Automated Stimulation Delivery Platform
The automated stimulation delivery platform automates and streamlines surface operations, resulting in a smaller footprint, sustained efficiencies, and substantially reduced NPT. A combination of bulk material delivery and storage systems, equipment designed for continuous operations, automated processes, and accurate inventory management, the platform drives more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective fracturing operations with reduced HSE risks.
The platform’s main components are a proppant delivery and storage system, a process trailer, and an automated missile, all of which are monitored and managed from a central control cabin.
Proppant delivery and storage system streamlines materials management
The platform’s self-contained proppant delivery and storage system consists of A and B silos, a base frame for the silos, a silo erector trailer, and a proppant loader trailer.
A complete set of silos includes two A silos and two B silos, with a total storage capacity of 10,000 ft3 divided among the four vertical compartments. Level sensors in each compartment prevent overfilling, and load cells under each silo measure proppant weight for accurate blending concentrations and inventory management. A dust-collection system effectively reduces HSE risks associated with proppant transfer.
A base frame supports the system’s four silos, and both the base frame and the silos are transported to the site by a silo erector trailer that runs on its own power pack.
During delivery, a door on the underside of the proppant loader truck opens to allow proppant to fall into the receptacle, which transports the proppant up and into the silos. This method streamlines traffic flow on location and minimizes dust and noise. The proppant loader truck can be positioned on either side of the base frame and silos, and can access all four silos from either side. The design allows two sand haulers to unload at the same time.
Process trailer executes fracturing jobs as designed
Equipped with eight liquid additive systems, two dry additive systems, and one gel delivery and mixing system, the process trailer creates blends with precise concentrations of powder, liquid, and aqueous gel by scanning a code of the job design information. A hydration unit mixes dry polymer powder with water to form an aqueous gel, and the POD* programmable optimum density blender blends and pumps up to 120 bbl/min [19 m3/min] of fracturing slurry.
A fully integrated A/C electric power-generation unit delivers high reliability and reduced emissions, and modular components allow seamless maintenance to reduce NPT.
Automated missile revolutionizes pump performance
The platform uses a revolutionary automated missile to reduce the number of pumps needed, minimize capex, and extend equipment life. By rerouting abrasive proppants through the hydraulic pumping system and away from high-pressure pumps, the automated missile enables operators to use any pump, reducing costs and increasing pump run life.
High-pressure freshwater and low-pressure fracturing fluid flow into the missile separately. The freshwater then pushes the fracturing fluid out of the missile and downhole. With its energy transferred to the fracturing fluid, the low-pressure freshwater exits the automated missile before being directed back, filtered, and recirculated, creating an energy-efficient loop.
Control cabin simplifies on-location operations
The platform’s automated process control system runs all equipment on location with a one-touch approach that does not require manual adjustments and ensures that each job is run as designed.
The system also monitors more than 1,500 predictive health data samples on equipment platform-wide to determine optimal maintenance intervals and address issues before they lead to unnecessary downtime.
Equipment sensors and instruments verify material weight and volume to monitor and capture job data, generate invoices automatically for proppant and chemicals, and facilitate inventory management.
Automated Missile
The automated missile provides fluid flow from the POD blender and pump truck into the well. Up to ten trucks (five on each side) may be connected to the automated missile. The trailer has a maximum rating of 15,000 psi [103 MPa] and maximum flow rate of 80 bbl/min [12.7 m3/min].Two separate suction manifolds are provided. Each manifold has two 6-in [15.2-cm] lines with 10 truck connections and six blender connections.
The automated missile comes equipped with a wellsite process control kit to remotely open and close valves from the human machine interface. This remote control enables personnel to be removed from the high-pressure area while pumping, thus limiting HSE exposure. Additionally, built-in intelligence minimizes the possibility of pumping against a closed valve.
Optional ground valve skids can be used with the automated missile for remote control of the high-pressure area.
Process Trailer
The process trailer is a dual-function trailer that is both a hydration unit that mixes dry polymer powder (such as guar) with water to form an aqueous gel and a programmable optimal density blender that blends and pumps up to 120 bbl/min [19.2 m3/min] of fracturing slurry or up to 60 bbl/min [9.6 m3/min] with full redundancy. This dual-function trailer reduces footprint by eliminating the need for additional equipment on location. The unit’s computers precisely control the solid-to-liquid ratio of the proppant and powder, and the liquid-to-liquid ratio of the liquid additives at design values in either ramp or stair-step mode. The system runs in a fully automated mode with set points received from the command and control cabin software.
In the hydration function of the unit, powder is held in a bin equipped with load cells for more accurate inventory management. A feeder below the bin meters powder into a mixer that blends the powder with water. This mixture flows into a series of four hydration tanks to ensure the fluid is uniformly hydrated. The unit can continuously mix highly concentrated gel at rates up to 27 bbl/min [4.3 m3/min].
In the blender section of the unit, mixing is done with two independent, fully redundant 60 bbl/min [9.6 m3/min] vortex mixers powered by two electric motors. The proppant is gravity-fed into the mixer from the proppant hopper where it is immediately blended with process fluid and discharged as slurry with a minimum discharge pressure of 60 psi [0.41 MPa]. Computer-controlled elevated gates meter proppant into the process fluid using feedback from densitometers and flowmeters.
The unit also includes eight modular LAS* liquid additive systems and dry additive systems, all of which are operated from the touchscreen. The unit can load and pump eight liquid additives into either mixer. To facilitate split-stream and acid jobs, the unit’s transfer centrifugal pump and vortex mixers can meet the design requirements.
This unit features dual-side suction and discharge capability.
Proppant Delivery
The automated stimulation delivery platform automates and streamlines surface operations, resulting in a smaller footprint, increased efficiencies, and reduced NPT. A combination of bulk material delivery and storage systems, equipment designed for continuous operations, automated processes, and accurate inventory management enables more-efficient, reliable, and cost-effective fracturing operations with reduced HSE risks.
As part of the platform, the proppant delivery silo system stores proppant for gravity-fed delivery into the blender or process trailer. Silos are transported with the erector trailer, which is used to install the silos on the mobile base frame structure.
A complete set includes four silos. Each silo has two compartments with a total storage capacity of 2,500 ft3 [71 m3] (compartments are divided into 1,200 ft3 [34 m3] and 1,300 ft3 [37 m3]).Individual compartments contain a level sensor to prevent overfilling and the silo design minimizes spillage and blowing of sand. Each silo is supported on a set of load cells that comprise the inventory management control system. Proppant can be transferred to the silos either using mechanical conveyance via the proppant loader trailer or using bulk pneumatic haulers. As the proppant is transported to the top of the silos, the type of proppant is identified and directed to predetermined bins, limiting contamination of proppant types and reducing the risk of human error. Each belt can offload a full sand truck in less than 15 minutes.
The proppant loader trailer is gravity-fed from the sand hauler into the designated silo chamber. The proppant loader trailer is electrically powered and can be positioned on both sides of the base frame. When proppant is delivered with the bulk pneumatic haulers, the silo compartments are equipped with a dust-collection system that allows proppant transfer in a dust-controlled environment.
Each compartment has a dedicated discharge gate with a 30,000 lbm/min [13,608 kg/min] rated proppant flow. The proppant delivery is controlled remotely from the command and control cabin with the FracCAT system. The refilling mechanism for the silos is fully redundant, which reduces downtime and increases reliability.
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