Water heating apparatus for continuous heated water flow and method for use in hydraulic fracturing
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method of fracturing a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a transportable heating apparatus for heating water to a temperature of at least about 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.);
b) transmitting a water stream of cool or cold water to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at a temperature of less than a predetermined target temperature;
c) the mixer having a first inlet that receives cool or cold water from the stream of step “
b” and
a first outlet that enables discharge of a substantially continuous stream which is a mix of cool or cold and heated water;
d) the mixer having a second inlet that enables heated water to enter the mixer;
e) adding heated water from the transportable heating apparatus of step “
a”
to the mixer via the second inlet;
f) wherein the volume of cool or cold water of step “
b”
is much greater than the volume of heated water of step “
e”
;
g) adding a selected proppant to the mix of cool or cold and heated water discharged from the mixer after step “
f”
; and
h) transmitting the mix of cool or cold and heated water and the proppant into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, wherein water flows substantially continuously from the first inlet to the first outlet during the fracturing process.
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Abstract
A method of hydraulic fracturing of an oil producing formation includes the provision of a heating apparatus which is transportable and that has a vessel for containing water. A water stream of cool or cold water is transmitted from a source to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at ambient temperature. The mixer has an inlet that receives cool or cold water from the source and an outlet that enables a discharge of a mix of cool or cold water and the hot water. After mixing in the mixer, the water assumes a temperature that is suitable for mixing with chemicals that are used in the fracturing process, such as a temperature of about 40° -120° F.+(4.4 - 48.9° C.+). An outlet discharges a mix of the cool and hot water to surge tanks or to mixing tanks. In the mixing tanks, a proppant and an optional selected chemical or chemicals are added to the water which has been warmed. From the mixing tanks, the water with proppant and optional chemicals is injected into the well for part of the hydraulic fracturing operation.
61 Citations
99 Claims
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1. A method of fracturing a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, comprising the steps of:
-
a) providing a transportable heating apparatus for heating water to a temperature of at least about 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) transmitting a water stream of cool or cold water to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at a temperature of less than a predetermined target temperature; c) the mixer having a first inlet that receives cool or cold water from the stream of step “
b” and
a first outlet that enables discharge of a substantially continuous stream which is a mix of cool or cold and heated water;d) the mixer having a second inlet that enables heated water to enter the mixer; e) adding heated water from the transportable heating apparatus of step “
a”
to the mixer via the second inlet;f) wherein the volume of cool or cold water of step “
b”
is much greater than the volume of heated water of step “
e”
;g) adding a selected proppant to the mix of cool or cold and heated water discharged from the mixer after step “
f”
; andh) transmitting the mix of cool or cold and heated water and the proppant into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, wherein water flows substantially continuously from the first inlet to the first outlet during the fracturing process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of fracturing a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a transportable heating apparatus that heats water to a temperature of at least 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) transmitting a water stream of cool or cold water to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at a temperature of less than a predetermined target temperature; c) the mixer having a first inlet that receives cool or cold water from the source of step “
b” and
a first outlet that enables discharge of a substantially continuous stream which is a mix of cool or cold water and heated water;d) the mixer having a second outlet and a second inlet downstream of the second outlet; e) adding heated water from the transportable heating apparatus of step “
a”
to the mixer via the second inlet;f) continuously transmitting water from the mixer via the second outlet to the heating apparatus of step “
a”
;g) wherein the volume of cool or cold water of step “
b”
is much greater than the volume of heated water of step “
e”
;h) adding a selected proppant to the mix of cool or cold water and heated water discharged from the first outlet of the mixer after step “
f”
; andi) transmitting the mix of cool or cold water and heated water and the proppant into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, wherein water flows substantially continuously from the first inlet to the first outlet during the fracturing process. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An oil well hydraulic fracturing system, comprising:
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a) a transportable heating apparatus that heats water to a temperature of at least 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) a source of cool or cold water at about ambient temperature; c) a mixer having a first inlet and a first outlet; d) a second inlet that enables heated water to enter the mixer; e) a second outlet that enables removal of water from the mixer upstream of the second inlet; f) a first flowline that transmits heated water between the heater and the second inlet; g) a second flowline that transmits water between the second outlet and the heater, the second flowline being upstream of the second inlet; and h) a mixing tank that is receptive of a flow of a mix of cool or cold and heated water from the mixer, said tank enabling a proppant to be mixed with the mix of cool or cold and heated water that is discharged from the first outlet. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus, comprising:
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a) a heating apparatus for heating water to a temperature of at least 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.) to produce heated water; b) a source of cool or cold water; c) a mixer having a first inlet that receives cool or cold water from the source of cool or cold water and a first outlet that enables discharge of a mix of cool or cold and heated water; d) the mixer having a second outlet and a second inlet spaced downstream of the second outlet; e) a first flowline that transmits heated water from the heating apparatus to the mixer via the second inlet; f) a second flowline that transmits water from the mixer to the heating apparatus via the second outlet; g) a tank that enables a selected proppant to be mixed with the mix of cool or cold and heated water that is discharged from the first outlet of the mixer; h) a flowline that connects the mixer with the tank; i) a flowline that transmits the mix of cool or cold and heated water and proppant from the tank into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of fracturing a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a transportable heating apparatus for heating water to a temperature of at least about 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) transmitting a water stream of cool or cold water to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at a temperature of less than a predetermined target temperature; c) the mixer having an inlet that receives cool or cold water from the stream of step “
b” and
an outlet that enables discharge of a substantially continuous stream which is a mix of cool or cold and heated water;d) the mixer having a lateral inlet fitting that enables heated water to enter a mixer bore at an angle; e) adding heated water from the transportable heating apparatus of step “
a”
to the mixer via the lateral inlet fitting;f) wherein the volume of cool or cold water of step “
b”
is much greater than the volume of heated water of step “
e”
;g) adding a selected proppant to the mix of cool or cold and heated water discharged from the outlet of the mixer after step “
f”
; andh) transmitting the mix of cool or cold and heated water and the proppant into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, wherein water flows substantially continuously from the inlet to the outlet during the fracturing process. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A method of fracturing a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, comprising the steps of:
-
a) providing a transportable heating apparatus that heats water to a temperature of at least 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) transmitting a water stream of cool or cold water to a mixer, the cool or cold water stream being at a temperature of less than a predetermined target temperature; c) the mixer having an inlet that receives cool or cold water from the cool or cold water stream of step “
b” and
an outlet that enables discharge of a substantially continuous stream which is a mix of cool or cold and heated water;d) the mixer having a first lateral inlet fitting and a second lateral inlet fitting downstream of the first lateral inlet fitting; e) adding heated water from the transportable heating apparatus of step “
a”
to the mixer via the second lateral inlet fitting;f) continuously transmitting water from the mixer via the first lateral inlet fitting to the heating apparatus of step “
a”
;g) wherein the volume of cool or cold water of step “
b”
is much greater than the volume of heated water of step “
e”
;h) adding a selected proppant to the mix of cool or cold and heated water discharged from the outlet of the mixer after step “
f”
; andi) transmitting the mix of cool or cold and heated water and the proppant into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas, wherein water flows substantially continuously from the inlet to the outlet during the fracturing process. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. An oil well hydraulic fracturing system, comprising:
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a) a transportable heating apparatus that heats water to a temperature of at least 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) a source of cool or cold water at about ambient temperature; c) a mixer having an inlet, an outlet and a mixer bore that extends between the inlet and the outlet; d) a first lateral fitting on the mixer that enables heated water to enter the mixer bore; e) a second lateral fitting on the mixer that enables removal of water from the mixer bore upstream of the first lateral fitting and wherein at least one of the lateral fittings has a wall portion that extends into the mixer bore; f) a first flowline that transmits heated water between the heater and the first lateral fitting; g) a second flowline that transmits water between the second lateral fitting and the heater, the second flowline being upstream of the first lateral fitting; and h) a mixing tank that is receptive of a flow of a mix of cool or cold and heated water from the bore of the mixer, said tank enabling a proppant to be mixed with the mix of cool or cold and heated water that is discharged from the mixer outlet. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus, comprising:
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a) a heating apparatus for heating water to a temperature of at least 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.); b) a source of cool or cold water; c) a mixer having an inlet that receives cool or cold water from the source of cool or cold water and an outlet that enables discharge of a mix of cool or cold and heated water; d) the mixer having a first lateral inlet fitting and a second lateral inlet fitting spaced downstream of the first lateral inlet fitting; e) a first flowline that transmits heated water from the heating apparatus to the mixer via the second lateral inlet fitting; f) a second flowline that transmits water from the mixer to the heating apparatus via the first lateral inlet fitting; g) a tank that enables a selected proppant to be mixed with the mix of cool or cold and heated water that is discharged from the outlet of the mixer; h) a flowline that connects the mixer bore with the tank; i) a flowline that transmits the mix of cool or cold and heated water and proppant from the tank into a formation producing at least one of oil and gas. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99)
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Specification