US-based oil and natural gas servicing firm Weatherford International has released AutoTong, which it claims is the world's first autonomous pipe makeup system. The AutoTong system is the world’s first technology to automate pipe makeup and to provide autonomous connection evaluation. The system uses a combination of sensors to monitor temperature, pressure, pressure drop, flow rate, and other parameters in order to control the amount of water that flows through each pipe. It also eliminates the need for a human joint-makeup analyst by using high-resolution data to automatically evaluate the connection quality. “By eliminating the element of human error from the physical makeup and connection validation processes, the AutoTong system sharply increases the safety and efficiency of well construction operations", said Aaron Sinnott, vice president of well integrity at Weatherford.
US-based oil and natural gas servicing firm Weatherford International has released AutoTong, which it claims is the world's first autonomous pipe makeup system. The system uses a combination of sensors to monitor temperature, pressure, pressure drop, flow rate, and other parameters in order to control the amount of water that flows through each pipe. It also eliminates the need for a human joint-makeup analyst by using high-resolution data to automatically evaluate the connection quality. “By eliminating the element of human error from the physical makeup and connection validation processes, the AutoTong system sharply increases the safety and efficiency of well construction operations", said Aaron Sinnott, vice president of well integrity at Weatherford.