Gas-field telemetering and remote control

Mobil Oil Corp. is operating 70 gas wells in the Big Piney, Wyo., area by remote control. Each well, with wellhead elevations running up to 9,000 ft, is automated so that the field can be operated from a remote-control station in the field office. Valves can be opened and closed, and flow data and alarms from each well are sent back to the office. There are presently 76 gas wells producing from the Frontier and Muddy sandstone at depths ranging from 7,000 to 8,000 ft, and 6 wells producing from the Nugget sandstone at about 10,000 ft. Total production from the field is 65 MMcfd of gas and 300 bpd of condensate from the Frontier and Muddy with 2,000 bpd from the Nugget. Automation of the gas wells was first considered during 1964, and was installed at the Hogsback Unit during late 1965 on 30 wells. Five additional wells were added to the existing system in 1966 and 1967 and automation was extended to 35 gas wells in the Tip Top Unit in late 1967.