US 12,002,118 B2
Distributed ledger in oil and gas custody transfers
Subha Lalitha Bhattiprolu, Hyderabad (IN); Richard Linwood Linscott, Plainville, MA (US); and Alexander Park Johnson, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc., Foxborough, MA (US)
Filed by Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc., Foxborough, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/106,714.
Prior Publication US 2022/0172221 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 50/06 (2024.01)
CPC G06Q 50/06 (2013.01) [G06Q 2220/10 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for tamper-proof publishing of hydrocarbon data in oil and gas custody transfers, comprising:
a controller; and
a storage device coupled to the controller and storing computer-readable instructions for a distributed ledger app thereon, wherein the distributed ledger app, when executed by the controller, causes the system to:
initiate an exchange of hydrocarbon data in an oil and gas custody transfer at a Lease Automatic Custody Transfer (LACT) unit;
acquire the hydrocarbon data from the LACT, the LACT configured to measure a volume and quality of hydrocarbons for the custody transfer;
obtain a hash value for the hydrocarbon data, the hash value produced using a predefined hash function;
apply a digital signature to the hydrocarbon data and the hash value;
connect to a distributed ledger designated to receive the hydrocarbon data; and
transmit the hydrocarbon data and the hash value to the distributed ledger over a private or public network, including the Internet;
wherein the distributed ledger app further causes the system to obtain a hash value of equipment calibration data and device configuration parameters for equipment and devices used to acquire the hydrocarbon data, apply a digital signature to the equipment calibration data, the device configuration parameters, and the hash value, and transmit the equipment calibration data, device configuration parameters, and hash value to the distributed ledger; and
wherein the distributed ledger app further causes the system to upload to the distributed ledger a public key of a public/private key pair for the devices used to acquire the hydrocarbon data, the public key being stored in a public key repository in the distributed ledger.