Wellbore Equipment Capability Assessment for Fracturing Rate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wellbore servicing equipment selection methods fail to optimally match equipment performance with operational conditions, leading to inefficiencies, increased costs, and potential equipment damage due to factors like heat soak, fluid availability, and mechanical resonances during operations like hydraulic fracturing.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for assessing the operational capability of wellbore servicing equipment in situ by monitoring and adjusting operational parameters such as ambient temperature, fluid availability, and mechanical resonances to optimize performance and reduce inefficiencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional wellbore servicing equipment is mobilized to ensure sufficient equipment availability, then equipment reliability is improved, but device complexity and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of equipment capability before wellbore servicing operations by monitoring operational parameters and generating capability assessments. This allows equipment to be pre-evaluated and matched to specific operational requirements, ensuring sufficient reliable equipment is selected without unnecessarily mobilizing excess equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors operational parameters of wellbore servicing equipment and provides feedback through capability assessments. This feedback mechanism enables real-time evaluation of equipment performance and reliability, allowing operators to make informed decisions about equipment deployment and utilization without over-provisioning.
2Productivity
If equipment operational parameters are monitored and adjusted in real-time, then equipment performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables equipment to self-assess its own capability by monitoring its operational parameters. The equipment essentially serves itself by collecting data about its own performance, temperature, fluid availability, and other conditions, then generating capability assessments without requiring external intervention or complex external monitoring infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors changes in operational parameters such as temperature, fluid availability, and mechanical conditions to assess equipment capability. By tracking parameter changes over time and comparing them against expected ranges, the system can evaluate equipment performance and predict potential issues without requiring complex monitoring hardware.
3Productivity
If equipment is operated at peak performance, then productivity is improved, but equipment damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary capability assessment to identify equipment limitations and operational constraints before deployment. By understanding the equipment's true capability boundaries in advance, operators can plan treatments that maximize productivity while staying within safe operational limits, preventing equipment damage before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system generates capability assessments that provide a buffer or cushion between equipment operational limits and actual treatment requirements. This allows operators to plan treatments that approach but do not exceed equipment capabilities, creating a safety margin that protects against equipment damage while still achieving high productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of fracturing may comprise: varying a plurality of operational parameters of wellbore servicing equipment; observing a response of the wellbore servicing equipment; generating a model of the wellbore servicing equipment based on the response; and changing at least one of the plurality of operational parameters based at least in part on the model.