Method and system for managing recovery and re-use of a stimulating fluid from a flowback stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326418-B2
Application number	US-201716606414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2017
Priority date	Apr 20, 2017
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

Method includes recovering a stimulating fluid, which includes transferring working fluid having the stimulating fluid from an operating site (102) to a current temporary processing facility (TPF) (110) that is located remotely with respect to the operating site in the geographical region. After purifying the working fluid at the current TPF (110), thereby providing the stimulating fluid, the stimulating fluid is transferred from the current TPF to an injection site (103) that is located remotely with respect to the current TPF and the operating site. The method also includes transporting fluid-handling equipment after a designated condition has been satisfied. The fluid-handling equipment is transported from the current TPF (110) to a new TPF (110). The recovering of the stimulating fluid, the transferring of the stimulating fluid, and the transporting of the fluid-handling equipment is repeated a plurality of times. The current and new TPFs are at different locations within the geographical region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing the operation of a current temporary processing facility (TPF) that is configured to manage the recovery of a stimulating fluid from a flowback stream, the method comprising the steps of:
analyzing locations of sites that include an operating site and an injection site;
determining the location of the current TPF, the location of the current TPF being determined, at least in part, based on an estimated outlay for transferring a working fluid from the operating site to the current TPF;
transferring the stimulating fluid from the current TPF to the injection site;
determining an outgoing volume of a stimulating fluid for transfer from the current TPF to at least one other location, the at least one other location including the injection site having one or more wells configured to receive an injection of the stimulating fluid;
determining an incoming volume of a working fluid to the current TPF, the working fluid being transferred, at least in part, from the operating site having a post-stimulated well injected with the stimulating fluid, the working fluid from the operating site being derived from a flowback stream from the post-stimulated well of the operating site;
generating operating instructions, based on the outgoing and incoming volumes, the operating instructions including at least one of (a) process instructions for controlling fluid-handling equipment at the current TPF to recover the stimulating fluid; (b) transfer instructions for transferring the stimulating fluid from the current TPF to the injection site; or (c) transport instructions for transporting storage equipment at the current TPF to a new TPF; and
implementing the operating instructions to optimize the operation of the current TPF.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating instructions are also based on a composition of the working fluid from the operating site.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating instructions include instructions for combusting hydrocarbon-containing gases at the current TPF to generate at least one of electrical power or the stimulating fluid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating instructions include instructions for disassembling a temporary pipeline that fluidly connects the current TPF and the operating site.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating instructions are based on the flowrate of the flowback stream at the operating site.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the current TPF is further determined, at least in part, based on an estimated outlay for constructing a temporary pipeline for transferring the working fluid from the operating site to the current TPF.

7. A computer-implemented method for optimizing the operation of a current temporary processing facility (TPF) that is configured to manage the recovery of a stimulating fluid from a flowback stream, the method comprising the steps of:
analyzing locations of sites that include the TPF, an operating site, and an injection site;
based on the locations of the sites, determining a campaign schedule that identifies an order in which the sites will be stimulated and at least one location for the current TPF;
determining an outgoing volume of a stimulating fluid for transfer from the current TPF to at least one other location, the at least one other location including the injection site having one or more wells configured to receive an injection of the stimulating fluid;
determining an incoming volume of a working fluid to the current TPF, the working fluid being transferred, at least in part, from the operating site having a post-stimulated well injected with the stimulating fluid, the working fluid from the operating site being derived from a flowback stream from the post-stimulated well of the operating site;
generating operating instructions, based on the outgoing and incoming volumes, the operating instructions including at least one of (a) process instructions for controlling fluid-handling equipment at the current TPF to recover the stimulating fluid; (b) transfer instructions for transferring the stimulating fluid from the current TPF to the injection site; or (c) transport instructions for transporting storage equipment at the current TPF to a new TPF; and
implementing the operating instructions to optimize the operation of the current TPF.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Acharya Harish Radhakrishna
• Shisler Roger Allen
• Gorton Andrew Jacob

Classifications

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• E21B21/06

  Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole · CPC title

• B01D17/02

  Separation of non-miscible liquids · CPC title

• B01D19/0068

  General arrangements, e.g. flowsheets (B01D19/0063 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title