Delivery System for Fracture Applications

• US 20130284455A1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vault Pressure Control LLC
• Original Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Pressure Control LP (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kajaria, Saurabh, Nguyen, Khang
• Granted Patent: US 9,127,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/379
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/03 Well heads; Setting-up thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/08 connection by tangentially arranged pin and nut

Abstract

Described herein is a modular, adjustable system for distributing fluids to one or more wellbores. The system is readily configured and assembled at a well site, and allows for one portion of the system to be isolated for service or repair while the remainder of the system continues to operate. The system includes a plurality of pump skids having both a distribution junction in fluid communication with inlets to of plurality of pump trucks and an exit junction in fluid communication with outlets of the plurality of pump trucks.

Claims

1. A delivery system for delivering fluid to a wellhead, comprising:

a water pipeline comprising an end in fluid communication with a water supply;

a water supply branch that is in fluid communication with the water pipeline and that connects to an inlet of a water pump;

a slurry pipeline comprising an end in fluid communication with a supply of slurry;

a slurry supply branch that is in fluid communication with the slurry pipeline and that connects to an inlet of a slurry pump;

a high-pressure pipeline comprising an end in fluid communication with the wellhead;

a water exit branch that is in fluid communication with the high pressure pipeline and that connects to an outlet of the water pump; and

a slurry exit branch that is in fluid communication with the high pressure pipeline and that connects to an outlet of the slurry pump.

2. The delivery system according to claim 1, further comprising a first pump skid supporting a first distribution junction and a first exit junction thereon, wherein the slurry supply branch connects to the inlet of the slurry pump through the first distribution junction and wherein the slurry exit branch connects to the outlet of the slurry pump through the first exit junction.

3. The delivery system according to claim 2, further comprising a second pump skid supporting a second distribution junction and a second exit junction thereon, wherein the water supply branch connects to the inlet of the water pump through the second distribution junction and wherein the water exit branch connects to the outlet of the water pump through the second exit junction.

4. The delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the slurry supply branch connects to a plurality of slurry pumps through the first distribution junction and wherein the slurry exit branch connects to the plurality of slurry pumps through the first exit junction.

5. The delivery system according to claim 2, further comprising a valve fluidly coupled between the outlet of the slurry pump and the first exit junction such that the slurry pump is selectively isolatable from the high pressure pipeline.

6. The delivery system according to claim 4, further comprising a valve unit fluidly coupled between the first exit junction and the slurry exit branch such that the plurality of slurry pumps are selectively isolatable from the high pressure pipeline.

7. The delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the supply of slurry is in fluid communication with the water supply.

8. The delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the water pipeline and the slurry pipeline are in parallel with the high-pressure pipeline.

9. The delivery system according to claim 1, further comprising a frac skid adjacent the wellhead, the frac skid including at least one frac manifold in fluid communication with the high-pressure pipeline.

10. The delivery system according to claim 3, wherein the first and second pump skids each include a jack operable to adjust an elevation of the respective pump skid.

11. The delivery system according to claim 10, further comprising an elevation measurement device, and wherein the first and second pump skids each include a leveling target thereon providing a reference for the elevation measurement device.

12. A collection manifold for delivering fluid to a wellhead, the collection manifold comprising:

a first low-pressure pipeline comprising an end in fluid communication with a source of fluid;

a high-pressure pipeline having an end in fluid communication with the wellhead,

a first pump skid supporting a first distribution junction and a first exit junction thereon, wherein the first low-pressure pipeline connects to an inlet of a first pump through the first distribution junction and wherein the high-pressure pipeline connects to the outlet of the first pump through the first exit junction; and

a second pump skid disposed remotely from the first pump skid, wherein the second pump skid supports a second distribution junction and a second exit junction thereon, and wherein the first low-pressure pipeline connects to an inlet of a second pump through the second distribution junction and wherein the high-pressure pipeline connects to the outlet of the second pump through the second exit junction.

13. The collection manifold according to claim 12, wherein the high-pressure pipeline connects to a plurality of pumps through a plurality of inlets defined in the first exit junction, and wherein the plurality of inlets are arranged on two opposing sides of the first pump skid.

14. The collection manifold according to claim 12, wherein the first and second exit junctions are fluidly coupled in series to one another.

15. The collection manifold according to claim 14, further comprising a bypass high-pressure pipeline in fluid communication with the first and second exit junctions.

16. The collection manifold according to claim 12, wherein the first low-pressure pipeline is a slurry pipeline in fluid communication with a source of slurry.

17. The collection manifold according to claim 16, further comprising a second low pressure pipeline, wherein the second low-pressure pipeline is a water pipeline in fluid communication with a water source and in fluid communication with the high-pressure pipeline through a third pump.

18. The collection manifold according to claim 12, further comprising a safety blanket positioned between the first and second pump skids.

19. The collection manifold according to claim 12, wherein the high-pressure pipeline comprises first and second high-pressure pipe segments coupled to one another by a hub connector comprising a seal ring disposed longitudinally between the first and second pipe segments and a clamping ring with two opposing members operable to urge the first and second pipe segments longitudinally toward one another in response to movement of the two opposing members toward one another in a lateral direction.

20. A method of assembling a manifold for delivering fluid to a wellhead, the method comprising:

assembling a distribution junction and an exit junction to each of a plurality of bases to form a plurality of pump skids;

arranging the plurality of pump skids at a well site;

fluidly coupling a first low-pressure pipeline to at least one the distribution junctions disposed on the plurality of pump skids, wherein the first low pressure pipeline extends to a fluid source; and

fluidly coupling a high-pressure pipeline to each of the exit junctions disposed on the plurality of pump skids, wherein the high-pressure pipeline extends to the wellhead.