Patent Application
20210138412
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
No prior art is known to the Applicant.
The hydraulic fracturing process has allowed the oil industry to extract oil in tight shales plays worldwide. We are now drilling laterals up to 3 miles and completing frac stages every 200-300 ft. along that lateral. Sand is being pumped into this rock at high pressure which fractures the rock, releasing oil that has been trapped in the rock matrix. At each stage we are pumping 300,000-600,000 lbs. of sand. Before we can establish the proper pumping rate, acid spearhead is pumped in front of water to break down the perforations in each stage. Each stage will have 1500-4000 gallons of hydrochloric acid pumped by the pressure pumping company. The industry has typically used steel acid tanks which have been coated inside to hold this mixture of acid, such as a prior art acid tank skid 100 illustrated and discussed below.
A multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system for receiving and managing a plurality of fluids and mixing a final acid mixture for use in hydraulic fracturing process. Said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system comprises a support frame, a mix tank, an acid tank, a plumbing system, a control system, and a water manifold, a main connection manifold.
The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention as claimed and is provided in the context of the particular examples discussed below, variations of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation (as in any development project), design decisions must be made to achieve the designers' specific goals (e.g., compliance with system- and business-related constraints), and that these goals will vary from one implementation to another. It will also be appreciated that such development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the field of the appropriate art having the benefit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the claims appended hereto are not intended to be limited by the disclosed embodiments, but are to be accorded their widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
Said prior art acid tank skid 100 can comprise a single liquid tank 102, and a manifold 104. Said prior art acid tank skid 100 can comprise one component required to create a final acid mixture 106 from a water 108, a high concentration acid 110, a corrosion inhibitor 112 and a various chemicals 114. Fluids 106-114 are discussed but not illustrated.
In one embodiment, said prior art acid tank skid 100 holds about 20000 gallons (+/−480 bbls) in said single liquid tank 102. On these frac jobs operators bring said high concentration acid 110 to the location which is about 32% HCL. Operators can dilute the acid by adding said water 108 to these tanks and then add the 32% HCL to the water to bring the concentration typically down to 15%. During each dilution, it is desirable that said final acid mixture 106 must have a certain concentration of said corrosion inhibitor 112 and said various chemicals 114 added to said final acid mixture 106.
Among other drawbacks, said prior art acid tank skid 100 requires a fluid pump 116 must be connected to said single liquid tank 102 and circulate said final acid mixture 106 to disperse said various chemicals 114 and properly mix said final acid mixture 106.
If said final acid mixture 106 is not mixed, said final acid mixture 106 will sink to the bottom of said single liquid tank 102 since acid is heavier than water. Therefore, if the tank sits very long, an operator or pumping company will have to mix said final acid mixture 106 again to get proper mixture and concentration.
Additionally, said single liquid tank 102 of said prior art acid tank skid 100 are not typically acid approved containers, but are used nonetheless because operators need to pump said final acid mixture 106 out of these said single liquid tank 102 at high rate.
Further problems with said prior art acid tank skid 100 include issues regarding chemistry and material choices. Said high concentration acid 110 can comprise a hydrochloric acid which is highly corrosive to metal. Even though said single liquid tank 102 can be epoxy coated, any ding or scratch to the coating will accelerate metal corrosion. Constant maintenance is required to keep these tanks in top form.
Likewise, said manifold 104 in front of said single liquid tank 102 is also made of steel and will experience acid corrosion on the valves and connections. Operators have had acid spills due this corrosion and have lost a whole tank of acid on the ground. This is very dangerous.
In one embodiment, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can comprise a support frame 202, a mix tank 204, an acid tank 206, a plumbing system 208, a control system 210, a cone tank 212, a chem tote input 214, a chemical tote platform 216, an acid fill line 218, a first pump 220, a water line 222, a motor control station 224, a mix tank discharge valve 226, a water manifold 228, a main connection manifold 230, a trailer wheels 232, and a trailer hitch system 234.
As illustrated, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can be aligned around a central axis 236.
In one embodiment, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can comprise a new concept employing a mobile acid dock as a replacement for said prior art acid tank skid 100 in the fracking process.
In one embodiment, said mix tank 204 can comprise a 5000 gallon tank, said acid tank 206 can comprise a 6000 gallon tank, and both can be made of plastic. Said water line 222 can be steel. Said mix tank discharge valve 226 can comprise a ball valve. Said main connection manifold 230 can comprise MNPT connections. Said water manifold 228 can connect to said water line 222. Said support frame 202 can comprise beams. Said trailer wheels 232 and said trailer hitch system 234 can be connected to said support frame 202. Said mix tank 204 and said acid tank 206 can be secured to said support frame 202.
Said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can incorporate two acid approved containers (said mix tank 204 and said acid tank 206) that are not reactive to HCL acid (said high concentration acid 110).
Said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can keep said high concentration acid 110 in said acid tank 206 (the larger tank) and utilize said mix tank 204 (the smaller tank) to individually mix each stage of the frac job for the initial spearhead acid (said final acid mixture 106). said final acid mixture 106 can be premixed with the proper chemicals and will have the proper mixing of acid and water to bring the concentration to typically 15% HCL.
In one embodiment, fresh chemicals (said various chemicals 114) are introduced with each batch of mixed acid and is ready to be delivered to the pressure pumping company. One feature of said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 is the maintenance of said final acid mixture 106 within said mix tank 204 to avoid re-stirring throughout a fracking job.
Additional benefits of said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can comprise avoiding corrosion with said mix tank 204 and said acid tank 206 due to their compassion of plastics and/or acid approved storage tanks; and improved/lowered maintenance costs; and improved portability.
Since said final acid mixture 106 can be created on the fly from its component parts, there is no need to create, or roll, a whole tank of acid for small projects. This approach further means that said high concentration acid 110 will not have time to settle in the bottom of a tank (such as that of said single liquid tank 102 in said prior art acid tank skid 100) over time.
In one embodiment, each batch of said final acid mixture 106 can include a fresh addition of said corrosion inhibitor 112 to protect the casing on the oil well.
Improvements of said mix tank 204 and said acid tank 206 over said single liquid tank 102 mean fewer spills and safer containment of said high concentration acid 110. This is appealing in all settings for the health of the environment but especially for use on Federal lands and delicate environments.
By delivering said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 on said trailer wheels 232 and said support frame 202, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 avoids storage issues and adds the convenience of quick deliver, mixing and application on site.
Likewise, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can fit in the same space as a typical frac tank spread.
These efficiencies will be increased with less down time to mix acid.
In one embodiment, said mix tank 204 and said acid tank 206 can be secured to said support frame 202 with a plurality of tank bands 302 and a plurality of tank support brackets 304, as illustrated. In one embodiment, said plurality of tank bands 302 and said plurality of tank support brackets 304 can be secured to said support frame 202.
Said support frame 202 can comprise a front end 306, a rear end 308, a first side 310, a second side 312, and a central portion 318.
Said mix tank 204 can comprise a bulkhead fitting assembly 314 and a flow line ultrasonic level transmitter 316.
As illustrated, said mix tank discharge valve 226, said water manifold 228 and said main connection manifold 230 can be attached to said front end 306 of said support frame 202. Said water line 222 can create a fluid connection from said water manifold 228 to said central portion 318 and/or said plumbing system 208.
Although not illustrated here, said water line 222 can connect to said water manifold 228 at a first end 500 and said plumbing system 208 at a second end 502.
In one embodiment, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can comprise a mix tank bypass line 700 in fluid connection between a mix tank inlet 702 and a mix tank outlet 704. In one embodiment, said mix tank bypass line 700 can be installed below said mix tank 204 and within said support frame 202.
In one embodiment, a portion of a fluid from said plumbing system 208 can be directed into said mix tank bypass line 700 and said mix tank inlet 702.
In one embodiment, said mix tank inlet 702 can be connected to an acid drain spool 800.
Said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can further comprise a discharge spool 802 and a mix tank discharge spool hose 804.
One objective of said plumbing system 208 in conjunction with said control system 210 is to monitor and control a chemical mixture of said final acid mixture 106 to be delivered from said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200. One means of doing so is to regulate input of said water 108, said high concentration acid 110, said corrosion inhibitor 112 and said various chemicals 114 coming from said mix tank 204, said acid tank 206, said cone tank 212 and said chem tote input 214 to achieve a desired composition of said final acid mixture 106.
In one embodiment, said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can further comprise a power supply 900 connected to one or more components such as said control system 210 and said motor control station 224.
In one embodiment, said plumbing system 208 can comprise a water input line 902, an additives input line 904, said first pump 220, and a fluid output line 906. In one embodiment, said additives input line 904 can receive fluids from said acid tank 206, said cone tank 212 and/or said chem tote input 214.
In one embodiment, said acid tank 206 can comprise an inlet 1000, and a fluid acid inlet line 1002. Said fluid acid inlet line 1002 can also be referred to as the acid skid load line.
As discussed, said plumbing system 208 can comprise said additives input line 904, this can further be divided up into a chem tote fluid input 1100 from a chem tote fluid line 1102, and an acid inlet line 1104.
A portion of fluids received in said chem tote fluid line 1102 can receive further additives from said cone tank 212, such—for example—as said corrosion inhibitor 112.
In one embodiment, said chem tote input 214 can comprise multiple inlets each with valves, as illustrated. Accordingly, said chem tote input 214 can receive multiple inputs.
A call out A 1200 is shown in these figures and displayed in detail below.
Said motor control station 224 can comprise or be attached to said control system 210, which is invoked in this specification as a software or hardware programmable system for monitoring and ensuring a proper mixture of said final acid mixture 106. Said motor control station 224 with said control system 210 can control valves attached to a portion of or all of the fluid lines in said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200. Further said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200 can comprises sensors and meters to monitor the status of and fluid movement within said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200. Likewise, said first pump 220 can be controlled by said control system 210 and/or said motor control station 224.
In one embodiment, said support frame 202 can comprise a cord management system 1300 such as a spool wherein, a power or data line 1302 can connect said power supply 900 and said control system 210 to components of power sources outside of said multiple tank acid mixing and delivery system 200.
These parts are introduced in this specification and summarized here for quick reference:
Various changes in the details of the illustrated operational methods are possible without departing from the scope of the following claims. Some embodiments may combine the activities described herein as being separate steps. Similarly, one or more of the described steps may be omitted, depending upon the specific operational environment the method is being implemented in. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments may be used in combination with each other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.”
This application claims benefit to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/932,502, filed on Nov. 8, 2019.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62932502 | Nov 2019 | US | |
| 62932496 | Nov 2019 | US |
