LNG Composition Adjustment for Wellbore Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current well treatment operations using aqueous base fluids face environmental and operational challenges, such as high water usage, costly recycling, and inefficiencies with gases like CO2 and N2, which require removal from hydrocarbon fluids before pipeline introduction, and have supply and transport difficulties.
Innovation Solution
The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with adjustable composition to enhance solubility and miscibility with target reservoir fluids, allowing for better hydrocarbon production without prior removal from the pipeline, and utilizing locally sourced natural gas for cost-effective and safe transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If aqueous base fluids are used for well treatment operations, then the treatment operations can be performed with readily available materials, but the environmental cost increases due to high water usage and costly recycling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the treatment fluid from aqueous (water-based) to gaseous (CO2 or N2), transforming it from a liquid to a gas phase material. This parameter change eliminates the environmental issues associated with water usage and recycling while maintaining treatment effectiveness through phase-dependent mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs CO2 or N2 gases that can be easily obtained from atmospheric sources or industrial byproducts, treating them as disposable treatment media that are injected into the formation and then vented or recovered, eliminating the need for expensive recycling infrastructure required for aqueous fluids.
2Productivity
If gases like CO2 and N2 are used as treatment fluids, then production increases due to better miscibility with reservoir hydrocarbon fluids, but the gases must be removed from the hydrocarbon fluid before pipeline introduction which slows down production and increases operational expenditure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the treatment gas (CO2 or N2) from the produced hydrocarbon fluid stream before pipeline introduction. This extraction step separates the miscible gas from the hydrocarbon phase, allowing the hydrocarbon to be transported directly to pipeline without contamination concerns, thereby eliminating production delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the treatment process into distinct phases: injection of gas at high pressure during production, followed by separation/removal of the gas from the hydrocarbon stream before pipeline introduction. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of enhanced production during injection and uninterrupted pipeline operations during separation.
3Ease of operation
If gases like CO2 and N2 are supplied and transported to the wellsite, then treatment operations can be performed, but the transport process is difficult to perform for some wellsites and requires pressurized transport which presents safety concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of CO2 or N2 from gaseous to liquid phase for transport, then back to gaseous phase at the wellsite for injection. The liquid phase enables dense, efficient transport through standard piping infrastructure, while the phase change back to gas at the destination enables effective well treatment operations without requiring continuous high-pressure gas transport.
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
LNG composition adjustment achieves lower minimum miscibility pressures, facilitating enhanced hydrocarbon recovery with reduced operational costs and improved safety by eliminating the need for pressurized storage and easier transport, enabling sooner well production and cost savings.
Implementation Method 1
selecting and adjusting the composition of liquefied natural gas to maximize the solubility and miscibility of a target reservoir fluid with the liquefied natural gas
Implementation Method 2
maximize the solubility and miscibility of a target reservoir fluid with the liquefied natural gas
Data Source
AI summary
Included are methods and systems for enhancing recovery of a hydrocarbon fluid. An example method includes selecting a liquefied natural gas capable of being processed into a modified liquefied natural gas having a desired composition and adjusting the composition of the liquefied natural gas to provide the modified liquefied natural gas with the desired composition. The method further includes preparing a treatment fluid from the modified liquefied natural gas, introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore, and contacting the hydrocarbon fluid with the treatment fluid in the wellbore.