Controlling fluid pressures at multiple well heads for continuous pumping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11859480-B2
Application number	US-202217692887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 11, 2022
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A method may include monitoring, for two or more well heads of a hydraulic fracturing system, an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include one or more fracturing rigs, one or more blending equipment, one or more power sources electrically connected to a first subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, or one or more fuel sources fluidly connected to a second subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, and one or more missile valves. The hydraulic fracturing system may further include one or more zipper valves, one or more well head valves, and multiple well heads. The method may further include controlling, based on an operation schedule for the hydraulic fracturing system and based on monitoring the operation or the state, fluid pressures at the two or more well heads for continuous pumping.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic fracturing system, comprising:
one or more fracturing rigs;
one or more blending equipment fluidly connected to inlets of the one or more fracturing rigs;
one or more power sources electrically connected to a first subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, or one or more fuel sources fluidly connected to a second subset of the one or more fracturing rigs;
one or more missile valves fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more fracturing rigs;
zipper valves fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more missile valves, the zipper valves including a first zipper valve and a second zipper valve;
one or more well head valves fluidly connected to outlets of the zipper valves;
multiple well heads fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more well head valves; and
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
monitor, for two or more well heads of the multiple well heads, an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system, and
control, based on an operation schedule for the hydraulic fracturing system, based on one or more of fuel-related information or emissions-related information, and based on monitoring the operation or the state, fluid pressures at the two or more well heads for continuous pumping by opening the second zipper valve before closing the first zipper valve.

2. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the two or more well heads include a first well head and a second well head,
wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the fluid pressures, to:
open the second well head and the second zipper valve;
start pumping at the second well head; and
close the first well head and the first zipper valve after opening the second zipper valve and after starting the pumping at the second well head.

3. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more subsystems are associated with pumping a fracturing fluid to the two or more well heads, and
wherein the one or more subsystems comprise pumps of at least one of the one or more fracturing rigs, at least one of the one or more missile valves, at least one of the one or more well head valves, or at least one of the zipper valves.

4. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the fluid pressures, to:
control one or more valve states for at least one of the one or more missile valves, at least one of the zipper valves, or at least one of the one or more well head valves based on the operation schedule, the operation, or the state.

5. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured, when monitoring the operation or the state, to:
monitor an open or a closed state of the one or more missile valves, the one or more well head valves, or the zipper valves, and

wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the fluid pressures, to:
control the one or more missile valves, the one or more well head valves, or the zipper valves to prevent the hydraulic fracturing system from exceeding a pressure limit.

6. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate in one or more operational modes, and
wherein the one or more operational modes comprise at least one of:
a closed mode,
an autonomous mode, or
a multi-site mode.

7. A method, comprising:
monitoring, for two or more well heads of a hydraulic fracturing system, an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system,
wherein the hydraulic fracturing system further comprises zipper valves, and
wherein the zipper valves include a first zipper valve and a second zipper valve; and

controlling fluid pressures at the two or more well heads for continuous pumping by opening the second zipper valve before closing the first zipper valve based on monitoring the operation or the state and based on one or more of:
minimizing fuel or power consumption,
minimizing emissions, or
maximizing an operational life of equipment of the hydraulic fracturing system.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the fluid pressures comprises:
starting pumping at a first well head of the two or more well heads;
starting pumping at a second well head of the two or more well heads after starting the pumping at the first well head; and
stopping the pumping at the first well head after starting the pumping at the second well head.

9. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein monitoring the operation or the state further comprises:
monitoring an open or a closed state of one or more missile valves of the hydraulic fracturing system, one or more well head valves of the hydraulic fracturing system, or the zipper valves for the two or more well heads; and

wherein controlling the fluid pressures further comprises:
controlling the open or the closed state of the one or more missile valves, the one or more well head valves, or the zipper valves for the two or more well heads to prevent the fluid pressures from exceeding a pressure limit for the hydraulic fracturing system during the continuous pumping.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fluid pressures are controlled further based on an operation schedule that is for a planned well completion.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the fluid pressures comprises:
opening or closing at least one of one or more missile valves of the hydraulic fracturing system, at least one of the zipper valves, or at least one of the two or more well heads; and
ramping pumping of at least one of one or more blending equipment or pumps, of at least one of one or more fracturing rigs of the hydraulic fracturing system, after the opening or the closing.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the fluid pressures comprises:
controlling the fluid pressures within a pressure limit for the hydraulic fracturing system.

13. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the one or more subsystems are associated with pumping a fracturing fluid to the two or more well heads, and
wherein the one or more subsystems comprise at least one of one or more blending equipment of the hydraulic fracturing system, at least one of one or more missile valves of the hydraulic fracturing system, at least one of the zipper valves, or at least one of one or more well head valves of the hydraulic fracturing system.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the fluid pressures comprises:
controlling the fluid pressures by opening the second zipper valve before closing the first zipper valve and by closing the first zipper valve after opening the second zipper valve.

15. A controller for a hydraulic fracturing system, the controller being configured to:
monitor, for two or more well heads of the hydraulic fracturing system, an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system,
wherein the hydraulic fracturing system further comprises zipper valves, and
wherein the zipper valves include a first zipper valve and a second zipper valve; and

control fluid pressures at the two or more well heads for continuous pumping by opening the second zipper valve before closing the first zipper valve based on monitoring the operation or the state and based on one or more of:
minimizing fuel or power consumption,
minimizing emissions, or
maximizing an operational life of equipment of the hydraulic fracturing system.

16. The controller of claim 15 , further configured, when controlling the fluid pressures, to

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Kabrich Todd R
• Publes Andy
• Otten Casey A
• Mabe Brandon J
• Converse Perry D
• Herlehy Jason T

Classifications

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• F04B15/02 Primary

  the fluids being viscous or non-homogeneous · CPC title

• F04B23/04

  Combinations of two or more pumps · CPC title

• F04B49/007

  Installations or systems with two or more pumps or pump cylinders, wherein the flow-path through the stages can be changed, e.g. from series to parallel (centrifugal pumps F04D15/0072) · CPC title