Methods of performing oilfield operations using electricity

Abstract

Methods and systems for integral storage and blending of the materials used in oilfield operations are disclosed. A modular integrated material blending and storage system includes a first module comprising a storage unit, a second module comprising a liquid additive storage unit and a pump for maintaining pressure at an outlet of the liquid additive storage unit. The system further includes a third module comprising a pre-gel blender. An output of each of the first module, the second module and the third module is located above a blender and gravity directs the contents of the first module, the second module and the third module to the blender. The system also includes a pump that directs the output of the blender to a desired down hole location. The pump may be powered by natural gas or electricity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An integrated material blending and storage system comprising:
 a storage unit;   a blender located under the storage unit;   wherein the blender is operable to receive a first input from the storage unit through a hopper;   a liquid additive storage module having a first pump to maintain constant pressure at an outlet of the liquid additive storage module;   wherein the blender is operable to receive a second input from the liquid additive storage module; and   a pre-gel blender, wherein the pre-gel blender comprises at least a pre-gel storage unit resting on a leg, further wherein the pre-gel storage unit comprises a central core and an annular space, wherein the annular space hydrates the contents of the pre-gel blender;   wherein the blender is operable to receive a third input from the pre-gel blender;   wherein gravity directs the contents of the storage unit, the liquid additive storage module and the pre-gel blender to the blender;   a second pump; and   a third pump;   wherein the second pump directs the contents of the blender to the third pump; and   wherein the third pump directs the contents of the blender down hole;   wherein at least one of the second pump and the third pump is powered by one of natural gas and electricity.   
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage unit comprises a load sensor. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-gel blender comprises:
 a feeder coupling the pre-gel storage unit to a first input of a mixer;
 a fourth pump coupled to a second input of the mixer; 
   wherein the pre-gel storage unit contains a solid component of a well treatment fluid;   wherein the feeder supplies the solid component of the well treatment fluid to the mixer;   wherein the fourth pump supplies a fluid component of the well treatment fluid to the mixer; and
 wherein the mixer outputs a well treatment fluid. 
   
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the well treatment fluid is a gelled fracturing fluid. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the solid component is a gel powder. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the fluid component is water. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the central core contains the solid component of the well treatment fluid. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the well treatment fluid is directed to the annular space. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the annular space comprises a tubular hydration loop. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the well treatment fluid is directed from the mixer to the tubular hydration loop. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the well treatment fluid is selected from the group consisting of a fracturing fluid and a sand control fluid. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a power source to power at least one of the feeder, the mixer and the pump. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the power source is selected from the group consisting of a combustion engine, an electric power supply and a hydraulic power supply. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein one of the combustion engine, the electric power supply and the hydraulic power supply is powered by natural gas. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a load sensor coupled to one of the storage unit, the liquid additive storage module or the pre-gel blender. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an information handling system communicatively coupled to the load sensor. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the load sensor is a load cell. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein a reading of the load sensor is used for quality control. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electricity is derived from one of a power grid and a natural gas generator set. 
     
     
       20. A modular integrated material blending and storage system comprising:
 a first module comprising a storage unit;   a second module comprising a liquid additive storage unit and a first pump for maintaining pressure at an outlet of the liquid additive storage unit; and   a third module comprising a pre-gel blender, wherein the pre-gel blender comprises at least a pre-gel storage unit resting on a leg, further wherein the pre-gel storage unit comprises a central core and an annular space, wherein the annular space hydrates the contents of the pre-gel blender;   wherein an output of each of the first module, the second module and the third module is located above a blender; and   wherein gravity directs the contents of the first module through a hopper, the second module and the third module to the blender;   a second pump;   wherein the second pump directs the output of the blender to a desired down hole location; and   wherein the second pump is powered by one of natural gas and electricity.   
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20 , wherein each of the first module, the second module and the third module is a self erecting module. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the third module comprises:
 a feeder coupling the pre-gel storage unit to a first input of a mixer;   a third pump coupled to a second input of the mixer;   wherein the pre-gel storage unit contains a solid component of a well treatment fluid;   wherein the feeder supplies the solid component of the well treatment fluid to the mixer;   wherein the third pump supplies a fluid component of the well treatment fluid to the mixer; and   wherein the mixer outputs a well treatment fluid.   
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the well treatment fluid is directed to the blender. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the blender mixes the output of the first module, the second module and the third module. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 20 , further comprising a fourth pump for pumping an output of the blender down hole. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 25 , wherein the fourth pump is selected from the group consisting of a centrifugal pump, a progressive cavity pump, a gear pump and a peristaltic pump. 
     
     
       27. A method of performing a fracturing operation comprising:
 using only electricity produced on-site with conditioned field gas to power one or more pumps for pumping a fracturing fluid down hole during the fracturing operation; and   monitoring and/or controlling one or more aspects of the fracturing operation, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling is powered using the electricity.    
     
     
       28. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises at least one of a weight, mass, and volume of a solid material in a storage unit.  
     
     
       29. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises using an electronic load sensor.  
     
     
       30. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises using an information handling system to monitor and/or control an amount of material in a storage unit.  
     
     
       31. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises an amount of fluid in a liquid additive storage module.  
     
     
       32. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises using an information handling system.  
     
     
       33. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises providing a real-time visual depiction of an amount of a solid material in a storage unit.  
     
     
       34. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises providing an alert when a solid material in a storage unit reaches a threshold level.  
     
     
       35. The method of claim 27, further comprising using the electricity to power a pre-gel blender and a pre-gel storage unit for hydrating materials used in the fracturing fluid.  
     
     
       36. The method of claim 28, wherein the storage unit is a silo.  
     
     
       37. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises using an instrumentality to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data.  
     
     
       38. The method of claim 27, wherein the conditioned field gas is derived from natural gas obtained from a field on which the fracturing operation is being performed.  
     
     
       39. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises at least one of a weight, mass, and volume of a material in a pre-gel storage unit.  
     
     
       40. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises providing an alert when a material in a pre-gel storage unit reaches a threshold level.  
     
     
       41. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises providing a real-time visual depiction of an amount of a material in a pre-gel storage unit.  
     
     
       42. A method of performing a fracturing operation comprising:
 having an amount of electricity produced on-site with conditioned field gas, wherein the amount of electricity is sufficient to power: (i) a blender for preparing a fracturing fluid, and (ii) one or more pumps for pumping the fracturing fluid down hole during the fracturing operation;   using the blender to prepare the fracturing fluid, wherein the blender is powered using the amount of electricity;   using the one or more pumps to pump the fracturing fluid down hole to perform the fracturing operation, wherein the one or more pumps is powered using the amount of electricity; and   monitoring and/or controlling one or more aspects of the fracturing operation, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling is powered using the amount of electricity.    
     
     
       43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises at least one of a weight, mass, and volume of a solid material in a storage unit.  
     
     
       44. The method of claim 42, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises using an information handling system.  
     
     
       45. A method of performing a fracturing operation comprising:
 using only electricity generated on-site with conditioned field gas to power one or more pumps for pumping the fracturing fluid down hole during the fracturing operation;   having at least one load sensor communicatively coupled to an information handling system;   processing at least one load sensor reading from the at least one load sensor; and   controlling an amount of a solid material used in the fracturing operation based on the at least one load sensor reading, wherein the processing and the controlling are powered using the amount of electricity.    
     
     
       46. The method of claim 45, wherein the controlling the amount of the solid material used in the fracturing operation comprises using a wireless connection.  
     
     
       47. A method of performing fracturing operations comprising:
 preparing at least one fracturing fluid at a central work pad;   pumping the at least one fracturing fluid down hole at different well sites to perform the fracturing operations, wherein the pumping comprises using an amount of electricity produced on-site with conditioned field gas, and wherein the amount of electricity is sufficient to power one or more pumps for pumping the at least one fracturing fluid down hole during the fracturing operations; and   monitoring and/or controlling one or more aspects of the fracturing operations using an information handling system.    
     
     
       48. The method of claim 47, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling is powered using the amount of electricity.  
     
     
       49. The method of claim 47, wherein the monitoring and/or controlling the one or more aspects of the fracturing operations using the information handling system comprises:
 having at least one load sensor communicatively coupled to the information handling system;   processing at least one load sensor reading from the at least one load sensor; and   controlling an amount of a solid material used in the fracturing operations based on the at least one load sensor reading.    
     
     
       50. The method of claim 49, wherein the processing at least one load sensor reading and/or the controlling the amount of a solid material used in the fracturing operations are powered using the amount of electricity.  
     
     
       51. A method of performing a fracturing operation comprising:
 having an amount of electricity produced using conditioned field gas derived from natural gas obtained from a field on which the fracturing operation is being performed, wherein the amount of electricity is sufficient to power one or more pumps for pumping a fracturing fluid down hole during the fracturing operation;   using a blender to prepare the fracturing fluid;   using the one or more pumps to pump the fracturing fluid down hole to perform the fracturing operation, wherein the one or more pumps is powered using the amount of electricity; and   using an information handling system to monitor and/or control one or more aspects of the fracturing operation.    
     
     
       52. The method of claim 51, wherein the one or more aspects of the fracturing operation comprises at least one of a weight, mass, and volume of a solid material in a storage unit.  
     
     
       53. The method of claim 51, wherein the blender is powered using the amount of electricity.  
     
     
       54. The method of claim 51, wherein the information handling system is powered using the amount of electricity.  
     
     
       55. A method of performing a fracturing operation comprising:
 using only electricity generated on-site with conditioned field gas to power one or more pumps for pumping the fracturing fluid down hole during the fracturing operation;   having at least one load sensor communicatively coupled to an information handling system;   processing at least one load sensor reading from the at least one load sensor; and   controlling an amount of a solid material used in the fracturing operation based on the at least one load sensor reading.    
     
     
       56. The method of claim 55, wherein the controlling the amount of the solid material used in the fracturing operation comprises using a wireless connection.