System and method for producing homogenized oilfield gels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994445-B2
Application number	US-201715706488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 5, 2011
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A system for producing homogenized oil field gel including a power unit, a control system, a feed tank, a hopper, and a piping assembly that includes inlet and outlet manifolds, centrifugal pumps, and metering devices for filling the feed tank and handling a discharge of oilfield gel. The system further includes a powder hydration component and liquid chemical equipment. The method for producing homogenized oil field gel includes a guar powder procedure including a controlled sequence for starting and stopping a venturi mixer in a hydration unit. The method for producing homogenized oil field gel further includes a liquefied gel concentrate procedure including a metering and chemical injection procedure for mixing a liquefied gel concentrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing oil field gel comprising:
metering dry guar powder using an agitated hopper and a metering dispenser;
dispensing known volumes of guar powder to a pickup funnel;
hydrating the guar powder using a hydration tank, wherein the hydration tank comprises a reservoir of fresh water;
supplying water from the reservoir by a first centrifugal pump into a first chamber;
delivering water to an eductor device by a second centrifugal pump creating a vacuum via the eductor device forcing enough water through the system;
closing a vacuum interrupter valve thereby creating a vacuum in a powder conveyance line;
delivering powder to the pickup funnel by the dispenser;
hydrating the powder creating gel; and
discharging the gel into a second chamber of the hydration tank.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a guar powder procedure comprising a controlled sequence for starting and stopping a venturi mixer in a hydration unit, the hydration unit comprising:
the agitated hopper;
the metering dispenser;
the hydration tank;
the eductor device;
the first or the second centrifugal pump;
a pressure gauge or transducer;
the vacuum interrupter valve;
the powder conveyance line;
the pick-up funnel;
the first or the second chamber; and
an integrated sump; and
a liquefied gel concentrate procedure comprising a metering and chemical injection procedure for mixing a liquefied gel concentrate.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hydration unit further comprises a venturi mixing system.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hydration unit further comprises a control system.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a controlled sequence is handled by a programmable logic controller.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the agitated hopper is a guar powder hopper, and wherein the hydration unit further comprises a revised feed tank with a clean water chamber, a power unit, and a chemical additive.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the metering dispenser comprises a metering auger screw to dispense known volumes of guar powder.

Assignees

• Kirby Corp
• Stewart & Stevenson Llc

Inventors

• Saffioti Stephen M

Classifications

• B01F23/54 Primary

  wetting solids · CPC title

• B01F33/00

  Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers · CPC title

• B01F23/50 Primary

  Mixing liquids with solids (displacing one liquid by another in dispersions of solids in liquids B01D12/00) · CPC title

• B01F2101/49

  Mixing drilled material or ingredients for well-drilling, earth-drilling or deep-drilling compositions with liquids to obtain slurries · CPC title

• B01F35/71775

  using helical screws · CPC title