Basic Instrumentation & Control

In the oil and gas fields, several electronic instruments are used for process control and monitoring. These can range from level and interface measurement, vibration and corrosion monitoring, leak detection, and flow measurement. An appropriate selection of the sensing technique and the associated hardware architecture depends on several factors such as the physical chemical properties of the process under measurement, the classification of the zone where the measurement will be performed, and environment conditions. This requires a good knowledge in different areas of electrical engineering which ranges from analog and digital electronics, sensing, control, and properties of acoustic and electromagnetic waves. The aim of the course is to address the technical details and concept of different electronics instruments used in the aforementioned oil and gas applications. The course will also cover various control algorithms used for flow control, together with the associated hardware which includes the control valves, PLCs and P &ID diagrams.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept, application, and practical consideration of various electronic instruments used in oil & gas industry.
• To be familiar with various electronic instruments used for level and interface measurement, vibration and corrosion monitoring, leak detection, and flow measurement.
• Be familiar with various control algorithms and associated hardware in Oil and Gas industry.
• Be familiar with the emerging technologies used in instrumentation and control.
• Understand what are the features and standards which should be associated to an electronic instrument for a given classified zone (e.g Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2).
• Understand various sensing solutions used for downhole measurements.

Day 1

• Course introduction and pre–course assessment.
• The need of electronic instruments in oil and gas industry.
• Static & dynamic characteristics of sensors.
• Properties of acoustic and electromagnetic waves.
• Piezoelectric sensors: Physical modelling, dynamic characteristics, and practical considerations in oil and gas industry.
• Optical fibers: Principal and applications in electronic instrumentation targeting oil & gas industry.
• International input/output signals standards of the electronic instruments.
• Sources of noise and the corresponding mitigation techniques in electronic instrumentation.
• Revision and exercises solving session.

Day 2

• Eddy current-based sensors and their applications.
• Level and interface measurement instruments: Concept and applications in the oil & gas industry.
• Pressure and temperature measurement instruments.
• Case studies of electronic instruments used for level, interface pressure, and temperature measurements.
• Electronic instruments for offline corrosion monitoring: Principle of operation and practical considerations.
• Revision and exercises solving session.

Day 3

• Electronic instruments for vibration monitoring.
• Signal Processing and analysis techniques for vibration monitoring.
• Electronic instruments for flow metering (single phase flow measurement).
• Application and practical limitation of flow measurement systems.
• Revisions and exercises solving session.

Day 4

• Electronic instrumentation for downhole measurements.
• Control Algorithms for flow measurements: PID and ON-OFF control algorithms.
• Control Valves & PLCs: Principal of operations and practical considerations.
• Case studies of various electronic instruments in the oil & gas industry.

Day 5

• Course conclusion
• Post-course assessment