Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Mixture Reducing Emissions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for hydraulic fracturing in underground reservoirs face challenges in efficiently recovering fracturing fluids, often resulting in venting or flaring of gases and excessive liquids, which are environmentally harmful and costly, and require complex equipment that can compromise pressure differentials.

Innovation Solution

A fracturing fluid mixture is used, comprising natural gas and an aqueous or hydrocarbon-based base fluid, with the natural gas composition optimized to ensure the well stream meets processing facility inlet specifications and flowing pressures, allowing for reduced or eliminated venting and flaring, and efficient flowback without specialized surface equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional fracturing fluids (water-based) are used, then the fracturing treatment can be completed, but the recovered gas stream requires venting or flaring due to high nitrogen content and excessive water content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental harm from venting/flaringVSAvoidcompatibility with processing facility

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the composition parameters of the fracturing fluid by replacing water-based fluid with a hydrocarbon-based fluid containing natural gas. This parameter change ensures that the recovered gas stream has compatible composition with processing facility requirements, eliminating the need for venting or flaring while maintaining effective fracturing treatment capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the previously harmful nitrogen-rich gas stream into a beneficial product by using hydrocarbon-based fracturing fluid that contains natural gas. The natural gas in the fracturing fluid becomes part of the recovered stream, transforming what would be waste requiring flaring into a valuable gas product that can be processed and sold

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Adaptability or versatility

If complex surface equipment is used to handle post-fracture well stream, then processing capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing capabilityVSAvoidequipment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for complex, expensive surface equipment by using a simple flowback system that leverages the natural properties of the hydrocarbon-based fracturing fluid. The fluid's composition allows direct flow to processing facilities without requiring complex separation, compression, or treatment equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The hydrocarbon-based fracturing fluid performs multiple functions: it provides the fracturing treatment, serves as the transport medium for hydrocarbons, and becomes part of the recoverable gas stream. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional processing equipment that would be required if water-based fluid were used

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If pressure differential is increased to draw fracturing fluids from reservoir, then recovery rate is improved, but wellbore pressure losses increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracturing fluid recovery rateVSAvoidwellbore pressure losses

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the natural gas content in the hydrocarbon-based fracturing fluid to create pneumatic lift effects during flowback. The gas phase reduces liquid density and creates flow dynamics that minimize pressure losses, allowing efficient recovery without excessive pressure differentials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables effective, cost-efficient, and reduced emissions flowback of fracturing fluids, reducing the need for complex equipment and minimizing environmental impact by ensuring sufficient wellhead pressure and compatible gas and liquid compositions for processing facilities.

Implementation Method 1

The wellhead flowing pressure or the flowing pressure at the capture system inlet can be increased by adding natural gas to the fracturing fluid, which has the effect of reducing the wellbore flowing pressure losses

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS20150337639A1Reduced emissions method for recovering product from a hydraulic fracturing operation

Publication Date: 2015.11.26 HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES INC

AI summary

A fracturing fluid mixture is used to hydraulically fracture underground formations in a reservoir, by mixing at least natural gas and a base fluid to form the fracturing fluid mixture, and injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into a well. Within the fracturing fluid mixture, the natural gas composition and content are selected such that a recovered gas component of a well stream is within the inlet specification of an existing gas processing facility, and the well stream has a wellhead flowing pressure that is sufficient to flow the well stream to surface, or have a flowing pressure that meets capture system inlet pressure requirements of the processing facility. The wellhead flowing pressure or the flowing pressure at the capture system inlet can be increased by adding natural gas to the fracturing fluid, which has the effect of reducing the bottom hole flowing pressure.