Sealed Fractured-Zone Storage for High-Pressure Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for storing natural gas and other fluids near power plants are limited by availability, high-pressure storage requirements, and risks of leaks and contamination, necessitating an improved system for underground storage.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving hydraulic fracturing and sealing of subterranean zones to create underground storage facilities, allowing high-pressure fluid storage and conversion to mechanical work or electricity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If natural gas is stored in salt caverns, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, or underground aquifers, then storage capacity is improved, but availability near power generation plants deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the storage system into multiple independently fracked zones within the subterranean formation, allowing selective activation and storage of different fluid volumes in distributed locations closer to power generation plants
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional horizontal or vertical well storage to a three-dimensional network of fracked zones connected through the subterranean formation, enabling storage facilities to be positioned in multiple spatial dimensions closer to demand centers
2Speed
If large volume high-pressure tanks are placed above and/or below ground to supply natural gas quickly to power plants, then delivery speed is improved, but device complexity and space requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The subterranean formation itself serves as the storage container, eliminating the need for above-ground or below-ground tank infrastructure. The formation's natural properties provide the storage function, reducing device complexity while maintaining rapid delivery capability through direct well connections to the power plant
3Ease of operation
If hydraulic fracturing is performed to create storage zones, then storage accessibility is improved, but risk of leaks and contamination worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary fracturing and installation of sealing mechanisms before fluid injection, creating a controlled storage environment that prevents leaks and contamination while maintaining accessibility for fluid injection and production operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces sealing elements as intermediaries between the fracked zones and the surrounding formation, preventing fluid migration and contamination while allowing controlled access for storage and retrieval operations
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
Facilitates safe, efficient, and proximal storage of fluids and waste, reducing delivery time and risks, while enabling energy recovery and waste conversion to valuable products.
Implementation Method 1
One or more zones are adapted to receive the fluid via hydraulic fracturing and sealing
Implementation Method 2
One or more zones are adapted to receive the fluid via hydraulic fracturing and sealing
Implementation Method 3
A facility pumps and retains the fluid in the zones for a period of time
Data Source
AI summary
A method for storing fluids and waste underground in a subterranean zone and one or more fractures created with a fracture and seal process. This will be useful for oil and gas fields, depleted oil or gas wells, abandoned oil or gas wells, industrial plants, food processing plants, or other fluid or waste storage operations.