Regional Blending Facility for Pump-Ready Fracturing Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fracturing operations in hydrocarbon recovery require extensive and costly equipment setups, lack flexibility, and generate significant environmental challenges due to large water usage and flowback fluid management issues, especially in low-permeability formations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for preparing pump-ready fracturing fluids at a regional blending facility, which includes bulk receiving and storage, mixing, and transportation to the wellsite, allowing for efficient delivery and use of fracturing fluids with high proppant content, reducing the need for on-site equipment and enhancing environmental management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fracturing operations use on-site preparation of fracturing fluid with multiple specialized vehicles and units, then the fracturing operation can be performed with flexible adjustments, but the operational cost increases and the wellsite footprint becomes very large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fluid preparation function from the wellsite location and relocates it to a centralized off-site facility. The wellsite now only requires minimal equipment (pump and delivery system) while the complex mixing, blending, and preparation operations are performed remotely and the prepared fluid is delivered to the wellsite.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized facility serves multiple wellsites with a single multi-functional installation that can prepare various types of fracturing fluids using common equipment. This eliminates the need for separate specialized vehicles and units at each wellsite, reducing the overall footprint while maintaining operational flexibility through centralized control.
2Productivity
If conventional fracturing operations use multiple specialized vehicles and units for fluid preparation and delivery, then the fracturing operation can be performed, but the operational cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate functions (water storage, polymer mixing, proppant blending, chemical dosing, and fluid preparation) that were previously performed by separate specialized vehicles into a single integrated centralized facility. This consolidation reduces the number of units required, lowers operational costs, and maintains full fracturing operation capability.
3Productivity
If conventional fracturing operations use large quantities of water for fracturing fluid preparation, then the fracturing operation can be performed, but environmental impact increases due to flowback fluid management
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized facility acts as an intermediary between water sources and the wellsite, enabling implementation of water management strategies such as using non-potable water sources, treating and reusing flowback water, and optimizing water usage efficiency before the fluid reaches the wellsite. This reduces the environmental burden at the wellsite location.
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 reduces operational costs, minimizes the wellsite footprint, and improves environmental impact by centralizing fluid preparation and management, enabling more efficient and flexible fracturing operations while managing fluid byproducts effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The pump-ready fracturing fluid is directly provideable to a pump for high pressure delivery... providing the pump-ready fracturing fluid to a positive displacement pump inlet, and pumping the pump-ready fracturing fluid into a wellbore
Implementation Method 2
pumping the fracturing fluid downhole to fracture a subterranean formation
Data Source
AI summary
The current application aims at methods and systems for preparing a pump-ready treatment fluid, delivering the pump-ready treatment fluid to a location operationally coupled to a wellsite, providing the pump-ready treatment fluid to a pump; and pumping the pump-ready treatment fluid into a wellbore. In some embodiments, the treatment fluid is a fracturing fluid for conducting a hydraulic fracturing operation on a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore.