PAPER 2009-085

Design of a Remote Real-Time Monitoring

System for Oil and Gas Wells Based
on Fiber Bragg Grating
Y. PAN
China University of Petroleum, University of Calgary

L.Z. XIAO, Y.Z. ZHANG

China University of Petroleum

This  paper  is  accepted  for  the  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  International  Petroleum  Conference  (CIPC)  2009,  Calgary, 
Alberta, Canada, 16‐18 June 2009. This paper will be considered for publication in Petroleum Society journals. Publication 
rights are reserved. This is a pre‐print and subject to correction. 

provided reliable formation parameters for a reservoir

Abstract
Our system consisted of a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)
sensor, a data acquisition and transmission subsystem, and a
monitoring center subsystem. The FBG sensor has many
properties: high credibility, high temperature resistance,
corrosion resistance, anti-electromagnetic interference, high
measuring accuracy, convenient fixing, and high reusability.
Therefore, this FBG sensor can chronically and continuously
measure the formation temperature and pressure with
multipoint of one line or space distribution under the high
temperature and pressure severe environment of the oil and gas
wells. The data acquisition and transmission subsystem used the
single chip C8051F020, made by Siicon Labs, to realize the
data acquisition for the FBG sensor , which acquires
wavelength demodulated by a tunable filter, and data is then
analyzed, processed, and transmitted to the monitoring center
database server through GPRS wireless mobile communication
network and Internet. Simultaneity sends an alarm message to
the binded cellphone, if the data overflowed. When the data is
received by the monitoring center subsystem, they will be
published as a web on Internet for the authority user. This
system realized remote real-time monitoring of oil/gas wells and
engineering to make decisions correctly and timely.
Introduction
Dynamic monitoring technology of oil and gas reservoir can
provide reliable formation parameters, and is an effective way
to improve efficiency of reservoir management. The system
transfers the data measured from the formation to the database
of the monitoring center by GPRS and Internet, then shows
them by web. All datum are the trusty evidence to constitute the
reasonable production strategy. Because of the application of
Internet technology, this system breaks the limit of space-time,
makes the full use of human resource, and devises accurate
production decisions rapidly. The unique automatic alarming
message function can make the accident disposed effectively,
reduce the loss.
Background
Nowadays, the most of the measurement of reservoir
dynamic monitoring are still traditional well logging and well
testing. Both of them use manual way to collect the formation

1
information regularly or occasionally. Then the information is
taken back the research center for processig. It is a long interval
between two times measurement, result in the best measurement
opportunity can not be ensured. Therefore, the reservoir
dynamic characteristics can not be accurately described too.
This measurement method is facing the challenge of working in
offshore and remote region. Specially it will be faild to collect
the data in bad weather. In addition, unnecessary downtime(1)
leads to increase cost because of influencing the normal
production. The FBG sensor which can work under the harsh
downhole conditions(2) permanently can provide continuous
date in order to find out the unpredictable abnormal
phenomenon in time, such as water exit, sand production, gas or
fluid injection breakthrough.
In this traditional method, only operator can monitor the
production process from the operating station, but the engineer
will not know the alive situation if he is not at the field. It is the
reason that production strategy can not be adjusted duly
according to the field condition.
With the development of control, computer, communication
and network technology, the domain of information exchange is
expanding from plant floor equipments to upper equipments of
control and management. For working under hard conditions,
such as offshore, desert and other harsh environment and
weather, managers and engineers even are far away the field,
they still can use this system to monitor production by Internet,
and hold the field conditions in order to make corresponding
accurate production decision timely.
System Architecture
As shown in the figure 1, the FBG sensor installed under
downhole can be used to measure analog signals of the
formation as the permanent sensor. The analog signals are
demodulated digital signals by data processing system based on
single chip C8051f020 made by Silicon Labs. The digital
signals are transmitted to database server of monitoring center
by GPRS and Internet. The consumer will receive alarm
message when the data are overflow. Monitoring center issue
the information to Internet with web for user's browsing.
Moreover, the system provide corresponding services to users
according to user’s different authority.
Technology
FGB Sensor
In present, electrical sensors and non-electrical sensors are
two kinds of downhole permanent sensors for monitoring
reservoir. Electrical sensors limit to certain temperature range.
The intrinsic advantages of FBG sensor, such as high
sensitivity, compact size, immunity from electromagnetic
interference, wavelength-encoded operation, and large
multiplexing capability enable its wide applications in
measurement or monitor(3-5). Thus, FBG sensor extraordinary
fits to apply in the harsh environment of the downhole to
monitor reservoir.
2
Optical Theory of Bragg Gating
FBG can realize measuring online via the Bragg Grating
reflected wavelength shift which is influenced by change of
stress and/or strain. As shown in figure 2, when the FBG is
illuminated by a broadband light source, a set of beams
reflected from a set of partially reflecting planes formed by the
periodic core index modulation interfere with each other. The
interference is destructive unless each beam is in phase with all
( )
the others 6 .
Fiber Bragg Grating wavelength depends on grating period
and negative direction coupling effective refractive index, so
any change of physical both of them will cause a drift in Bragg
Grating wavelength. On this mechanism, a new type of optical
fiber sensor based on wavelength detection was presented.
Manufacture of FBG Sensor
FBG sensor consists of bare fiber grating, support frame,
protective tube, protective tube plug, tube valve, optical fiber
connector, hollow tube, fiber for transmission and fiber
ointment. The two ends of hollow tube are hermetic joining
with protective tube and optical fiber connector by tube valve
respectively. The high of the support frame, which is fixed
inside of the protective tube by jointing pedestal, equals inside
radius of the protective tube. The optical fiber composed of
fiber and bare fiber gating. The fiber out of the protective tube,
which is joining with the fiber connector through hollow tube, is
applied to transmit the data. And the bare fibe gating in the
protective tube is affixed on the support fame for measuring.
The protective tube plug fixed the fiber to prevent the fiber
longitudinal moving. The role of the fiber ointment is
effectively reducing damage from the immersion of water and
hydrogen. The manufacture of FBG sensor is shown in figure 3.
Data acquisition
It is the key technology that demodulate the analog signals of
wavelength to digital signals for transmiting easily by the data
acquisition system. In this letter we use a fiber Fabry-Perot
(FFP) filter as a demodulator for FBG sensors. Figure 4 shows
the principle of FFP filter. Light from a broadband source is
input into the system, and the component reflected by the FBG
is directed via a coupler to a tunable FFP filter, which has a
bandwidth comparable with that of the FBG and a free spectral
range (FSR) larger than with the operational wavelength domain
of the FBG (typically less than ±5 nm)(7).
Figure 5 shows the structure of FFP filter. A Fabry Perot
cavity consists of two partially Spectroscopes (L1 and L2) that
are precisely aligned to satisfy the boundary conditions to
support constructive interference. Incident light from FBG
return narrowband source changes to parallel light entering the
FFP filter via the spectroscope L1. The exit light from FFP filter
converges on the photodetector via spectroscope L2. It is
assumed that spectrosope L2 is fixed and spectrosope L1 which
adhibits a Piezoelectric Ceramics (PZT) on the back is mobile.
PZT will make a contraction due to a scanning voltage is
applied to PZT. This leads to change the length of FFP filter.
Thus the transmission wavelength of the FFP filter is
variational. When transmission wavelength of the FFP filter
equals to reflected wavelength of the FBG, there is the maximal
light intensity measured by the photodetector. The temporality
voltage can represent the reflected wavelength of the FBG. We
use C8051F020 single chip to acquire the voltage signal as the
information of the formation. The acquired data was transmitted
to GPRS MODEM by the RS232 serial communication
interface. The figure 6 is the data acquisition block diagram.
Data Transmission
By programing GPRS Modem with AT command, the
terminal connects the database server which joined Internet with
static IP address. Because GPRS works by IP protocol, when IP
address and port of the database server are declared, then data
can be transmitted to database server of monitoring center
through GPRS and Internet directly. The following steps were
taken to achieve these results:
(1) Establishing the wireless PPP connection with GGSN,
then return a dynamic IP address. AT command is:
AT+ MIPCALL=1," CMNET"
While right answer is received, the terminal connects with
gateway node through the GPRS network, the PPP
protocol is successful, the system logs in the Internet
from long-range, and receives the IP address distributed
by the GPRS gateway.
(2) After the Socket was initialized, opening the connection
with the centre by the PPP protocol. AT command is:
AT+MIPOPEN=1,5050,”***.***.***.***”,5050,0
If receiving the answer is OK, then the local terminal
which port is 5050 has connected with host by IP
***.***.***.*** and port 5050, then data is transmitted.
Communication protocol is PPP.
(3) Before data is sent to GPRS MODEM by serial port,a
number sign is seted in the GPRS MODEM cumulate
buffer. When the namber sign is true data will be pushed
in the protocol stack. AT command is:
AT+MIPSETS=1,200
(4) Sending the data to the GPRS MODEM cumulate buffer
through the serial port. AT command is:
AT+MIPSEND
(5) Push data of GPRS MODEM cumulate buffer into
protocol stack. AT command is:
AT+MIPPUSH=1
Now data will be sent monitoring center database through
GPRS and Internet.
(6) After the data is sent out, this Socket can also be closed.
AT command is:
AT+MIPCLOSE=1
Alarm Short Message
SMS (short message service) is popular to customer as a
result of its convenience, economy, prompt and accuracy(8).
Hence SMS can use to alarm at all times and all places. In other
word, “Updata” case will happen when the data acquisition by
FBG sensor is recorded in “data” table. Meanwhile the program
of sending alarm message to binding cellphone will be proceed
as soon as the data over flow.
Text and Pdu module are the common pattern. Text module
can transmit ASCII code. Though Pdu module is complexity for
coding the singular program of converting text to Pdu form, it
supports Chinese character message. Thus Pdu module is
adopted to send alarming message. The AT debug is as follows:
to send out the message with the mode of Pdu
AT + CMGF = 0+ <ctrl+z>
3
Send out alarming message
AT+CMGS = phone number + message + <ctrl+z>
Conclusion
The system has the following practical significance.
1. Optimizing production projects to improve oil production.
FBG sensor gets the exact real-time data being sensitive to
unforeknowable circs. It provides reliable basis to adjust
the production strategy for keeping the best performance
of oil well.
2. Reducing production cost: By automatically measuring
formation parameter, it reduces labor hours and cost. In
theory, FBG sensor can work permanently under the
borehole. With this system the well downtime for
measuring is reduced.
3. Improving efficiency. Without space-time restraint, even
in the worst weather condition or for the remote oil well,
such as offshore well, the system performs 24 hours/day
measuring. By applying the system, human and material
resources can be efficiently employed. For instance, the
engineer can work remotely without bing in the field.
4. Digitalization. Since all the datum are stored in the hard
drive, it is easy to collect, analyse, search and share. This
is a powerful base of exploiting and researching ulteriorly.
5. Automatic alarming message. The emergency of oil well
will be informed the engineer by unique automatic
alarming message function.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to sincerely thank professor John
Chen of University of Calgary and CMG Foundation Chair In
Reservoir Simulation and all personnel associated with this
project for their past and continued support.
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photodetector
output
Data acquisition
mobile user user

mobile GPRS Internet Web Server Figure 4 FBG sensor with a FFP demodulator

L1 PZT L2
narrowband photodetector
node node DataBase source
ground ground

es es
n n
s s
o o Figure 5 Structure diagram of FFP
r r
stratum stratum
GPRS
F020 Microcontroller RS232 Modem
s s
e e
n n
os os D/A Converter A/D Converter
r r
well well
Photodetector Photoelectric
Figure 1 System Architecture PZT Converter

Figure 6 Data acquisition block diagram

incident spectrum transmission spectrum
reflection spectrum

FBG

Figure 2 spectrum properties of FBG

Figure 3 FBG sensor structural diagram