Flare control at well sites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022373176-A1
Application number	US-202117323632-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2021
Priority date	May 18, 2021
Publication date	Nov 24, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for flaring with a flare including a flare stack and a flare tip at a well site having a wellhead and a wellbore for production of crude oil or natural gas, or both, providing produced fluid including hydrocarbon from the wellhead to the flare stack, discharging the produced fluid from the flare tip through a nozzle discharge opening, combusting the hydrocarbon of the produced fluid as discharged from the flare tip, and a control system adjusting flow area of the nozzle discharge opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of flaring, comprising:
disposing a flare system comprising a flare at a well site comprising a wellhead and a wellbore, the wellbore formed in a subterranean formation for production of crude oil or natural gas, or both, from the subterranean formation, wherein the flare comprises a flare stack and a flare tip; providing produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon from the wellhead to the flare stack; flowing the produced fluid through the flare stack to the flare tip, the flare tip comprising a nozzle for discharge of the produced fluid from the flare tip; discharging the produced fluid from the flare tip, wherein discharging comprises flowing the produced fluid through a nozzle discharge opening of the nozzle to external to the flare tip; combusting the hydrocarbon of the produced fluid as discharged from the flare tip; and adjusting, via a control system, flow area of the nozzle discharge opening.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting comprises adjusting automatically, via the control system, the flow area in response to feedback received from a sensor in the flare system, and wherein combusting the hydrocarbon comprises combusting the hydrocarbon via the flare.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting comprises automatically adjusting, via the control system, the flow area in response to data received from a sensor in the flare system, and wherein discharging the produced fluid from the flare tip discharges the produced fluid from the flare.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the flow area comprises the control system directing operation of the nozzle to adjust an amount of choking of the nozzle discharge opening, and wherein combusting the hydrocarbon comprises combusting the hydrocarbon via the flare system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the control system directing operation of an ignition system comprising a fuel pump and an igniter for ignition of the hydrocarbon in the combusting of the hydrocarbon, wherein adjusting the flow area comprises the control system directing operation of the nozzle to position a choking element with respect to the nozzle discharge opening.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the choking element comprises a choking ball, and wherein the control system directing operation of the ignition system comprises the control system directing operation of the fuel pump to give a specified flow rate of fuel for ignition in response to data received from a sensor in the flare system.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the control system directing operation of an air compressor or a pressure regulator, or both, to provide air to the flare tip, wherein adjusting the flow area comprises the control system adjusting an amount of choking of the nozzle discharge opening by directing operation of a hydraulic piston.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the amount of choking comprises the control system directing operation of the hydraulic piston to position a choking ball in or through the nozzle discharge opening, wherein the control system directing operation of the air compressor or the pressure regulator, or both, comprises adjusting flow rate or pressure of the air provided to the flare tip in response to feedback from a sensor in the flare system, and wherein the air combines with the produced fluid in the flare tip and discharges with the produced fluid through the nozzle discharge opening from the flare tip.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the flow area comprises the control system directing operation of a hydraulic piston to position a choking element with respect to the nozzle discharge opening, and wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil or natural gas, or both.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a hydraulic piston, wherein adjusting the flow area comprises the control system directing a hydraulic system comprising a hydraulic pump to operate the hydraulic piston, and wherein the flare system comprises an ignition system comprising an igniter.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the flow area comprises the control system directing a hydraulic system comprising a hydraulic pump to operate a hydraulic piston associated with the nozzle, and wherein the flare system comprises an air compressor to supply air to the flare tip.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting comprises automatically adjusting, via the control system, the flow area in response to flow rate of the produced fluid or in response to temperature of a flare flame associated with the combusting of the hydrocarbon, or a combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the produced fluid from the wellhead to the flare stack comprises flowing the produced fluid through a flare header, and wherein adjusting comprises automatically adjusting, via the control system, the flow area in response to flow rate of the produced fluid flowing through the flare header or through the flare stack, or both.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the produced fluid from the wellhead to the flare stack comprises flowing the produced fluid through a flare header, and wherein adjusting comprises the control system automatically adjusting the flow area in response to pressure in the flare header, pressure in the flare stack, or pressure in the flare tip, or any combinations thereof.

15 . A flare system to receive produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon from a wellhead for combustion of the hydrocarbon, the flare system comprising:
a flare comprising:
a flare stack to receive the produced fluid, wherein the flare system to be disposed at a well site for flaring at the well site, the well site comprising the wellhead and a wellbore, the wellbore formed in a subterranean formation for production of crude oil or natural gas, or both;
a flare tip comprising a nozzle having a nozzle discharge opening for discharge of the produced fluid from the flare tip, wherein the flare tip is coupled to the flare stack to receive the produced fluid from the flare stack; and
a hydraulic piston to adjust position of a choking ball to adjust flow area of the nozzle discharge opening;
a hydraulic system comprising a hydraulic pump to provide hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic piston; and a control system to direct operation of the hydraulic system to adjust the flow area via the hydraulic piston and the choking ball.

16 . The flare system of claim 15 , comprising a sensor to measure an operating parameter of the flare system, wherein the control system to direct operation of the hydraulic system to adjust the flow area in response to measurement of the operating parameter by the sensor.

17 . The flare system of claim 16 , wherein the sensor comprises a flow sensor disposed along the flare stack to measure flow rate of the produced fluid through the flare stack, and wherein the operating parameter comprises the flow rate of the produced fluid through the flare stack.

18 . The flare system of claim 16 , wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor disposed along the flare stack to measure pressure in the flare stack, and wherein the operating parameter comprises the pressure in the flare stack.

19 . The flare system of claim 16 , wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor disposed at the flare tip to measure temperature of or adjacent a flare flame resulting from combustion of the hydrocarbon, and wherein the operating parameter comprises the temperature of or adjacent the flare flame.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Shaiji Omar Adnan
• Alajmi Khalid M
• Alhamid Omar M

Classifications

• F23G2207/30

  Oxidant supply · CPC title

• F23G2207/102

  for pressure · CPC title

• F23G2207/112

  for waste supply flowrate · CPC title

• F23G2207/108

  for hydrocarbon concentration · CPC title

• F23G7/085 Primary

  in stacks · CPC title