Automated fracturing system and method
CAFCFirst Claim
1. An automated hydraulic fracturing method, comprising:
- initiating a hydraulic fracturing operation using an automated hydraulic fracturing system;
delivering a fluid from a fluid storage system to a hydration unit;
delivering an additive from an additive storage system to the hydration unit;
mixing the fluid and the additive at the hydration unit to form a fluid mixture;
delivering the fluid mixture from the hydration unit to a blender;
delivering proppant from a proppant storage system to the blender;
mixing the fluid mixture and the proppant at the blender to form a fracturing fluid, the blender comprising a blender sensor for measuring one or more parameters associated with the blender and a blender controller for controlling one or more functions of the bender;
providing the fracturing fluid from the blender to a pump, the pump comprising a pump sensor for measuring one or more parameters associated with the pump and a pump controller for controlling one or more functions of the pump;
injecting the fracturing fluid from the pump into a wellhead coupled to a well;
monitoring one or more parameters of the hydraulic fracturing operation via a plurality of sensing devices integrated into the proppant storage system, the fluid storage system, the additive storage system, the hydration unit, the blender, and the pump;
generating automated instructions for at least one of the sensing and control devices based at last in part on the one or more parameters; and
controlling one or more functions of the hydraulic fracturing operation via a plurality of control devices integrated into the proppant storage system, the fluid storage system, the additive storage system, the hydration unit, the blender, and the pump based at least in part on the automated instructions.
16 Assignments
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated hydraulic fracturing system, including a pump system, a blender configured to form the fracturing fluid, a proppant storage and delivery system, a hydration unit configured to mix an additive into a fluid to form the fluid mixture and provide the fluid mixture to the blender, a fluid storage and delivery system, and an additive storage and delivery system, and an automated control system including a plurality of sensing devices and a plurality of control devices integrated into the pump system, the blender system, the proppant storage and delivery system, the fluid storage and delivery system, and the additive storage and delivery system, the automated control system configured to monitor parameters of the automated hydraulic fracturing system via the plurality of sensing devices and transmit control instructions for one or more of the plurality of control devices to control an aspect of the automated hydraulic fracturing system.
450 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. An automated hydraulic fracturing method, comprising:
-
initiating a hydraulic fracturing operation using an automated hydraulic fracturing system; delivering a fluid from a fluid storage system to a hydration unit; delivering an additive from an additive storage system to the hydration unit; mixing the fluid and the additive at the hydration unit to form a fluid mixture; delivering the fluid mixture from the hydration unit to a blender; delivering proppant from a proppant storage system to the blender; mixing the fluid mixture and the proppant at the blender to form a fracturing fluid, the blender comprising a blender sensor for measuring one or more parameters associated with the blender and a blender controller for controlling one or more functions of the bender; providing the fracturing fluid from the blender to a pump, the pump comprising a pump sensor for measuring one or more parameters associated with the pump and a pump controller for controlling one or more functions of the pump; injecting the fracturing fluid from the pump into a wellhead coupled to a well; monitoring one or more parameters of the hydraulic fracturing operation via a plurality of sensing devices integrated into the proppant storage system, the fluid storage system, the additive storage system, the hydration unit, the blender, and the pump; generating automated instructions for at least one of the sensing and control devices based at last in part on the one or more parameters; and controlling one or more functions of the hydraulic fracturing operation via a plurality of control devices integrated into the proppant storage system, the fluid storage system, the additive storage system, the hydration unit, the blender, and the pump based at least in part on the automated instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
Specification