MODULAR REMOTE POWER GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING SYSTEM

• US 20160290114A1
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC (ProFrac Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC (ProFrac Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: OEHRING, Jared, HINDERLITER, Brandon Neil
• Granted Patent: US 10,526,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/267 reinforcing fractures by propping
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/02 Providing protection against overload without automatic interruption of supply protection against faults of stepper motors H02P8/36

Abstract

A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation includes a power generation system, a transmission section, and an equipment load section. The power generation system includes a turbine generator that generates electricity that is used to power equipment in the equipment load section. The equipment in the equipment load section conditions and pressurizes fluid that is injected into a wellbore for fracturing the formation. The power generation and equipment load sections are distal from one another are separated by a long distance. The transmission section connects the power generation and equipment load sections, and thus spans the long distance between these sections.

Claims

1. A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:

an electric motor;

a pump coupled to the motor, and that has a discharge in fluid communication with a wellbore that intersects the formation, so that when the motor is activated and drives the pump, pressurized fluid from the pump pressurizes the wellbore to fracture the formation;

a variable frequency drive in communication with the electric motor, and that controls the speed of the motor, and performs electric motor diagnostics to prevent damage to the electric motor;

a source of electricity that is disposed a long distance from the electric motor; and

transmission lines that connect the source of electricity to the electric motor and that span the long distance between the source of electricity and the electric motor.

2. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, further comprising a transformer between the transmission line and the source of electricity.

3. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, further comprising a transformer between the transmission line and the electric motor.

4. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, wherein the source of electricity is selected from the group consisting of a utility outlet, a turbine generator, and a reciprocating engine generator.

5. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 4, further comprising an electric equipment room in communication with the turbine generator and which controls operation of the turbine generator.

6. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, further comprising a switch gear between the transmission line and the source of electricity, and another switch gear between the transmission line and the electric motor.

7. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 6, further comprising a transformer between the switch gear and the electric motor.

8. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, wherein the electric motor comprises a first electric motor, the system further comprising a multiplicity of electric motors, and wherein the transmission lines are selectively moveable at different times to provide electrical communication between the source of electricity and the multiplicity of motors.

9. A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:

a power generation section;

an equipment load section that is a long distance from the power generation section, and that comprises,

an electric motor, and

a pump driven by the electric motor and that has a discharge in communication with a wellbore that intersects the formation; and

a transmission section that extends between the power generation section and the equipment load section, and through which the power generation section and equipment load section are in electrical communication.

10. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, further comprising a variable frequency drive in communication with the electric motor, and that controls the speed of the motor, and performs electric motor diagnostics to prevent damage to the electric motor.

11. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, further comprising lines that provide electrical communication from the transmission section to electrically powered equipment disposed in the equipment load section, and wherein the lines comprise a micro grid.

12. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, wherein the power generation section comprises a turbine that is powered by natural gas and that is coupled to a generator.

13. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, wherein the transmission section comprises a set of transmission lines, wherein a one of the lines is a neutral line, and wherein electricity at different phases is transmitted along the other lines.

14. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:

driving a pump with an electrical motor;

transmitting electricity to the electrical motor from a power source that is a long distance from the electrical motor;

pressurizing a fluid with the pump to form a pressurized fluid; and

fracturing the subterranean formation by directing the pressurized fluid to a wellbore that intersects the subterranean formation.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling a speed of the motor with a variable frequency drive.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing diagnostics on the electric motor with the variable frequency drive.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising increasing a voltage of the electricity proximate the power source with a transformer, and decreasing the voltage of the electricity proximate the electric motor.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising suspending electrical communication between the power source and the electrical motor with one of a cutout or a switch gear.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrical motor comprises a first electrical motor, the pump comprises a first pump, the wellbore comprises a first wellbore, and the subterranean formation comprises a first subterranean formation, and wherein the step of transmitting electricity to the electrical motor comprises transmitting electricity across a transmission section that has an end in electrical communication with the power source, and another end that is in electrical communication with the first electrical motor,

the method further comprising,

disconnecting the end of the transmission section that is in communication with the first electrical motor and reconnecting that end to a second electrical motor is a long distance from the power supply and that is connected to a second pump, and

pressurizing fluid with the second pump and directing the pressurized fluid to a second wellbore for fracturing a second subterranean formation.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the power source comprises a power generation section that includes devices selected from the group consisting of a utility outlet, a turbine generator, and an electrical equipment room.