# US 11,078,757 B2 · Slurrification and disposal of waste by pressure pumping into a subsurface formation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,757 B2 - Document ID: US11078757B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/749,914 - Filed: 2020-01-22 - Published: 2020-05-21 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-30 - Assignees: Advantek International Corporation - Applicants: Advantek International Corporation - Inventors: Ahmed S. Abou-Sayed; Gareth Block; Omar Abou-Sayed - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078757B2 ## CPC - E21B 41/0057: {Disposal of a fluid by injection into a subterranean formation} - B65G 5/00: Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth - E21B 41/00: Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 - E21B 43/26: by forming crevices or fractures - E21B 47/00: Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - E21B 49/00: Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Presented is a computerized method for management of a slurry injection well and the associated surface facility. The method utilizes real time and historical data of injection and slurry parameters in conjunction with computer simulations on a computer-modelled reservoir to predict well behavior during one or a series of injection events. The system determines optimized injection operation schedules, recommends and implements changes to an injection operation, including while in process such as through automated equipment control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for managing an injection operation in a well having a wellbore extending through a target injection zone in a subterranean reservoir, wherein the injection operation is performed according to initial operation parameters having a plurality of operational parameters, the method comprising: receiving, at a control computer having a non-transitory memory, a processor, and a software program executable by the control computer, measured injection data, in real time via a computerized network, from sensor equipment at the well; simulating, using the program and using the real time measured data, a plurality of injection operations in a computer-modelled reservoir and simulating resulting fracturing of the computer-modelled reservoir; predicting, in response to simulating the injection operations and fracturing, potential occurrence of a risk to the injection operation, the reservoir, or the well; simulating, using the program, a plurality of modified injection operations in a computer-modelled reservoir and simulating resulting fracturing of the computer-modelled reservoir; determining, using the program and based on the simulated modified injection operations and fracturing, at least one desired change to the initial operation parameters to prevent the potential occurrence of a risk; and communicating the desired change to the initial operating parameters, via the network, during the injection operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the injection operation's initial operation parameters in accordance with the determined at least one desired change to the operation parameters, during the on-going injection operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the modification to the operation parameters is automatically performed by surface and well equipment connected to the network in response to communicating the desired change. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the desired change to the initial operation parameters consists of at least one of the following: an increase in injection rate, an increase in injection duration, a slurry density decrease to effect fracture dimensions, an increase in slurry density to pack a natural fracture, and a decrease in slurry viscosity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the real time measured injection data consists of at least one of the following: bottom hole pressure, well head pressure, annular pressure, surface tubing pressure, injection rate, injection fluid density, temperature, viscosity, solids concentration, injection fluid flow rate, and time elapsed in injection. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the potential occurrence of a risk consists of at least one of the following risks: a loss of containment of the injection fluid in the target zone, a fracture growth into the upper boundary zone, slurry migration out of the target zone, exceeding one or more regulatory injection operation limits, damage to the reservoir, and occurrence of an unknown and naturally occurring permeable conduit in the reservoir, natural fracture in the reservoir, or high gas saturation region in the reservoir impacting leak-off rate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the injection operation is a water flood operation or a waste disposal operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating an operating window, defined as the difference between a well maximum allowed surface injection pressure and a dynamic, well-head pressure obtained while pumping at a maximum scheduled pump rate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the desired operational change is verified by the program based on real time measured data communicated via the network. ### Claim 10 A method for managing an injection operation in a well having a wellbore extending through a target injection zone in a subterranean reservoir, wherein the injection operation is performed according to initial operation parameters having a plurality of operational parameters, the method comprising: receiving, at a control computer having a non-transitory memory, a processor, and a software program executable by the control computer, measured injection data, in real time via a computerized network, from sensor equipment at the well; simulating, using the program and using the real time measured data, a plurality of injection operations in a computer-modelled reservoir and simulating resulting fracturing of the computer-modelled reservoir; predicting, in response to simulating the injection operations and fracturing, potential ability to optimize the injection operation while maintaining containment of an injection fluid in the target injection zone; simulating, using the program, a plurality of modified injection operations in a computer-modelled reservoir and simulating resulting fracturing of the computer-modelled reservoir; determining, using the program and based on the simulated modified injection operations and fracturing, at least one desired change to the initial operation parameters to optimize the injection operation while maintaining containment of an injection fluid in the target injection zone; and communicating the desired change to the initial operating parameters, via the network, during the injection operation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying the injection operation's initial operation parameters in accordance with the determined at least one desired change to the operation parameters, during the on-going injection operation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the modification to the operation parameters is automatically performed by surface and well equipment connected to the network in response to communicating the desired change. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the desired change to the initial operation parameters consists of at least one of the following: an increase in injection rate, an increase in injection duration, a slurry density decrease to effect fracture dimensions, an increase in slurry density to pack a natural fracture, and a decrease in slurry viscosity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the real time measured injection data consists of at least one of the following: bottom hole pressure, well head pressure, annular pressure, surface tubing pressure, injection rate, injection fluid density, temperature, viscosity, solids concentration, injection fluid flow rate, and time elapsed in injection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the potential ability to optimize the injection operation while maintaining containment of an injection fluid in the target injection zone consists of at least one of the following: increasing the disposal capacity of the target zone, increasing fracturing in the target zone while maintaining operations within regulatory limits, maximizing contained volume in the target zone, or maximizing slurry disposal ion the target zone. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the injection operation is a water flood operation or a waste disposal operation. ### Claim 17 A method for managing injection operations in a well having a wellbore extending through a target injection zone in a subterranean reservoir, the method comprising: receiving, at a control computer having a non-transitory memory, a processor, and a software program executable by the control computer: an initial batch injection schedule comprising a series of planned batch injections for the well, each batch injection having a set of batch injection parameters; measured batch injection data from a series of prior run batch injections performed at the well from sensor equipment at the well; simulating, using the program and the measured data, planned future batch injections according to the initial batch injection schedule, in a computer-modelled reservoir and simulating resulting fracturing of the computer-modelled reservoir; predicting, in response to simulating the planned future batch injections, potential occurrence of a risk to the reservoir or the well upon performance of the planned future batch injections; simulating, using the program, a plurality of modified batch injections which deviate from the planned future injections according to the initial batch injection schedule, using the computer-modelled reservoir, and simulating resulting fracturing of the computer-modelled reservoir; determining, using the program and based on the simulated modified batch injections, a modified batch injection schedule comprised of a series of modified batch injections, each having injection parameters, to prevent the predicted occurrence of risk to the reservoir or well. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the potential occurrence of a risk to the reservoir or the well consists of at least one of the following: a loss of containment of the injection fluid in the target zone, a fracture growth into the upper boundary zone, slurry migration out of the target zone, exceeding one or more regulatory injection operation limits, damage to the reservoir, and occurrence of an unknown and naturally occurring permeable conduit in the reservoir, natural fracture in the reservoir, or high gas saturation region in the reservoir impacting leak-off rate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein batch injection operating parameters according to the modified batch injection schedule are automatically performed by surface and well equipment in response to communicating the batch injection operating parameters to the surface equipment, well equipment, or well. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the modified batch injection schedule differs from the initial batch injection schedule in the operating parameters of at least one batch injection, the operating parameters consisting of at least one of the following: an increase in injection rate, an increase in injection duration, a slurry density decrease to effect fracture dimensions, an increase in slurry density to pack a natural fracture, and a decrease in slurry viscosity.