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US 2019/0055828 A1Published application
Systems and methods of optimizing y-grade ngl fracturing fluids
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsJohn A. BABCOCK, Charles P. SIESS, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fracturing fluids in the form of a hydrocarbon foam, an emulsion based foam, an emulsion, and a gelled fracturing fluid, each comprising Y-Grade NGL, which is an unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture that comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and pentane plus, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture is a byproduct of a condensed and demethanized hydrocarbon stream.
Claims48
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL fracturing fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL and a gas;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL and the gas to determine an equation of state;
- generating a hydrocarbon foam through a foam generation module, wherein the foam generation module includes customizing a surfactant to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL and the gas to form the hydrocarbon foam, adjusting foam stability of the hydrocarbon foam, customizing the hydrocarbon foam, and determining a foam rheology of the hydrocarbon foam;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the foam rheology;
- formulating a 3-D frac simulation model as represented by the geostatic data and the computational algorithms to simulate a hydraulic fracturing process of the reservoir using the hydrocarbon foam;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different hydrocarbon foams generated by the foam generation module to obtain an optimum propped frac length.
5 more elements
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL fracturing fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL, a gas, and water;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL, the gas, and the water to determine an equation of state;
- generating an emulsion based foam through an emulsion based foam generation module, wherein the emulsion based foam generation module includes customizing a surfactant to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL, the gas, and the water to form the emulsion based foam, adjusting foam stability of the emulsion based foam, customizing the emulsion based foam, and determining an emulsion based foam rheology of the emulsion based foam;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the emulsion based foam rheology;
- formulating a 3-D frac simulation model as represented by the geostatic data and the computational algorithms to simulate a hydraulic fracturing process of the reservoir using the emulsion based foam;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different emulsion based foams generated by the emulsion based foam generation module to obtain an optimum propped frac length.
5 more elements
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL fracturing fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL and water;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL and the water to determine an equation of state;
- generating an emulsion through an emulsion generation module, wherein the emulsion generation module includes customizing a surfactant to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL and the water to form the emulsion, adjusting emulsion stability of the emulsion, customizing the emulsion, and determining an emulsion rheology of the emulsion;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the emulsion rheology;
- formulating a 3-D frac simulation model as represented by the geostatic data and the computational algorithms to simulate a hydraulic fracturing process of the reservoir using the emulsion;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different emulsions generated by the emulsion generation module to obtain an optimum propped frac length.
5 more elements
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL fracturing fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL to determine an equation of state;
- generating a gelled fracturing fluid through a gel generation module, wherein the gel generation module includes customizing a gelling agent to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL to form the gelled fracturing fluid, adjusting gel stability of the gelled fracturing fluid, customizing the gelled fracturing fluid, and determining a gel rheology of the gelled fracturing fluid;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the gel rheology;
- formulating a 3-D frac simulation model as represented by the geostatic data and the computational algorithms to simulate a hydraulic fracturing process of the reservoir using the gelled fracturing fluid;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different gelled fracturing fluids generated by the gel generation module to obtain an optimum propped frac length.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.