Problem: 

PureWest needed a scalable application with intuitive and minimal click navigation to see work requests and logs for selected facilities and equipment. The system’s intuitive navigation required global styling and templated PowerCharts for predetermined tags and viewable data for trending. 

PureWest operates on over 110,725 net acres in and around the prolific Pinedale and Jonah Fields, so the application would need to be extensive, open, and flexible. The comprehensive system needed to meet PureWest’s requirements and complement the desktop SCADA system with a mobile platform suitable for field operations and the office environment. 

The mobile platform would need to be scalable to provide the same overview and detailed information as a high-resolution desktop monitor. This made Ignition Perspective from Inductive Automation the ideal solution for PureWest.

Solution:

Prior to developing PureWest’s Ignition Perspective screens, the integrator developed global styles and classes that meet PureWest’s styling guide. To provide an intuitive minimalist click system, the integrator created a relational database schema that drives the Ignition Perspective SCADA system. PureWest and Autosol worked together to collect high-frequency data via MQTT. Given the abundance of high-frequency data, PureWest and the integrator worked together to design an investigative drill-down approach through all screens. Using Power Charts, high-frequency data, and a clean metadata schema, operators were able to immediately see spikes or dips in data and drill down to an individual meter or device.  

With the drill-down approach, PureWest wanted operators, engineers, and all SCADA users to efficiently add event notes for all users to see. Ignition’s audit logs, session notes, setpoint audits, and the system combined plunger control notes on all SCADA system screens so that any individual could immediately determine a cause-and-effect relationship for each asset. 

PureWest and their integrator worked together to add existing equipment metadata to reach the full potential of Perspective screens. When building affiliated tables, they added an equipment notes table, a work request table, and columns to PureWest’s equipment table to integrate external interfaces. Additionally, the integrator also added dataset tags to a global tag provider, and provided dataset array tags to hold design requirements for most of the screens, docks, and control panels. 

The screens were developed from an overview landscape that allows users to drill down to the most relevant tags for each pad, well, area, route, and facility details. It also enhanced facility level cards to allow users to view alarms for any tag throughout the system with a colored visual indicator. Moreover, it created pivot tables in a tabular format to display associated equipment tags and to fit the mobile platform for vertical scrolling. 

PureWest and the integrator worked together to determine the primary set of tags for a well to display on the Well Trend screen, such as plotting yesterday’s volume, flow rates, pressure tags, etc. The team created stacked subplots for the user to trend rollups against variances with the same time series (x axis). 

PureWest and the integrator created the Plunger Summary screen to display real-time data and initial controls for plungers. A control dock was developed for the user to easily access and shut in and change the plunger control mode. There are multiple levels for plunger control, and the team developed it with priority-tiered controls based on device types. 

The integrator provided PureWest with a work request summary display that shows all current and completed work requests. The team created key performance indicators (KPIs) for work requests per area and/or route to help drill down to work request locations. 

Results:

By developing styles, data tags for each data type, and navigation along with relational databases, their integrator created a unified SCADA system. Dataset tags allow PureWest to quickly change and maintain design requirements without having to redesign screens.

Filters throughout the PureWest Ignition system are system-wide. This means that once filters have been selected, the system carries the filters over from screen to screen as the user or operator moves through the SCADA system. Developing these styles and session parameters before the screen is developed means that only minimal clicks are needed when the user is investigating or using the SCADA system.

The SCADA user can use the system-wide facility navigation developed in Global Schemes and Navigation and view selected areas or routes in a PowerChart. Users can drill down to the most important tags for each well, so they can immediately spot inconsistencies and operational issues. The open platform allows users to view current and completed work requests for equipment and facilities, as well as the logbook notes. The integrator also embedded training videos into the SCADA system to guide users through the new SCADA screens.

By using Inductive Automation’s Ignition Platform, the project developers were able to create a unified and flexible application that PureWest users can easily use and scale.

Start Date: May 2022

Deploy Date: December 2022

Project Scope:

Tags: 1,542,617

Screens: 10 screens, one card, one component, 16 docks, 11 pages, 15 popups, 51 templates, 15 templates/cards, two templates/menus, and seven templates/value entries

Clients: 60 active Perspective Sessions

Alarms: 41,383

Devices used: 50 UDTs for non-virtual equipment in user

Architectures used: Standard

Databases used: 11 view tables (vwX) built by combining their existing meta tables in SSMS

Historical data logged: 268,845 non-retired entries in sqlth_te on Ignition Database