Blending system and method for preparing emulsions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475014-B2
Application number	US-201113097147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2011
Priority date	May 28, 2010
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

Systems for preparing emulsions can include a first fluid tank, a second fluid tank, and a circulation loop comprising a buffer tank and a pump, in some arrangements. The first fluid tank and the second fluid tank can be in fluid communication with the circulation loop via a first fluid inlet pipe and a second fluid inlet pipe, respectively. An outlet pipe can be in fluid communication with the circulation loop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An on-site emulsifying system comprising:
a first fluid tank for containing a first fluid;
a second fluid tank for containing a second fluid;
a circulation loop comprising a buffer tank having an inlet and an outlet and a circulation pump in direct fluid communication with the buffer tank inlet and the buffer tank outlet, wherein the first fluid tank and the second fluid tank are in fluid communication with the buffer tank outlet of the circulation loop via a first fluid inlet pipe and a second fluid inlet pipe, respectively, and wherein the circulation loop is configured to circulate a mixture of the first and second fluids into the inlet and out the outlet of the buffer tank and then back into the inlet of the tank via the circulation pump;
a c-pump that is in direct fluid communication with the outlet of the buffer tank and in fluid communication with an outlet pipe that is in fluid communication with a wellbore pump; and
a feeding pipe in fluid communication with the wellbore pump and a wellbore for immediate application of the fluid in the wellbore.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are non-miscible.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is an aqueous fluid.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second fluid is an organic fluid selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon, diesel oil, kerosene, paraffinic oil, crude oil, LPG, toluene, xylene, ether, ester, mineral oil, biodiesel, vegetable oil, animal oil, and mixtures thereof.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first fluid tank contains an acid or a blended acid and the second fluid tank contains an organic fluid mixed with an appropriate amount of an emulsifying agent.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid inlet pipe and the second fluid inlet pipe contains a metering valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the c-pump is configured to withdraw a portion of the mixture from the circulation loop and deliver the portion of the mixture to the outlet pipe.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid inlet pipe and the second fluid inlet pipe contains a pre-dispersing device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet pipe contains an electric conductivity meter for monitoring an emulsifying status of an emulsion.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore pump comprises a triplex pump.

11. A method comprising:
feeding an aqueous fluid to a circulation loop that is located on-site, wherein feeding comprising passing the aqueous fluid through an inlet pipe and into a portion of the circulation loop that is coupled to the inlet pipe;
feeding a hydrocarbon fluid to the circulation loop;
circulating a mixture of the aqueous fluid and the hydrocarbon fluid in the circulation loop;
delivering the mixture into an inlet of a buffering tank disposed within the circulation loop, the buffering tank having an outlet disposed within the circulation loop;
withdrawing a first portion of the mixture directly from the buffering tank outlet of the circulation loop with a c-pump;
feeding the first portion of the mixture from the c-pump to a wellbore pump for immediate application in a wellbore;
recirculating, with a circulating pump, a second portion of the mixture within the circulation loop, wherein recirculating comprises circulating the second portion of the mixture into the inlet and out the outlet of the buffering tank and then back into the inlet of the buffering tank, wherein recirculating further comprising passing the second portion of the mixture through the portion of the circulation loop that is coupled to the inlet pipe; and
controlling a quality of the mixture by adjusting a ratio of a re-circulating flow within the circulation loop to a discharge flow from the circulation loop.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of said feeding the aqueous fluid to the circulation loop and said feeding the hydrocarbon fluid to the circulation loop comprises measuring a flow rate by a metering device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said withdrawing the first portion of the mixture from the circulation loop comprises withdrawing the first portion after the first portion has exited the buffering tank, and wherein said recirculating the second portion of the mixture within the circulation loop comprises delivering the second portion of the mixture to the buffering tank after the second portion of the mixture has previously exited the buffering tank.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said recirculating the second portion of the mixture within the circulation loop comprises causing the second portion of the mixture to exit and enter the buffering tank to make multiple passes through the buffering tank.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mixture of the aqueous fluid and the hydrocarbon fluid is formed in the circulation loop.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said recirculating the second portion of the mixture within the circulation loop comprises passing the second portion of the mixture through a pump.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising passing the second portion of the mixture through the circulation loop multiple times.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising feeding the second portion of the mixture to the wellbore after the second portion of the mixture has been passed through the circulation loop multiple times.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising blending the second portion of the mixture with an additional mixture of the aqueous fluid and the hydrocarbon fluid.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore pump comprises a triplex pump.

Assignees

• Hodgson Kim A
• Adams Clint
• Patton Bartley
• Butrim Alexey
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Hodgson Kim A
• Adams Clint
• Patton Bartley
• Butrim Alexey

Classifications

• C09K8/72 Primary

  Eroding chemicals, e.g. acids · CPC title

• E21B21/062

  by mixing components · CPC title

• C09K2208/00

  Aspects relating to compositions of drilling or well treatment fluids · CPC title

• B01F5/106

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/0807 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic