Manual processes are still common across chemical injection systems in the oilfield. The lack of automation adoption creates inefficiencies, hidden costs, and missed opportunities for improvement. While it may appear to be a straightforward, cost-effective method, relying on manual rate checks, rate changes and inventory collection introduces a host of challenges that negatively affect production, safety, and overall operational efficiency.
PROBLEMS:
1. Inaccurate Dosing
Your wells, facilities and pipelines need rate adjustments more than once a week to be on target. Over-injection wastes expensive chemicals and increases operating costs unnecessarily. Under-injection, on the other hand, can result in corrosion, scaling, or H2S breakthrough, conditions that compromise equipment integrity, shorten asset life, and decrease production uptime. Your lab monitoring data is only as good as your ability to eliminate variance in the program.
2. Labor Costs and Safety Risks
Routine site visits to check and adjust pump settings require time, manpower, and travel. These trips not only increase labor and vehicle costs, but they also expose field personnel to potential hazards, including remote terrain, extreme weather, and hazardous chemicals. The more frequently these visits are required, the higher the risk and expense.
3. Reactive, Not Proactive
If you are not automating your injection skids, your manual rate adjustments are made based on periodic readings, guesswork and the old stopwatch and sight glass method. If production rates shift, equipment malfunctions, or a tank runs low, the issue may go unnoticed for hours, days or a month. These delays result in inefficient treatment, unexpected downtime, and emergency callouts—all of which increase lease operating expenses (LOE).
SOLUTIONS:
DC3’s intelligent chemical injection systems solve these issues by using automation that reacts in real time to changing conditions. Instead of relying on daily checks or gut instincts, operators gain constant visibility and control.
The DC3 Mirador: Functions as a 24/7 virtual field technician. It monitors, verifies, and adjusts chemical dosing automatically based on real-time inputs such as flow rate or production volume. The Mirador provides real time tank level and pump performance metrics. It ensures accurate delivery and helps operators hold exact injection rates throughout the day.
The DC3 Vista: A compact and cost-effective alternative to Mirador. It leverages smart algorithms derived from thousands of data points to maintain dosing accuracy on marginal wells or less critical injection points, while still providing proportional, remote control and real time tank levels. Vista delivers the same reliability with a lighter footprint and price point.
C1D1 Radar Tank Level Monitors: Eliminate manual gauging with hourly, high-resolution data on tank levels. Installation is simple, with no holes required, and the system isn’t affected by temperature, vapor, or foaming – making it ideal for harsh field environments.
With these integrated tools, operators can significantly lower LOE, reduce truck rolls, increase production uptime, and improve field safety all while getting the most from their chemical programs.
