Milling oilfield particulates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11285489-B2
Application number	US-201616326325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to subterranean formation operations and, more particularly, to milling oilfield particulates for use in subterranean formation operations. The embodiments provide systems and methods which may include jet mills that can be customized to grind desirably sized crude oilfield particulates, thereby creating operational oilfield particulates, and containerized for ease of use, movement, and shipping.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a feed tank containing crude oilfield particulates having a first average unit mesh size;
a jet mill fluidly coupled to the feed tank by a feed conveyance configured to conveying the crude oilfield particulates to the jet mill,
wherein the jet mill reduces a size of the crude oilfield particulates to a second average unit mesh size that is smaller than the first average unit mesh size, thereby forming particulates for subterranean oilfield operations;

an output conveyance fluidly coupled to the jet mill configured to conveying the particulates for subterranean oilfield operations from the jet mill to a target location comprising a fluid stream entering a wellbore.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target location further comprises a storage tank, a mixing tank, a fluid line, a conveyor belt, a bag filler, or any combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet mill is immobile relative to the feed tank.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet mill is portable relative to the feed tank.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least the jet mill is containerized and portable.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is located at a wellsite or at a mixing facility.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first average unit mesh size of the crude oilfield particulates is in the range of 25 micrometers to 1.1 millimeters.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second average unit mesh size of the operational oilfield particulates is in the range of 0.5 micrometers to 20 micrometers.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet mill has a processing rate of reducing the size of the oilfield particulates to the second unit mesh size that is smaller than the first unit mesh size to forming operational oilfield particulates of greater than 200 kilograms per hour.

10. A method comprising:
providing a jet mill;
conveying crude oilfield particulates from a feed tank to the jet mill by a feed conveyance fluidly coupling the feed tank and the jet mill,
wherein the crude oilfield particulates have a first average unit mesh size;

reducing a size of the crude oilfield particulates, using the jet mill, to a second average unit mesh size that is smaller than the first average unit mesh size, thereby forming particulates for subterranean oilfield operations;
conveying the particulates for subterranean oilfield operations from the jet mill to a first target location by an output conveyance fluidly coupled to the jet mill;
preparing a fluid for subterranean oilfield operations comprising the particulates for subterranean oilfield operations; and
conveying the prepared fluid to a second target location, wherein the second target location comprises a fluid stream entering a wellbore.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first target location is selected from the group consisting of a storage tank, a mixing tank, a fluid line, a conveyor belt, a bag filler, and any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the jet mill is immobile relative to the feed tank.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the jet mill is portable relative to the feed tank.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least the jet mill is containerized and portable.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is located at a wellsite or at a mixing house facility.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first average unit mesh size of the crude oilfield particulates is in the range of 25 micrometers to 1.1 millimeters.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second average unit mesh size of the operational oilfield particulates is in the range of 0.5 micrometers to 20 micrometers.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the jet mill has a processing rate of reducing the size of the oilfield particulates to the second unit mesh size that is smaller than the first unit mesh size to forming operational oilfield particulates of greater than 200 kilograms per hour.

19. A method comprising:
providing a jet mill;
conveying a weighting agent having a first average particle size from a feed tank to the jet mill by a feed conveyance fluidly coupling the feed tank and the jet mill,
selecting a second average particle size based on a condition within a subterranean formation;
reducing a size of the weighting agent, using the jet mill, to the second average particle size that is smaller than the first average particle size, thereby forming particulates for subterranean oilfield operations, wherein the oilfield operation is a drilling operation;
conveying the particulates for subterranean oilfield operations from the jet mill to a target location by an output conveyance fluidly coupled to the jet mill;
preparing a drilling fluid comprising the particulates for subterranean oilfield operations; and
conveying the prepared fluid to a fluid stream entering a wellbore.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein, the first average unit mesh size of the crude oilfield particulates is in the range of 25 micrometers to 1.1 millimeters and wherein the second average unit mesh size of the operational oilfield particulates is in the range of 0.5 micrometers to 20 micrometers.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Miller Jeffrey J
• Hakstad Henry Magne
• Bosch Chris L
• Rygg Johannes

Classifications

• B02C19/18

  Use of auxiliary physical effects, e.g. ultrasonic waves or irradiation, for disintegrating · CPC title

• B02C23/12

  with return of oversize material to crushing or disintegrating zone · CPC title

• B02C19/06 Primary

  Jet mills · CPC title