Patent Application
20240384635
The flow of hydrocarbons from a reservoir into a well bore may be improved to increase production of a well by various well interventions including well stimulation. Common well stimulation methods include acid injection, manual stimulation with explosives, and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is commonly used in low permeability wells and includes pumping specially formulated fluids downhole at high pressures to force open fissures in the subterranean rock. The specially formulated fluids used for hydraulic fracturing may include various liquids, chemicals, and/or materials, each of which are included for various specific purposes. For example, the specially formulated fluids may include biocides, surfactants, scale inhibitors, friction reducers, clay stabilizers, proppants, corrosion inhibitors, crosslinkers, and/or pH adjusting agents, among others additives. The chemicals or additives used today in formulating the fluids for hydraulic fracturing process are generally diluted to lower the perceived cost to the end user (cost/gal).
In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method including providing a movable module to a worksite, the movable module including a pump, a variable frequency drive coupled to the pump, a programmable logic controller operatively coupled to the variable frequency drive, and a first flow meter coupled to an outlet of the pump; coupling a tank to a suction end of the pump, the tank having a concentrated chemical disposed therein; coupling an outlet of the pump to a blender fluid flowline, the blender fluid flowline positioned external to the movable module; and providing a low dosage of the concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to a clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline by pumping the concentrated chemical with the pump from the tank to the blender fluid flowline and adjusting an amount of the concentrated chemical pumped in response to data input into the programmable logic controller.
In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method including providing a movable base with a pump, a motor coupled to the pump, a variable drive coupled to the motor, a programmable logic controller coupled to the variable drive, an inlet flowline coupled to a suction end of the pump, an outlet flowline coupled to a discharge of the pump, and a first flow meter coupled to the outlet flowline; positioning the movable base at a worksite, coupling the inlet flowline to a tank, the tank having a concentrated chemical disposed therein, and coupling the outlet flowline to a blender fluid flowline at the worksite, the blender fluid flowline providing a flow of a clean fluid; and pumping a dosage of concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline.
In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method including providing a movable base with a high concentration dosing system, positioning the movable base at a worksite, coupling a flowline between the high concentration dosing system and a blender fluid flowline at the worksite, the blender fluid flowline providing a flow of a clean fluid, and providing a dosage of concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline.
In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a system including a pump; a variable drive coupled to the pump; a flow meter coupled to an outlet of the pump; a programmable logic controller operatively coupled to the flow meter and operatively coupled to the variable drive; a base, wherein the pump, the variable drive, the flow meter, and programmable logic controller are coupled to the base; and an inlet flowline coupled to a suction end of the pump and an outlet flowline coupled to a discharge end of the pump, wherein the programmable logic controller is configured to receive data from the flow meter representative of a flow rate of a concentrated chemical discharged by the pump and to send a signal to the variable drive to control the pump based on the data representative of a flow rate of the concentrated chemical to provide a dosage of concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to a clean fluid.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
The following is a description of the figures in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements may be arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn are not necessarily intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawing.
In the following detailed description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed implementations and embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that implementations and embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. For the sake of continuity, and in the interest of conciseness, same or similar reference characters may be used for same or similar objects in multiple figures.
Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a compact, easily deployable field delivery system of high concentration additives designed to deliver accurate extremely low dosage rates based on a clean water pump rate. In one or more embodiments, the field delivery system provides a dosing flow rate of the high concentrated chemicals that is adjusted automatically in proportion to changes in the clean water flow rate to maintain a desired concentration.
Embodiments disclosed herein may provide a field delivery system that is easily movable or transportable to a worksite, the field delivery system configured to provide chemicals to a fluid used in, for example, stimulation of an oilfield well. For example, the field delivery system may be designed to deliver accurate extremely low dosage rates of various types of frac additives based on a clean fluid pump rate. As used herein, frac additives are chemicals or substances used in hydraulic fracturing fluids that are pumped downhole into subterranean rock formations. Frac additives may include one or more of biocides, surfactants, scale inhibitors, friction reducers, and clay stabilizers. As used herein, a clean fluid refers to a fluid to which an additive, chemical, substance, or other material will be added. In other words, the clean fluid is a base fluid without the additive. For example, the additive, chemical, substance, or other material may be added to the clean fluid prior to or as the fluid is pumped downhole. In one or more embodiments, the clean fluid may be water. However, other fluids, including fluids that are not devoid of other liquids, fluids, substances, chemicals, etc., may also be considered a clean fluid. A dosing flow rate of the concentrated chemicals (e.g., frac additives) are added to the clean fluid by pumping the concentrated chemicals into the blender fluid flowline. The dosing flow rate of the concentrated chemicals may be adjusted automatically in proportion to changes in the clean water flow rate to maintain the desired concentration for performing the hydraulic fracturing process.
The field delivery system is designed such that the field delivery system may be coupled to existing fracturing equipment on a wellsite (e.g., a “plug and play” system) to allow for high concentrated chemicals to be dosed into the clean water flowline and achieve the desired concentration for hydraulic fracturing. Traditionally, chemicals or additives used for hydraulic fracturing process are diluted and transported to the wellsite in dilute form in multiple bulk trucks to transfer the liquid chemicals. For example, traditionally, chemicals that may have an activity of 60% are diluted down to about 15% at a facility before delivery to the wellsite or before introduction into a delivery system. Higher concentration additives have been rejected in the past due to the inability of pressure pumpers to dose these (high cost/gal) concentrates at the extremely low rates required with any existing fracturing equipment.
The field delivery system according to embodiments disclosed herein is designed to automatically provide and/or adjust the low dosage of concentrated chemicals into a clean water flowline to achieve and maintain a desired concentration for a hydraulic fracture injection fluid. More specifically, the concentrated chemicals are “high” concentration frac additives (e.g., biocides, surfactants, scale inhibitors, clay stabilizers, etc.) and thus a low dosage of the chemical into the clean water flowline is needed to achieve the desired makeup of the hydraulic fracture injection fluid. As used herein, “concentrated chemicals” refer to “high” concentrated chemicals which have an activity of 25% or higher. For example, the chemicals used in the field delivery system disclosed herein may include biocides with activities of greater than 20%, including, for example, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 75% or greater, scale inhibitors with activities of greater than 20%, including 25%, 30%, 40%, 50% or greater, and surfactants with activities of greater than 20%, including 25%, 30%, 40%, 60% or greater. In contrast, conventional chemicals for hydraulic fracturing operations are provided at a field strength concentration of 20% or less. For example, conventional chemicals for hydraulic fracturing operation may include a biocide with an activity of 20%, 5%, or less, a scale inhibitor with an activity of 12%, 5%, or less, and a surfactant with an activity of 10%, 4%, or less. Thus, conventional systems (using diluted chemicals/additives) generally dose chemicals or additives with a loading of 0.15-2.0 GPT (gallon per 1,000 gallon) (0.15-2.0 l/m3) of clean water. In contrast, the field delivery system in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein provides concentrated chemicals at a loading of 0.010 to 0.15 GPT (0.010 to 0.15 l/m3).
The field delivery system and method advantageously allow for concentrated chemicals to be transported to a wellsite which provides a significant reduction in the volumetric storage requirements of the needed chemicals, logistical costs and traffic, and subsequent footprint of storage systems on a well pad. Instead of using multiple bulk trucks to transfer the liquid chemicals, a few smaller or intermediate tanks, such as totes, of the concentrated chemicals can be delivered and the contemplated system can be used to dose the appropriate low amount into the clean water flow line.
A field delivery system and method designed in accordance with the present application may also allow for delivery of a chemical to a fluid in, for example, a clean water flowline, that includes transporting a concentrated chemical to a worksite and providing reliable dosing of the concentrated chemical at a desired low rate even during start up and stoppage of the delivery of the chemical to the fluid. For example, conventional systems often observe spikes in dosage of chemicals when a delivery system is started or stopped due to, for example, starting or stopping of a pump that is pumping a diluted chemical. In contrast, embodiments described herein may provide a more constant or consistent dosing of chemical, without the dosing spikes seen in conventional systems, as the chemical is metered into the fluid.
Referring now to
A tote 112 for containing a volume of concentrated chemical (i.e., a frac additive) is connected to a suction end of the pump 104 via inlet flowline 114. A tote generally refers to an intermediate bulk container for the transport of bulk liquids ranging in volumes between, generally, 250 and 350 gallons. The tote may be formed from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or other materials suitable for holding concentrated frac additives. The tote may be positioned in the module 102 or pallet or may be positioned next to the module 102 or pallet. A first end of the inlet flowline 114 may be coupled to a valve or tap (not shown) on the tote 112 and a second end of the inlet flowline 114 may be coupled to the suction end of the pump 104.
In one or more embodiments, the pump 104 is a positive displacement pump. For example, the pump 104 may be a metering pump that is configured to provide a specific adjustable volumetric flowrate of a liquid, i.e., the concentrated chemical in the tote 112. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, pump 104 may be a hydraulically driven diaphragm pump, a gear pump, or a peristaltic hose pump.
The pump 104 includes a motor (not shown) which is controlled by a variable drive, such as the variable frequency drive 106 or variable speed drive. The variable frequency drive 106 is operatively connected to the PLC 110 and automatically controls the flow rate of the concentrated chemical through the pump 104 by changing the pump stroke speed of the pump 104. The pump 104 may include a calibrated dial for adjusting the capacity of the pump between, for example, 10% to 100%.
An outlet flowline 116 is coupled to an outlet or discharge of the pump 104 and to an injection port or inlet 118 of a blender fluid flowline 120. The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline external to the field delivery system 100 and therefore not housed within or on the module 102. A clean fluid is flowed through the blender fluid flowline 120 and includes one or more injection ports/inlets 118 through which one or more additives/chemicals are added to the clean fluid to form a blended fluid. The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline that is coupled to an injection pump (not shown) for injecting the blended fluid (i.e., a combination of the clean fluid and one or more additives such as frac additives, including the concentrated chemical from tote 112) into a formation for hydraulic fracturing of the formation rock.
The flow meter 108 may be disposed in the outlet flowline 116 and configured to measure the rate of flow of the concentrated chemical between the pump 104 of the field delivery system 100 and the blender fluid flowline 120. In some embodiments, the flow meter 108 may be a turbine flow meter. In other embodiments, the flow meter 108 may be a Coriolis flow meter. The flow meter 108 may be operatively coupled to the PLC 110 and may transmit data representative of the flow rate of concentrated chemical in outlet flowline 116 to the PLC 110. The flow meter 108 may thus provide flow rate validation of the concentrated chemical exiting the pump 104 to ensure that a proper dosing of the concentrated chemical is supplied to the blender fluid flowline 120.
The blender fluid flowline 120 also includes a flow meter 122 (also referred to herein as a blender flow meter 122) positioned upstream of the injection port or inlet 118 of the blender fluid flowline 120. Thus, the flow meter 122 is configured to measure the rate of flow of the clean fluid prior to the addition of the concentrated chemical from the field delivery system 100. The flow meter 122 may be, for example, a turbine flow meter or a Coriolis flow meter. The flow meter 122 of the blender fluid flowline 120 is operatively coupled to the PLC 110 of the field delivery system 100 and transmits data representative of the flow rate of the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120 to the PLC 110. The PLC 110 may thus compare a first input (the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in outlet flowline 116) and a second input (the flow rate of the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120 upstream of the injection port or inlet 118) to validate the desired dosing of concentrated chemical to achieve a desired concentration in the blender fluid flowline 120.
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, the PLC 110 is configured to automatically adjust the pump speed, through the PLC's coupling with the variable frequency drive 106, and therefore adjust the dosing of concentrated chemical into the blender fluid flowline 120, in response to variations or changes in the flow rate of the clean fluid flowing through the blender fluid flowline 120, as measured by the flow meter 122. Further, PLC 110 may additionally or alternatively control a valve 121 in the blender fluid flowline 120 to adjust a flow rate of the clean fluid to ensure a desired and accurate dosing of the concentrated chemical is achieved. For example, the field delivery system 100 in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein provides concentrated chemicals (e.g., chemicals with activities of greater than 20%) at a loading of 0.010 to 0.15 GPT (0.010 to 0.15 l/m3) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120.
In one or more embodiments, the field delivery system 100 may optionally include a pressure dampener 124 coupled to the outlet flowline 116 between the outlet of pump 104 and the flow meter 108. The pressure dampener 124 is configured to dampen any pulsations of flow and maintain continuous flow through the flow meter 108 to protect and ensure accurate flow measurements by flow meter 108.
The field delivery system 100 may also include a human machine interface (HMI) 126, for example, a computer, tablet, monitor, etc. that allows the user to input data into and receive data from the PLC 110. For example, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, the PLC 210 is configured to automatically adjust the pump speed, through the PLC's coupling with the motor 205, e.g. with a variable frequency drive or variable speed drive, and therefore adjust the dosing of concentrated chemical into the blender fluid flowline (not shown), in response to variations or changes in the flow rate of the clean fluid flowing through the blender fluid flowline (not shown), as measured by the flow meter (not shown) in the blender fluid flowline (not shown) operatively coupled to the pump 204. Further, PLC 210 may additionally or alternatively control a valve (not shown) in the blender fluid flowline (not shown) to adjust a flow rate of the clean fluid to ensure a desired and accurate dosing of the concentrated chemical is achieved. For example, the field delivery system 200 in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein provides concentrated chemicals (e.g., chemicals with activities of greater than 20%) at a loading of 0.010 to 0.15 GPT (0.010 to 0.15 l/m3) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline (not shown).
Table 1 below shows an example of a chemical, labeled Product X, having an activity of 5% as is common with traditional diluted chemicals. The job clean rate is 100 BPM with a chemical loading of 0.25 GPT and a chemical rate of 1.05 GPM. The example well has a job barrel count of 10,000 barrels and 250 total stages, or intervals of a well. As shown the total chemical volume in this example is 26,250 gallons, which would fill 84 totes (each tote having a working volume of 315 gallons), or 6 ISO tanks (each ISO tank having a working volume of 4,500 gallons).
By comparison, Table 2 below shows an example of a concentrated chemical, labeled Product Y, having an activity of 50% that may be pumped into a clean water line using a field delivery system in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein that is loaded at 0.03 GPT into flow line with a job rate of 100 BPM, providing a chemical rate of 0.105 GPM. Product Y is also added to a job having a 10,000 job barrel count and 250 stages. However, the total chemical volume needed is only 2,625 gallons (a reduction in volume of approximately 90%), which would fill only 9 totes or less than 1 ISO tank.
Referring back to
The electrical box 228 houses a PLC (not shown), a power supply (not shown), and associated electrical equipment (not shown). An operator workstation 233 may also be disposed on the base 203. In some embodiments, the operator workstation 233 may include a stand or structure designed to support and secure a laptop, tablet, screen, or other HMI 226. The PLC 110 may be coupled to one or more communication services such as a value-added network (VAN) or ethernet datalink. The flowlines 214, 216 may be formed from stainless steel piping.
Referring now to
The method further includes coupling a first end of an outlet flowline to an outlet of the pump and a second end of the outlet flowline to a blender fluid flowline (shown at 354). The blender fluid flowline may be positioned external to the module and may be an existing flowline at the worksite. Accordingly, the module may be positioned at the worksite in a location such that the second end of the outlet flowline may be connected to an inlet or coupling of a blender fluid flowline. Once the moveable module is positioned in the worksite and coupled to the tank of a concentrated chemical and the blender fluid flowline, the method in accordance with the present disclosure includes providing a low dosage of the concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to a clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline (shown at 356) by pumping the concentrated chemical with the pump from the tank through the inlet flowline and the outlet flowline to the blender fluid flowline and adjusting an amount of the concentrated chemical pumped in response to data input into the programmable logic controller (shown at 358).
In one or more embodiments, the adjusting an amount of the concentrated chemical (358) includes controlling a flow rate of the concentrated chemical entering the blender fluid flowline. The flow rate of the concentrated chemical entering the blender fluid flowline may be controlled by determining a flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline with the flow meter, providing the flow rate as an input to the PLC, and providing a signal from the PLC to the variable frequency drive. The signal from the PLC to the variable frequency drive may adjust, for example, a frequency and a voltage input to a motor coupled to the pump based on the flow rate of the concentrated chemical. For example, if the flow rate of the concentrated chemical is lower than necessary to obtain a desired blended fluid, the PLC may signal the variable frequency drive to increase the flow rate through the pump of the concentrated chemical. Similarly, if the flow rate of the concentrated chemical is higher than necessary to obtain the desired blended fluid, the PLC may signal the variable frequency drive to decrease the flow rate through the pump of the concentrated chemical.
Providing a low dosage of concentrated chemical of the method disclosed herein may further include determining a flow rate of a clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline with a second flow meter coupled to the blender fluid flowline upstream of a coupling of the first end of the outlet flow to the blender fluid flowline, providing the flow rate as an input to the programmable logic controller, and providing a signal from the programmable logic controller to the variable frequency drive to adjust a motor coupled to the pump based on the flow rate of the concentrated chemical and the flow rate of the clean fluid. For example, the second flow meter measures the flow rate of clean fluid through the blender fluid flowline and sends the measured flow rates to the PLC as inputs. If the flow rate of the clean fluid increases or decreases, the PLC sends a signal to the variable flow device to adjust the flow rate of the concentrated chemical through the outlet flowline so that a desired mixture of the bended fluid may be maintained. Alternatively, or in addition, a user may adjust the flow rate of the concentrated chemical by entering an input to the PLC via a human machine interface, such as a screen, computer, tablet, etc.
Additional concentrated chemicals may need to be added to the clean fluid to obtain the desired mixture of the blended fluid. Thus, in accordance with one or more embodiments, the method may further include providing the movable module with a second pump, a second variable frequency drive coupled to the second pump, the second variable frequency drive coupled to the programmable logic controller, and a third flow meter coupled to an outlet of the second pump. A second tank may be coupled to a second inlet flowline coupled to a suction end of the second pump, the second tank having a second concentrated chemical disposed therein. A first end of a second outlet flowline may be coupled to an outlet of the second pump and a second end of the second outlet flowline to the blender fluid flowline. In accordance with this method, a low dosage of the second concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) is then provided to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline by pumping the second concentrated chemical with the second pump from the second tank through the second inlet flowline and the second outlet flowline to the blender fluid flowline and adjusting an amount of the second concentrated chemical pumped in response to data input into the programmable logic controller. As discussed above, in one or more embodiments, the concentrated chemical is a frac additive, such as a biocide, surfactant, scale inhibitor, or clay stabilizer that is transported and stored in the tank (or tote) in concentrated form such that the concentrated chemical has an activity of greater than 20%. In other embodiments, the concentrated chemical has an activity greater than 30%, 40%, 50% or 60%.
Referring to
The method further includes pumping a dosage of concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline (shown at 464). Thus, the movable base includes the necessary equipment to provide a concentrated chemical from a tank to the blender fluid flowline at the desired low dosage into the to mix the concentrated chemical with the clean fluid to provide a desired blended fluid to pump downhole for hydraulic fracturing of a rock formation.
In one or more embodiments, the method may further include validating the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline. The validating the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline includes measuring a flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline with the first flow meter, and providing the flow rate of the concentrated chemical as an input to the PLC. The PLC may then compare the measured flow rate with a desired flow rate input into the PLC via, for example, an HMI. If the PLC determines that the flow rate of the concentrated chemical is not equal to the desired flow rate, i.e., the flow rate is not validated, then the flow rate of the concentrated chemical may be adjusted.
The flow rate of the concentrated chemical may be adjusted by measuring a flow rate of the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline with a second flow meter coupled to the blender fluid flowline, providing the flow rate of the clean fluid as an input to the programmable logic controller, and sending a signal from the programmable logic controller to the variable drive based on the flow rate of the concentrated chemical and the flow rate of the clean fluid to vary the frequency and voltage input to the motor to control the pump. The flow rate of the concentrated chemical may thus be adjusted by sending a signal from the PLC to the variable drive to vary a frequency and voltage input to the motor to control the pump to maintain the dosage of concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline. The flow rate of the concentrated chemical may be adjusted. The methods described with respect to
Referring now to
The pressure vessel 511 is connected between the compressed air supply 509 and the flow control valve 513. The pressure vessel 511 is connected to the flow control valve 513 via the inlet flowline 114. The pressure vessel 511 contains a volume of concentrated chemical (i.e., a frac additive). The pressure vessel 511 may be positioned in the module 102 or pallet or may be positioned next to the module 102 or pallet. A first end of the inlet flowline 114 may be coupled to a valve (not shown) on the pressure vessel 511 and a second end of the inlet flowline 114 may be coupled to an inlet of the flow control valve 513.
The compressed air supply 509 is configured to provide a pneumatically driven flow of the concentrated chemical in the pressure vessel 511 to the flow control valve 513. The flow control valve 513 is operatively connected to the PLC 110 such that the PLC 110 controls opening and closing of the flow control valve 513 to control the flow rate of the concentrated chemical through the flow control valve 513 into the blender fluid flowline 120. The flow control valve 513 may be any valve known in the art, for example, a gate valve, a globe valve, etc.
An outlet flowline 116 is coupled to an outlet of the flow control valve 513 and to an injection port or inlet 118 of a blender fluid flowline 120. The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline external to the field delivery system 500 and therefore not housed within or on the module 102. A clean fluid is flowed through the blender fluid flowline 120 and includes one or more injection ports/inlets 118 through which one or more additives/chemicals are added to the clean fluid to form a blended fluid. The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline that is coupled to an injection pump (not shown) for injecting the blended fluid (i.e., a combination of the clean fluid and one or more additives such as frac additives, including the concentrated chemical from the pressure vessel 511) into a formation for hydraulic fracturing of the formation rock.
The flow meter 108 may be disposed in the outlet flowline 116 and configured to measure a rate of flow of the concentrated chemical between the flow control valve 513 of the field delivery system 500 and the blender fluid flowline 120. In some embodiments, the flow meter 108 may be a turbine flow meter. In other embodiments, the flow meter 108 may be a Coriolis flow meter. The flow meter 108 may be operatively coupled to the PLC 110 and may transmit data representative of the flow rate of concentrated chemical in outlet flowline 116 to the PLC 110. The flow meter 108 may thus provide flow rate validation of the concentrated chemical exiting the flow control valve 513 to ensure that a proper dosing of the concentrated chemical is supplied to the blender fluid flowline 120.
The blender fluid flowline 120 also includes a flow meter 122 positioned upstream of the injection port or inlet 118 of the blender fluid flowline 120. Thus, the flow meter 122 is configured to measure the rate of flow of the clean fluid prior to the addition of the concentrated chemical from the field delivery system 100. As described above, the flow meter 122 may be, for example, a turbine flow meter or a Coriolis flow meter. The flow meter 122 of the blender fluid flowline 120 is operatively coupled to the PLC 110 of the field delivery system 500 and transmits data representative of the flow rate of the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120 to the PLC 110. The PLC 110 may thus compare a first input (the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in outlet flowline 116) from the chemical flow meter 108 and a second input (the flow rate of the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120 upstream of the injection port or inlet 118) from the blender flow meter 122 to validate the desired dosing of concentrated chemical to achieve a desired concentration in the blender fluid flowline 120.
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, the PLC 110 is configured to automatically adjust an opening of the flow control valve 513, and therefore adjust the dosing of concentrated chemical into the blender fluid flowline 120, in response to variations or changes in the flow rate of the clean fluid flowing through the blender fluid flowline 120, as measured by the flow meter 122. Further, PLC 110 may additionally or alternatively control a valve (not shown) in the blender fluid flowline 120 to adjust a flow rate of the clean fluid to ensure a desired and accurate dosing of the concentrated chemical is achieved. For example, the field delivery system 500 in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein provides concentrated chemicals (e.g., chemicals with activities of greater than 20%) at a loading of 0.010 to 0.15 GPT (0.010 to 0.15 l/m3) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120.The field delivery system 500 may also include a human machine interface (HMI) 126, for example, a computer, tablet, monitor, etc. that allows the user to input data into and receive data from the PLC 110, as shown and discussed above with respect to
Referring still to
Referring now to
The high concentration dosing system 672 may also include a container 642 connected to the valve 643 via an inlet flowline 114. The container 642 contains a volume of concentrated chemical (i.e., a frac additive). The container 642 may be a tote or other container configured to store concentrated chemical. The container 642 may include an opening (not shown) or valve (not shown) located on a bottom or lower surface of the container 642. A first end of the inlet flowline 114 may be coupled to the valve (not shown) on the container 642 and a second end of the inlet flowline 114 may be coupled to an inlet of the valve 643. The container 642 may be positioned in the module 102 or pallet or may be positioned next to the module 102 or pallet. In some embodiments, the container 642 is positioned on the elevated structure 641 to provide for flow of the concentrated chemical from the container 642 through the inlet flowline 114 and the valve 643 via gravity.
The field delivery system 600 is positioned above a fluid flow line, such as blender fluid flowline 120. An outlet flowline 116 is coupled to an outlet of the valve 643 and to an injection port or inlet 118 of the blender fluid flowline 120. The gravity fed field delivery system 600 may thus provide concentrated chemical from the module 102 to the bender fluid flowline 120 by operation of the valve 643.
The valve 643 may be a pinch valve or an iris valve. The valve 643 may be adjustable to providing an adjustable volumetric flow rate that corresponds to or matches a target loading rate based on a flow rate data input 644 to the PLC 110. The PLC 110 may be operatively coupled to the valve 643 and/or the valve (not shown) on the container 642. Although shown on the elevated structure, the PLC 110 may be located anywhere within the module 102. The valve 643 may be controlled to restrict a volumetric flow rate of concentrated chemical from the container 642 to the blender fluid flowline 120 to achieve a desired concentration downstream of an injection port/inlet 118 of the blender fluid flowline 120.
The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline external to the field delivery system 600 and therefore not housed within or on the module 102. A clean fluid is flowed through the blender fluid flowline 120 and includes one or more injection ports/inlets 118 through which one or more additives/chemicals are added to the clean fluid to form a blended fluid. The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline that is coupled to an injection pump (not shown) for injecting the blended fluid (i.e., a combination of the clean fluid and one or more additives such as frac additives, including the concentrated chemical from the container 642) into a formation for hydraulic fracturing of the formation rock.
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, the PLC 110 is configured to automatically adjust an opening of the valve 643, and therefore adjust the dosing of concentrated chemical into the blender fluid flowline 120, in response to a target loading rate based on customer flow rate data input 644 to the PLC 110. For example, the field delivery system 600 in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein provides concentrated chemicals (e.g., chemicals with activities of greater than 20%) at a loading of 0.010 to 0.15 GPT (0.010 to 0.15 l/m3) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120. The field delivery system 600 may also include a human machine interface (HMI) 126, for example, a computer, tablet, monitor, etc. that allows the user to input data into and receive data from the PLC 110, as shown and discussed above with respect to
More specifically, the field delivery system 700 as shown in
The high concentration dosing system 772 may also include a tote 112 for containing a volume of concentrated chemical (i.e., a frac additive) maybe connected to a suction end of the pump 104 via inlet flowline 114, as shown in
As described and shown with respect to field delivery system 100, the pump 104 in field delivery system 700 may be a positive displacement pump that is configured to provide a specific adjustable volumetric flowrate of a liquid, i.e., the concentrated chemical in the tote 112. The pump 104 may be a hydraulically driven diaphragm pump, a gear pump, or a peristaltic hose pump. The pump 104 includes a motor (not shown) which is controlled by a variable drive, such as the variable frequency drive 106 or variable speed drive. The variable frequency drive 106 is operatively connected to the PLC 110 and automatically controls the flow rate of the concentrated chemical through the pump 104 by changing the pump stroke speed of the pump 104. The pump 104 may include a calibrated dial for adjusting the capacity of the pump between, for example, 10% to 100%.
As shown in
The high concentration dosing system 772 may also include flow meter 108 (as shown in
The PLC 110 of the field delivery system 700 is operatively coupled to the high concentration dosing system 772. The dosing system 772 of the field delivery system 700 is configured to receive flow rate data input 644 to the PLC 110. Based on the flow rate data input received by the PLC 110, the high concentration dosing system 772 provides a dosing flow rate to the injection point or inlet 118 of the slip stream 771. For example, the dosing flow rate may be determined by the following equation, where V is the volumetric flow rate of the blender fluid flowline 120, X is the slip stream's 771 percentage of volumetric flow rate of the blender fluid flowline 120, and TLR is the target loading rate of high concentrated material:
Thus, the dosing flow rate is provided so that when the slip stream 771 is reintroduced to the blender fluid flowline 120 at inlet port 774, the desired concentration in the blender fluid flowline 120 downstream of the field delivery system 700 is achieved. For example, the field delivery system 700 in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein provides concentrated chemicals (e.g., chemicals with activities of greater than 20%) at a loading of 0.010 to 0.15 GPT (0.010 to 0.15 l/m3) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline 120.
The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline external to the field delivery system 700 and therefore not housed within or on the module 102. A clean fluid is flowed through the blender fluid flowline 120 and includes one or more injection ports/inlets 118 through which one or more additives/chemicals are added to the clean fluid to form a blended fluid. The blender fluid flowline 120 may be a flowline that is coupled to an injection pump (not shown) for injecting the blended fluid (i.e., a combination of the clean fluid and one or more additives such as frac additives, including the concentrated chemical from the dosing system 772) into a formation for hydraulic fracturing of the formation rock.
In one or more embodiments, one or more flow meters (such as flow meter 122 shown in
The field delivery system 700 may also include a human machine interface (HMI) 126, for example, a computer, tablet, monitor, etc. that allows the user to input data into and receive data from the PLC 110, as shown and discussed above with respect to
A method in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein may include providing a movable base with a high concentration dosing system, positioning the movable base at a worksite, coupling a flowline between the high concentration dosing system and a blender fluid flowline at the worksite, the blender fluid flowline providing a flow of a clean fluid, and providing a dosage of concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to the clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline.
In one or more embodiments, the movable base may be provided with the high concentration system which includes a pump, a motor coupled to the pump, a variable drive coupled to the motor, a programmable logic controller coupled to the variable drive, an inlet flowline coupled to a suction end of the pump, an outlet flowline coupled to a discharge of the pump, and a first flow meter coupled to the outlet flowline. A flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline may be validated by measuring the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline with the first flow meter, and providing the flow rate of the concentrated chemical as an input to the programmable logic controller. The flow rate of the concentrated chemical may be adjusted based on the validating of the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline.
In one or more embodiments, the movable base may be provided with the high concentration system which includes a flow control valve, a programmable logic controller coupled to the flow control valve, a pressure vessel coupled to the flow control valve, an inlet flowline coupled between the pressure vessel and an inlet of the flow control valve, an outlet flowline coupled to an outlet of the flow control valve, and a first flow meter coupled to the outlet flowline. The concentrated chemical may be pneumatically transferred to the blender fluid flowline from the pressure vessel through inlet flowline, the flow control valve, the outlet flowline and the flow meter to the blender fluid flowline. In some embodiments, a flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline may be validated by measuring the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline with the first flow meter, and providing the flow rate of the concentrated chemical as an input to the programmable logic controller. The flow rate of the concentrated chemical may be adjusted based on the validating the flow rate of the concentrated chemical in the outlet flowline.
In one or more embodiments, the movable base may be provided with the high concentration system which includes an elevated structure, a container disposed on the elevated structure, an inlet flowline coupled between the container and an inlet of the valve, and an outlet flowline coupled to an outlet of the valve. In some embodiments, flow rate data may be input into the programmable logic controller. The opening size (fully open to fully closed and positions therebetween) of the valve may be controlled by the programmable logic controller based on the flow rate data input. Control of the opening size of the valve also provides for transferring via gravity the concentrated chemical from the container through the inlet flowline, the valve, and the outlet flowline to the blender fluid flowline.
Embodiments disclosed herein may advantageously provide a method that includes providing a movable module to a worksite, the movable module including a pump, a variable frequency drive coupled to the pump, a programmable logic controller operatively coupled to the variable frequency drive, and a first flow meter coupled to an outlet of the pump. The method further includes coupling a tank to a suction end of the pump, the tank having a concentrated chemical disposed therein. In one example, the tank may be coupled to a suction end of the pump via an inlet flowline having a first end coupled to the tank and a second end coupled to the suction end of the pump. The method further includes coupling an outlet of the pump and to a blender fluid flowline, the blender fluid flowline positioned external to the movable the module. For example, a first end of an outlet flowline may be coupled to an outlet of the pump and a second end of the outlet flowline may be coupled to a blender fluid flowline. The method further includes providing a low dosage of the concentrated chemical of between 0.01 and 0.15 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) to a clean fluid in the blender fluid flowline by pumping the concentrated chemical with the pump from the tank to the blender fluid flowline and adjusting an amount of the concentrated chemical pumped in response to data input into the programmable logic controller. The concentrated chemical may be pumped from the tank through the inlet flowline and the outlet flowline to the blender fluid flowline, and the amount of concentrated chemical pumped by the pump is in response to data input into the programmable logic controller. The adjusting may include controlling a flow rate of the concentrated chemical entering the blender fluid flowline which may include determining a flow rate of the concentrated chemical in an outlet flowline coupled between the outlet of the pump and the blender fluid flowline with the first flow meter, providing the flow rate as an input to the programmable logic controller, and providing a signal from the programmable logic controller to the variable frequency drive to adjust a motor coupled to the pump based on the flow rate of the concentrated chemical.
Embodiments disclosed herein may advantageously provide a system and method that allow for concentrated chemicals to be accurately provided to a clean water or blender fluid flowline at a very low dose. Because the concentrated chemicals can be accurately dosed into a blender fluid flowline, smaller volumes of chemicals will be needed at a wellsite. Therefore, costs associated with transportation of chemicals to a wellsite may be significantly reduced due to the reduction in volumetric storage requirements of the needed chemicals, logistical costs and traffic, and subsequent footprint of storage systems on the well pad. Instead of using multiple bulk trucks to transfer the liquid chemicals, a few totes of the concentrated chemicals can be delivered and the field delivery system described herein can be used to dose the appropriate low amount into the clean water flowline.
While the method and system have been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope should be limited only by the attached claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/034994 | 6/24/2022 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63313554 | Feb 2022 | US | |
| 63215301 | Jun 2021 | US |
