Power integrated system and method for drilling rig and oil/gas production equipment

• US 10,018,044 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ai Alpine Us Bidco LLC
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hu, Lishun, Xue, Junli, Su, Ming, Sun, Fengcheng, Zhang, Jie, Ren, Zhiguo
• Primary Examiner(s): WRIGHT, GIOVANNA COLLINS
• Application Number:
  US14/614,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20150233213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 23/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A power integrated system includes a gas storage unit, a gas driven generator, a power bus, a drilling rig, oil/gas production equipment, and a gas reformer. The gas storage unit is used for storing natural gas. The gas driven generator is used for generating electric power based on the stored natural gas. The power bus is used for receiving the electric power generated by the gas driven generator. The drilling rig is used for being driven by the electric power from the power bus. The oil/gas production equipment is used for being driven by the electric power from the power bus and for generating associated gas. The gas reformer is used for reforming the associated gas and supplying the reformed gas to the gas storage unit.

Claims

1. A power integrated method for managing electric power in a drilling field, the method comprising:

using a gas driven generator for generating electric power;

injecting the generated electric power into a power bus;

driving a drilling rig operative to obtain well products and oil/gas production equipment operative for separating associated gas from the well products using the electric power from the power bus;

charging an energy storage unit during a drilling operation of the drilling rig with excess energy from the power bus to obtain stored energy;

reforming separated associated gas to obtain reformed gas; and

transferring the reformed gas into a gas storage unit for use of the reformed gas by the gas driven generator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning the stored energy of the energy storage unit into the power bus.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, when the energy storage unit cannot accommodate excess energy, sending unaccommodated excess energy to a load bank.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating secondary electric power using a diesel driven generator; and

injecting the secondary electric power into a power bus.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising driving auxiliary equipment using the electric power from the power bus.

6. A power integrated method for managing electric power in a drilling field, the method comprising:

using a gas driven generator for generating electric power;

driving a drilling rig operative to obtain well products and oil/gas production equipment operative for separating associated gas from the well products using the electric power generated by the gas driven generator;

charging an energy storage unit during a drilling operation of the drilling rig with excess energy from a power bus to obtain stored energy;

reforming separated associated gas to obtain reformed gas; and

transferring the reformed gas into a gas storage unit for use of the reformed gas by the gas driven generator.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

returning the stored energy of the energy storage unit to drive equipment in the drilling field.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, when the energy storage unit cannot accommodate excess energy, consuming unaccommodated excess energy through an energy consuming device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising driving auxiliary equipment using the electric power generated by the gas driven generator and/or stored in the energy storage unit.