Controlling operations of a hydraulic fracturing system to cause or prevent an occurrence of one or more events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12049801-B2
Application number	US-202217692931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 11, 2022
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

A method may include monitoring an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of a hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include one or more fracturing rigs, one or more blending equipment, and 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. The hydraulic fracturing system may further include one or more missile valves, one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets, one or more well head valves, and one or more well heads. The method may further include controlling, based on monitoring the operation or the state, the one or more subsystems within operating limits or based on operating expectations to cause or prevent an occurrence of one or more well integrity-related events.

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;
one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more missile valves;
one or more well head valves fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets;
one or more well heads fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more well head valves; and
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
monitor an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system,
control, based on monitoring the operation or the state, the one or more subsystems within operating limits or based on operating expectations to cause or prevent an occurrence of one or more well integrity-related events, and
operate in a multi-site mode in which the controller monitors operations of multiple hydraulic fracturing systems.

2. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more subsystems comprise the one or more power sources, pumps of the one or more fracturing rigs, the one or more missile valves, the one or more well head valves, or the one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets.

3. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
optimize the operation or the state of the one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system using a particle swarm algorithm prior to controlling the one or more subsystems.

4. 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 one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets; and
wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the one or more subsystems, to:
control the one or more missile valves, the one or more well head valves, or the one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets to prevent the hydraulic fracturing system from exceeding a pressure limit by pumping on a closed pathway.

5. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, when monitoring the operation or the state, to:
monitor a flow rate or an output pressure of the one or more blending equipment; and
wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the one or more subsystems, to:
control the one or more blending equipment to prevent the hydraulic fracturing system from falling below a minimum suction pressure.

6. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate in one or more operational modes in addition to the multi-site mode, wherein the one or more operational modes comprise at least one of:
a closed mode in which the hydraulic fracturing system is configured to ramp the operation of the hydraulic fracturing system to desired operational parameters, or
a semi-closed mode in which an operator ramps the operation of the hydraulic fracturing system to desired operational parameters and the controller is configured to control operation of the hydraulic fracturing system based on operator input.

7. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when controlling the one or more subsystems, is further configured to perform automated event correction.

8. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate in one or more operational modes in which an operator station for controlling the hydraulic fracturing system based on the one or more operational modes is accessed at a site or in a remote location.

9. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the one or more subsystems, to:
control the one or more fracturing rigs to optimize the operation of the one or more fracturing rigs; and
automatically stop the operation of one or more running fracturing rigs or start the operation of one or more additional fracturing rigs.

10. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, when monitoring the operation or the state, to:
monitor output of the one or more power sources, wherein the one or more power sources comprise at least one auxiliary power source; and
wherein the controller is further configured, when controlling the one or more subsystems, to:
control the one or more power sources to meet a power demand of the hydraulic fracturing system.

11. A method, comprising:
monitoring an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of a hydraulic fracturing system, wherein the hydraulic fracturing system comprises:
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 inlets and outlets of the one or more fracturing rigs,
one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more missile valves,
one or more well head valves fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets, and
one or more well heads fluidly connected to outlets of the one or more well head valves; and

controlling, based on monitoring the operation or the state, the one or more subsystems within operating limits or based on operating expectations to cause or prevent an occurrence of one or more well integrity-related events, wherein the one or more well integrity-related events to be caused include at least one of:
a well pressure meeting or maintaining a minimum well pressure,
the well pressure being within a range of pressure values,
an operation speed of the one or more subsystems meeting or maintaining a minimum operation speed, or
the operation speed being within a range of speed values, and

wherein the one or more well integrity-related events to be prevented include at least one of:
the well pressure exceeding a pressure limit,
a well collapse,
stalling of the one or more subsystems, or
a deviation from a fracturing schedule.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring of the operation or the state further comprises:
monitoring an open or a closed state of the one or more missile valves, the one or more well head valves, or the one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets; and
wherein the controlling of the one or more subsystems 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 one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets to prevent exceeding a pressure limit for the hydraulic fracturing system by pumping on a closed pathway.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
optimizing the operation or the state of the one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system using a particle swarm algorithm.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring of the operation or the state further

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• E21B34/025 Primary

  Chokes or valves in wellheads and sub-sea wellheads for variably regulating fluid flow · CPC title