Reverse Emulsion Slick Water Concentration System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current slick water fracturing processes in shale oil and gas exploration require separate transportation, storage, and mixing of multiple chemicals, leading to high costs, logistical challenges, and increased security and operational risks due to the need for extensive space and manpower at remote well sites.
Innovation Solution
A reverse emulsion-based slick water concentration system is developed, combining drag reduction, flow back enhancement, and clay stabilization functions through a polymerization process using a water-soluble monomer, fluorocarbon surfactant, and quaternary ammonium clay stabilizer, allowing for a single tank, pipeline, and pump setup to prepare slick water on-site with reduced components and enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple chemicals are transported and stored separately at remote well sites, then each chemical can be stored in its original packaging, but transportation costs, storage space requirements, and operational complexity increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple chemical functions (drag reduction, flow back enhancement, clay stabilization) into a single integrated slick water concentrate formulation. This merging eliminates the need for separate storage tanks and mixing equipment, directly reducing device complexity while maintaining the reliability of each individual chemical function through optimized concentration ratios.
Solution Approach 2:
The slick water concentrate is designed as a multi-functional fluid that simultaneously provides drag reduction, flow back enhancement, and clay stabilization. This universal formulation allows a single chemical product to replace multiple specialized chemicals, reducing the overall system complexity at remote well sites while preserving the specific functions of each component.
2Reliability
If multiple tanks and storage areas are used for various chemicals at the fracking site, then each chemical can be stored separately, but the space required at the site increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple chemical storage requirements into a single concentrate formulation that can be stored in one tank. This consolidation dramatically reduces the storage area needed at the fracking site while maintaining the reliability of each chemical function through controlled concentration ratios in the unified formulation.
3Manufacturing precision
If a plurality of pipes and pressure manifold are used for chemical blending, then chemicals can be mixed precisely, but manpower requirements and security risks increase drastically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the chemical blending action in advance during the formulation process, creating a pre-mixed concentrate with precise ratios. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex on-site blending systems with multiple pipes and pressure manifolds, reducing both device complexity and the manpower/security requirements while maintaining mixing precision through controlled formulation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If separate chemicals are transported to mountainous areas, then original chemical properties are maintained, but transportation costs and risks increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple chemical functions into a single stable concentrate formulation that can be transported as one product. This merging maintains the stability of individual chemical components through optimized formulation while dramatically improving transportation ease by reducing the number of separate shipments required to mountainous locations.
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
The system achieves up to 70% drag reduction efficiency, maintains low surface and interfacial tensions, and provides 70% clay swelling protection, significantly reducing operational risks and costs by simplifying the preparation process to a single tank, pipeline, and pump setup.
Implementation Method 1
A reverse emulsion-based slick water concentration system is obtained by dispersing an aqueous phase A to an oil phase B under mechanical agitation
Implementation Method 2
the introduction of fluorocarbon surfactants and quaternary ammonium clay stabilizers realize the functions of flow back enhancement and clay stabilization and therefore can achieve a surface tension of 30 mN/m or less, and interfacial tension of 3.0 mN/m or less
Implementation Method 3
water-soluble quaternary ammonium clay stabilizer A3: 0.1-15.0%;... provide 70% clay swelling protection
Data Source
AI summary
A reverse emulsion-based slick water concentration system, wherein the reverse emulsion is obtained by dispersing an aqueous phase A to an oil phase B under mechanical agitation; wherein the aqueous phase A is composed of a water-soluble monomer A1, a water-soluble fluorocarbon surfactant A2, a water-soluble quaternary ammonium clay stabilizer A3 and water A4; wherein the oil phase B comprises an oil-soluble dispersant/surfactant B1, an oil-soluble radical initiator B2 and a hydrophobic solvent B3 as a dispersing medium; wherein, the percentages of each component described above, relative to the total weight of the reaction system is as the following: water-soluble monomer A1: 5.0-30.0%; water-soluble fluorocarbon surfactant A2: 0.1-5.0%; water-soluble quaternary ammonium clay stabilizer A3: 0.1-15.0%; water A4: 5.0-35.0%; oil-soluble dispersant/surfactant B1: 0.1-5.0%; oil-soluble radical initiator B2: 0.000001-0.100%; hydrophobic solvent B3: remainder.