Segmented Fluid Pumping for Wellbore Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of high-quality water for well treatments is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain due to high volumes required for hydraulic fracturing, and existing methods for treating lower-quality water, such as reverse osmosis and evaporative distillation, are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the continuous pumping and merging of two aqueous solutions, where one solution is of higher quality and the other of lower quality, to form a treatment fluid with a viscosity of less than 100 cP at 40 l/s and 25°C, allowing the use of lower-quality water for well treatments by selectively reducing concentrations of ions and total dissolved solids, and prehydrating hydratable additives in water with lower ion concentrations before mixing with higher ion concentration water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-quality water is used for well treatments, then the effectiveness and reliability of treatment fluids is maintained, but the cost and difficulty of obtaining water increases due to high volumes required
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment fluid is segmented into multiple streams with different water qualities and particulate concentrations. A first stream uses high-quality water with hydratable additives and proppant, while a second stream uses lower-quality water with minimal particulates. These segmented streams are merged downstream to create a composite treatment fluid that maintains effectiveness while reducing overall high-quality water consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the treatment fluid system use different water qualities appropriate to their specific functions. The portion requiring hydratable additive dissolution and viscosity development uses high-quality water, while the portion serving as a carrier for proppant transport can use lower-quality water. This local quality differentiation optimizes both performance and resource utilization.
2Ease of manufacture
If lower-quality water is used for well treatments, then costs are reduced, but the concentration of ions and total dissolved solids increases which can interfere with hydratable additives
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments water usage by function: high-quality water is segregated for additive dissolution where ion sensitivity matters, while lower-quality water is segregated for proppant suspension where ion concentration is less critical. This segmentation allows lower-quality water to be used economically without compromising additive performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Hydratable additives are pre-dissolved and hydrated in high-quality water before the lower-quality water is introduced. This preliminary action in a controlled environment ensures complete additive dissolution and proper viscosity development, preventing ion interference from affecting the hydration process.
3Productivity
If high concentrations of particulate are pumped, then the proppant delivery efficiency is improved, but the wear on pumping equipment increases due to abrasive effects
Solution Approach 1:
The proppant delivery system is segmented into a high-concentration stream for productivity and a low-concentration stream for equipment protection. The first fluid stream carries high proppant concentrations for efficient delivery, while the second fluid stream carries minimal particulates to reduce abrasive wear on pumps and piping. The streams are merged downstream where the low-wear stream protects equipment while the high-concentration stream maintains delivery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
A low-particulate fluid stream acts as an intermediary protective layer in the pumping system. This intermediary stream reduces direct contact between high-concentration abrasive proppant and pumping equipment, thereby minimizing wear while still enabling effective proppant transport through the combined flow.
4Speed
If high bulk fluid velocities are used for pumping, then the treatment fluid delivery speed is improved, but the wear on pumping equipment increases due to higher abrasive effects
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses two parallel pumping streams with different velocity and particulate characteristics. One stream is optimized for high velocity to maintain delivery speed, while the other stream is optimized for low velocity to minimize abrasive wear. By segmenting the flow paths and merging them downstream, the system achieves both high-speed delivery and reduced equipment wear simultaneously.
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 the efficient use of lower-quality water in well treatments, reducing costs and maintaining the effectiveness of treatment fluids, while minimizing equipment wear from abrasive particulates by controlling bulk fluid velocities and additive concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
a water-based fluid (comprising an aqueous solution) and a hydratable additive, and mixing the hydratable additive with the water-based fluid under conditions sufficient to hydrate the hydratable additive
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is for a method of forming and delivering a treatment fluid into a wellbore. In one aspect, a method is provided for pumping a first fluid having a relatively high concentration of a particulate suspended therein and pumping a second fluid having either none of the particulate or a relatively low concentration of the particulate suspended therein, and then merging at least the first and second fluids to form a treatment fluid having a merged concentration of the particulate. According to this aspect, the first fluid has a relatively high concentration of a hydratable additive and the second fluid has either none or a relatively low concentration of the hydratable additive.