the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations,

wherein the computerized neural network comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes, including:

a plurality of input nodes,

a plurality of output nodes, and

a plurality of weighted nodes interconnecting the plurality of input nodes and the plurality of output nodes,

wherein the computerized neural network is trained to determine one or more transfer functions, wherein the one or more transfer functions define a relationship between the plurality of input nodes and the plurality of output nodes according to the plurality of weighted nodes,

wherein at least some of the input nodes of the computerized neural network corresponds to the first data,

wherein at least one of the output nodes of the computerized neural network corresponds to a first likelihood that the gas leak is present at the one or more locations on the first oil well, and

wherein at least another one of the output nodes of the computerized neural network corresponds to a second likelihood that one or more conditions of an ambient environment of the first oil well have changed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to determining the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations, modifying an operation of the first oil well.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein modifying the operation of the first oil well comprises:

reducing a flow of gas in one or more pipelines of the first oil well.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the presence of the gas leak comprises:

differentiating, based on the first data, (i) the presence of the gas leak from (ii) a change in the one or more conditions of the ambient environment of the first oil well.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more conditions of the ambient environment of the first oil well comprises at least one of:

a weather condition of the ambient environment of the first oil well, or

a temperature of the ambient environment of the first oil well.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the presence of the gas leak comprises:

determining, based on the first data and the computerized neural network, the first likelihood that the gas leak is present at the one or more locations on the first oil well.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the presence of the gas leak comprises:

determining, based on the first data and the computerized neural network, the second likelihood that the one or more conditions of the ambient environment of the first oil well have changed.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data further comprises:

one or more temperature measurements generated by one or more temperature sensors.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data further comprises:

one or more wind measurements generated by one or more wind sensors, wherein the one or more wind measurements represents at least one of:

an intensity of wind in an environment of the first oil well, or

a direction of wind in the environment of the first oil well.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computerized neural network is trained based a plurality of sets of training data regarding a plurality of second oil wells, wherein the sets of training data comprise, for each of the second oil wells:

one or more second thermal images of that second oil well generated by one or more second thermal cameras; and

an indication whether a gas leak was present at that second oil well at the time that the one or more second thermal images of that second oil well were generated.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining first data regarding a first oil well, wherein the first data comprises one or more first thermal images of the oil well generated by one or more first thermal cameras;

determining, using a computerized neural network, a presence of a gas leak at one or more locations on the first oil well based on the first data, wherein the one or more locations comprise at least one of:

a first location along a pipeline configured to convey gas to a flare area of the first oil well, or

a second location at a rig floor of the first oil well; and

responsive to determining the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations, generating a notification indicating the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations,

wherein the computerized neural network comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes, including:

a plurality of input nodes,

a plurality of output nodes, and

a plurality of weighted nodes interconnecting the plurality of input nodes and the plurality of output nodes,

wherein the computerized neural network is trained to determine one or more transfer functions, wherein the one or more transfer functions define a relationship between the plurality of input nodes and the plurality of output nodes according to the plurality of weighted nodes,

wherein at least some of the input nodes of the computerized neural network corresponds to the first data,

wherein at least one of the output nodes of the computerized neural network corresponds to a first likelihood that the gas leak is present at the one or more locations on the first oil well, and

wherein at least another one of the output nodes of the computerized neural network corresponds to a second likelihood that one or more conditions of an ambient environment of the first oil well have changed.

12. The system of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

responsive to determining the presence of the gas leak at the one or more locations, modifying an operation of the first oil well.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein modifying the operation of the first oil well comprises:

reducing a flow of gas in one or more pipelines of the first oil well.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the presence of the gas leak comprises:

differentiating, based on the first data, (i) the presence of the gas leak from (ii) a change in the one or more conditions of the ambient environment of the first oil well.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more conditions of the ambient environment of the first oil well comprises at least one of:

a weather condition of the ambient environment of the first oil well, or

a temperature of the ambient environment of the first oil well.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the presence of the gas leak comprises:

determining, based on the first data and the computerized neural network, the first likelihood that the gas leak is present at the one or more locations on the first oil well.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein determining the presence of the gas leak comprises:

determining, based on the first data and the computerized neural network, the second likelihood that the one or more conditions of the ambient environment of the first oil well have changed.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first data further comprises:

one or more temperature measurements generated by one or more temperature sensors.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first data further comprises:

one or more wind measurements generated by one or more wind sensors, wherein the one more wind measurements represents at least one of:

an intensity of wind in an environment of the first oil well, or

a direction of wind in the environment of the first oil well.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computerized neural network is trained based a plurality of sets of training data regarding a plurality of second oil wells, wherein the sets of training data comprise, for each of the second oil wells:

one or more second thermal images of that second oil well generated by one or more second thermal cameras; and

an indication whether a gas leak was present at that second oil well at a time that the one or more second thermal images of that second oil well were generated.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2021
From: AL DAIF, MOHAMMED Y.; AL SUMAT, SULTAN S.
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 057367/0436 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230063604A1 · Mar 2, 2023
References Cited (15)
US 7358860B2 · Germouni et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7939804B2 · Schmidt · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20030204311A1 · Bush · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20060220888A1 · Germouni · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 20140002667A1 · Cheben · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20160201838A1 · Flanders · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170010382A1 · Mishkhes · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170122833A1 · Furry · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20190169982A1 · Hauge · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210010645A1 · Zhang · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20230058017A1 · Jones · 2023 [cited by examiner]
CN 102680174 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 108304682A · 2018 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2009087614 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
“Neural Networks are Decision Trees”, Caglar Aytekin, AAC Technologies, published Oct. 25, 2022, https://arxiv.org/pdf/2210.05189.pdf. (Year: 2022). [cited by examiner]