CA2191690A1 - Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries - Google Patents
Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurriesInfo
- Publication number
- CA2191690A1 CA2191690A1 CA002191690A CA2191690A CA2191690A1 CA 2191690 A1 CA2191690 A1 CA 2191690A1 CA 002191690 A CA002191690 A CA 002191690A CA 2191690 A CA2191690 A CA 2191690A CA 2191690 A1 CA2191690 A1 CA 2191690A1
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- fluid
- shear rate
- mixture
- mixing
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
- B28C—PREPARING CLAY; PRODUCING MIXTURES CONTAINING CLAY OR CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
- B28C5/00—Apparatus or methods for producing mixtures of cement with other substances, e.g. slurries, mortars, porous or fibrous compositions
- B28C5/08—Apparatus or methods for producing mixtures of cement with other substances, e.g. slurries, mortars, porous or fibrous compositions using driven mechanical means affecting the mixing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
- B01F23/40—Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying
- B01F23/405—Methods of mixing liquids with liquids
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
- B01F23/40—Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying
- B01F23/41—Emulsifying
- B01F23/4105—Methods of emulsifying
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
- B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
- B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
- B01F23/51—Methods thereof
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
- B01F27/80—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
- B01F33/80—Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
- B01F2101/00—Mixing characterised by the nature of the mixed materials or by the application field
- B01F2101/49—Mixing drilled material or ingredients for well-drilling, earth-drilling or deep-drilling compositions with liquids to obtain slurries
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
Abstract
A method and apparatus for rapidly hydrating a hydratable gel comprising the steps of introducing a predetermined amount of the gel into a stream of hydrating fluid, pumping the stream into a high shear rate mixer having a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-1, and directing the hydrated fluid away from the mixer means for treatment of a subterranean formation.
Description
~ 1 9 1 690 HOMOGENIZER/HIGH SHEAR MIXING TECHNOLOGY FOR ON-THE-FLY
HYDRATION OF FRACTURING FLUIDS AND ON-THE-FLY
MIXING OF CEMENT SLURRIES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the mixing of chemical agents and base fluids to form well treatment fluids and more particularly to a method and apparatus for continuously mixing such fluids including, but not limited to, fracturing and acidizing gels, polyemulsions, foams and cement slurries, on a real time on-the-fly basis.
BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
High viscosity aqueous fluids, such as fracturing gels, acidizing gels, cement slurries and high density completion fluids, are commonly used in the oil industry in treating subterranean wells. The gels for example are normally made using dry polymer additives or agents which are mixed with water or other aqueous fluids at the job site. The mixing procedures which have been used have inherent problems.
For example, early "batch" mixing procedures involved mixing bags of powdered polymer in tanks at the job site. This created problems such as uneven and inaccurate mixing, lumping of the powder into insoluble balls or globules which obstructed the flow of the gel, chemical dust hazards, and so forth.
A known method of solving the lumpingj gel ball problem is to delay hydration long enough for the individual polymer particles to disperse and become surrounded by water so that no dry particles are trapped inside a gelled coating to form a gel ball. This delay is achieved by coating the polymer with material such as borate salts, glyoxal, non-~lumping HEC, sulfosuccinate, metallic soaps, surfactants, or other materials of opposite surface charge to the polymer.
Another known way to improve the efficiency of polymer addition to water and derive the maximum yield from 2 1 9 t 690 the polymer is to prepare a stabilized polymer slurry, also referred to as a liquid gel concentrate. The liquid gel concentrate is premixed prior to transport and then later added to the water at the well site. In Briscoe U.S. Patent No. 4,336,145, a liquid gel concentrate is discIosed comprising water, the polymer or polymers, and an inhibitor having a property of reversibly reacting with the hydratable polymer in a manner wherein the rate of hydration of the polymer is retarded. Upon a change in the pH condition of the concentrate such as by dilution and/or the addition of a buffering agent (pH changing chemical) to the concentrate, upon increasing the temperature of the concentrate, or upon a change of other selected condition of the concentrate, the inhibition reaction is reversed, and the polymer or polymers hydrate to yield the desired viscosified fluid. This reversal of the inhibition of the hydration of the gelling agent in the concentrate may be carried out directly in the concentrate or later when the concentrate is combined with additional water.
The aqueous-based liquid gel concentrate of Briscoe has worked well at eliminating gel balls and is still in routine use in the industry. However, aqueous concentrates can suspend only a limited quantity of polymer due to the physical swelling and viscosification that occurs in a water-based medium.
Typically, about 0.8 pounds of polymer can be suspended per gallon of the concentrate.
By using a hydrocarbon carrier fluid for the slurry, rather than water, higher quantities of solids can be suspended. For example, up to about five pounds of polymer may be suspended in a gallon of diesel fuel carrier. Such a liquid gel concentrate is disclosed in Harms and Norman U.S.
Patent No. 4,722,646. The hydrocarbon-based liquid gel concentrate is later mixed with water at the well site in a manner similar to that for aqueous-based liquid gel concentrates to yield a hydrated viscosified fluid, but hydrocarbon-based concentrates have the advantage of holding 2l9l~o more polymer. Proppants can be added to the hydrated gel prior to injection of the fluid down the well bore. Elevated viscosities in the treatment fluid are required to maximize its proppant carrying capacity and to minimize leak off into the treated formation during the high pressure fracturing phase of the operation.
An additional problem with prior methods using - liquid gel concentrates is the time required for the polymer material in the concentrate to fully hydrate, i.e., absorb water. Without complete or near complete hydration, fluid viscosities will be inadequate to maximize proppant concentrations and to minimize leak-off. As well, without complete hydration, the addition of buffer or pH adjusters for cross-linking will actually prevent full hydration. Without agitation of the gel/water mixture, full hydration requires at least 15 minutes of residence time, necessitating the use of huge and difficult-to-transport storage vessels capable of holding a "batch" of sufficient quantity to complete the job at hand. Batching is expensive because of wasted time and unused fluid resulting from treatment delays, termination of the treatment before pumping all fluids, and fluid left in the bottom of the tanks which cannot be pumped out. The disposal of unused gelled fluid has also become an expensive process because of stricter laws on the disposal of chemical wastes.
More recently, it has been proposed to effect the real time or on-the-fly hydration of a gellable fluid for well treatment operations by increasing the residence time of the gellable flow in a flow-through operation by providing a series of vertical flow tanks. The hydratable gel material is mixed with water at the beginning of the series of tanks and, in theory, the mixture passes through the series of vertical flow tanks in a "plug flow" which gives the gellable material sufficient time to hydrate in the aqueous mixture.
Such a system is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,828,034 (Constien) in order to achieve substantially complete -219~6q~
hydration of the hydratable gel. Systems like that of Constien however, as actually used in the field, still typically require a blender tub operating volume on the order of 200 barrels in order to provide sufficient residence time.
A 200 barrel blender tub makes an extremely large unit which is difficult to transport to the field.
Yet more recent approaches are described in U.S.
Patents 5,046,856 and 5,195,824. McIntire in '856 proposes hydration of a hydratable gel by achieving near absolute theoretical plug flow through a plurality of tanks in series fluid communication. The plug flow is accompanied by high shear of the hydratable gel along its flow path through the series of tanks using a radial flow impeller positioned within at least one of the tanks. In practice, some or even all of the tanks are provided with mixing impellers.
Stromberg in '824 proposes to reduce the size of the apparatus required by the McIntire process by subjecting the hydratable/gel water mixture to "high shear rotary mixing".
High shear rotary mixing means are disposed in a blender tub divided into first and second zones with first and second mixers disposed in the first and second zones. The plurality of rotary mixers provides a total circulation flow rate at least an order of magnitude greater than the mixture flow rate through the tub so that an average fluid particle of the mixture passes through the mixers a total of at least 10 times while passing through the blender tub.
A slightly modified approach is taught by Wilson in U.S. Patent No. 5,052,486. Wilson initially applies a relatively low level of mixing energy to the hydratable gel/water mixture and then allows this mixture to flow through a first compartment of a residence tank for approximately 45 seconds, after which the mixture enters via plug flow into a second recycle compartment. The product in the recycle compartment is withdrawn in portions. The withdrawn portion is subjected to high shear and is then returned to the recycle s compartment. This reoccurs until fully hydrated product i8 introduced into an exit compartment. Wilson claims a reduction of residence time to three minutes or less.
It will be appreciated that all of these on-the-fly methods still require residence times measured on the order of minutes. Residence times of this magnitude remain sufficiently large that storage containers or high volume manifolds are required. Stromberg requires a blender tub, McIntire teaches the use of a "plurality of tanks" arranged in series for plug flow, Wilson requires a multi-compartmented mixing chamber, and Constien requires plug flow holding tanks.
Whatever the nature of these reservoirs, they are all prohibitively expensive, difficult to clean, and all require specialized and expensive mounting for transport to the field.
For systems designed to deliver 4 m3 to 10 m3 of hydrated gel per minute, a residence volume of 12 to 30 m3 to 16 to 40 m3 is required. Even though these volumes represent a substantial reduction in holding capacity compared to "batch"
systems, this rem~; n~ a substantial volume of fluid for disposal if a job screens out. Moreover, for flow rates of 40 bbls/min. (approximately 6 m3/minute) and water at 80~F, even with a 70 barrel hydration volume for approximately 2 minutes of residency, 218 horsepower of agitation is required.
(Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper No. SPE 21857, "Modeling the Effects of Time, Temperature and Shear on the Hydration of Natural Guar Gels", Stromberg, J.J., et al.) Lower agitation reduces horsepower requirements, but residency times then go up and so must residence volumes.
There rPm~ins therefore a need for a true on-the-fly high shear mixing technology that achieves complete or near-complete hydration of a hydratable gel in the residence time available during normal fracturing operations in a system having no residence volumes in the form of tanks or manifolds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The applicant has discovered that homogenizers or high shear mixers can be used to hydrate gel slurries on the fly without the need for hydration units that utilize residence tanks or tubes.
In a preferred embodiment, a base fluid, normally water, is pumped directly into a high shear pump line mixer with gel concentrate added to the water supply line by means of an injection Tee or venturi. Back pressure is maintained in the pipeline mixer either by means of an elongated hose from the mixer to the blender where proppants are added to the hydrated gel or by means of a restriction or gate valve downstream of the mixer or a combination of the two.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the mixing of chemical agents with base fluids that obviate and mitigate from the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the complete or near-complete on-the-fly hydration of a hydratable gel concentrate or cement slurry without the need for residence volumes in the form of tanks or reservoirs.
According to the present invention, then, there is provided a method for rapidly mixing two fluids comprising the steps of introducing a predetermined amount of a first fluid into a stream of a base fluid, pumping said stream of said first fluid and said base fluid into a high shear rate mixing means having a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-l, and directing said mixed fluid away from said mixing means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of rapidly hydrating a liquid polymer concentrate to form a fracturing fluid comprising the steps of introducing an effective amount of said concentrate into a stream of base fluid to ultimately produce a fracturing fluid having a viscosity within a - 21916~0 predetermined range, pumping said stream of concentrate and base fluid into high shear rate mixing means, and directing the hydrated fluid away from the mixing means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of hydrating a hydratable gel to form a viscosified fluid comprising the steps of dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture, supplying said mixture to high shear mixing means for exposing the polymer in said mixture to a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-l, and directing the hydrated gel away from the mixing means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided apparatus for hydrating a polymer concentrate to form a viscosified fluid comprising high shear rate mixing means having an inlet and an outlet, supply means for introducing a mixture of said concentrate dispersed in a stream of water to said inlet, means for regulating the rate of flow of the said mixture through said mixing means, and conduit means from said outlet for directing fluid away from said mixing means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for hydration of a hydratable gel, comprising the steps of dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture, supplying said mixture to mixing means for mixing said mixture at a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-l, controlling the rate at which said mixture flows through said mixing means so that a given sample of said mixture is mixed at said shear rate for a predetermined amount of time sufficient to produce complete or near complete hydration, and directing the hydrated fluid away from said mixing means.
219i6~0 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described-in greater detail and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawing which is a schematical block diagram illustrating the present method and apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference to Figure 1, there is shown schematically the present system for the mixing of a stabilized polymer slurry or concentrate with a base fluid which normally will be water. Although the following description is limited by way of example to the formation of fracturing fluids for the treatment of underground stratigraphic formations from the mixture of a polymer concentrate and a base fluid, it will be understood that this same system can be used to mix together other fluids, including fluids having particulate suspensions therein.
Examples include the mixing of polyemulsions, foams, cement - slurries, drilling fluid and so forth. The use of the present system for the hydration of gelled fracturing fluids is particularly significant however in view of its ability to completely or nearly completely hydrate the fluids in a sufficiently short period of time to obviate the need for prior art residence volumes.
As can be seen from Figure 1, a base fluid, normally water, is pumped from a reservoir 20 by means of a centrifugal pump 30 through a supply line 25 into a high shear pipeline mixer/homogenizer 50. A polymer slurry is injected at a metered predetermined rate into supply line 25 via an injection Tee 40 for dispersal of the concentrate in the water stream. A venturi can be used for dispersal of the slurry into the water stream if preferred. An exhaust line 60 from the mixer directs the hydrated fracturing fluid usually to a blender 100 for the introduction of proppants into the fluid prior to injection down the wellbore 125 using conventional g high pressure frac pumps 110. Blenders and frac pumps are well known in the art and not therefore described in detail herein.
The residence time of the hydrated gel/water mixture in pipeline mixer 50 can range from almost instantaneous flow through (i.e. near 0) to even a minute or more but is ideally in the range of lO to 20 seconds. In this context, residence time refers to the amount of time a particular particle or sample of the gel/water mixture requires to travel from the mixer inlet, through the rotor/stator to the mixer outlet.
Residence times can be controlled by regulating the mixer's outflow. In one prototypical system tested by the applicant, this is accomplished by subjecting the mixer to a predetermined back pressure of 45 to 100 psi, depending on system throughput. Advantageously, the back pressure is developed by inserting a gate valve 61 and back pressure meter 62 into exhaust line 60. In the alternative, the diameter and/or length of the exhaust line can be varied. For example, in tests conducted by the applicant, good results were obtained using a 4 inch diameter line 60 feet in length measured from the mixer to a Fann~ 35 Sample Port 68 in line 60. It is not fully understood whether back pressure directly affects gel viscosity and the speed of hydration (i.e. with back pressure, does the gel hydrate more quickly than without back pressure) or whether its effect is indirect resulting from the control or regulation of mixer residence times. In either event, back pressure has been found useful to limit or prevent cavitation from occurring within the mixer.
Mixer 50 is a commercially available product. In tests conducted by the applicant, good results have been obtained using either a Greerco Corp. 4" Tandem-Shear Pipeline Mixer or a Silverson Machines, Inc. 3" 600 LSH High Shear Mixer. Larger units are available from both companies. Two or more such mixers can be used connected together for example .
' -in series although to date this has not been found to result in significantly improved hydration times or viscosities.
In tests conducted by the applicant, a batch of polymer slurry was prepared using 590 liters of diesel fuel mixed with 5 kilograms of SA-lX mixed together and sheared for 10 to 15 minutes. One liter of methanol was then added and mixed in for 10 to 15 minutes. This was followed by the addition of 10 liters of S-ll mixed in for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Guar gum (WG-15) was added in the amount of 550 kilograms mixed in for 25 minutes. The direction of rotation of the mixing auger was reversed for each bag of the powdered polymer. The resulting gel slurry achieves a viscosity of 14 to 16 cP at a shear rate of 511 s-1 when loaded to water in the ratio of 6 litres of slurry (equivalent to 3 kg of WG-15) per cubic meter of water. Based therefore on these tests, 100% hydration was considered to have been achieved at a viscosity of 14 cP @ 511 s-l.
In testing, concentrate was introduced into supply line 25 at the rate of 1% l/min. to 100 l/min. to be mixed with water introduced at the rate of ~ to 10 m3/min. for a system throughput of ~ m3/min. to ~11 m3/min. Residence times for full hydration at the lower throughput were instantaneous to achieve an initial viscosity of 15 cp and a viscosity of 18 cp in 30 seconds. Residence times for full hydration at the higher throughput were 30 seconds, to achieve an initial viscosity of 12 cp and a viscosity of 14 cp in 30 seconds.
In most of the tests performed by the applicant, 100% hydration (i.e. viscosities -2 14 cP) were achieved with system residence times ranging from substantially instantaneous to 30 seconds depending upon total throughput.
This result was unexpected particularly having regard to Stromberg in '824 who indicates at column 5, line 5 that:
'- 2191690 We have discovered, as further explained below, that for a specific energy input into a gelled fracturing fluid, the energy is much more efficiently used to increase hydration of the fluid if the energy is input at lower levels over a longer period- of time rather than an intense burst over a very short period of time. Thus, large agitation tanks have been determined to be much more energy efficient viscosity producers than are small volume devices such as centrifugal pumps, static mixers and the like which are inefficient viscosity producers.
In contrast, the applicant has found the opposite to be true.
More specifically, the applicant has found that the use of a low volume high shear mixer that applies an intense burst of shear over a short period of time provides the necessary on-the-fly volume of completely or near-completely hydrated gel for commercial fracturing operations in such a short period of time that residence tanks, blending tubs and the like are no longer required. No complete explanation of this phenomenon is as yet available but it's possible that the high shear pipeline mixers as used by the applicant which expose the particles of polymer in the concentrated gel to a specific shear rate of 25,000 s-l and preferably 100,000 s-l to 1,000,000 s-l may actually be fragmenting the particles into even smaller pieces, exposing more surface area for faster and more complete hydration to provide higher yields and viscosities.
In typical fracture operations, it is common to use a base or polymer gel concentration of 3 to 7 kg of polymer per cubic metre of water. At final system throughputs of 2 m3 or less, the final concentration and rate required at the blender can be achieved by adding the slurry concentrate to the water and treating this mixture through high shear mixture 50. If higher throughputs are required, there are several options. One is to use a larger mixer capable of treating the mixture at the desired shear and flowthrough rates. A second -option is to add a higher concentration of slurry (polymer) than the finally desired concentration through the mixer and add makeup water through a supply line 59 that taps into line 60 downstream of mixer 50 and prior to the sample port. This makeup water can be metered to dilute the polymer concentrations back to the desired final level. This second option may be the more practical as it does not require that a second higher volume mixer be on site.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the following appended claims.
HYDRATION OF FRACTURING FLUIDS AND ON-THE-FLY
MIXING OF CEMENT SLURRIES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the mixing of chemical agents and base fluids to form well treatment fluids and more particularly to a method and apparatus for continuously mixing such fluids including, but not limited to, fracturing and acidizing gels, polyemulsions, foams and cement slurries, on a real time on-the-fly basis.
BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
High viscosity aqueous fluids, such as fracturing gels, acidizing gels, cement slurries and high density completion fluids, are commonly used in the oil industry in treating subterranean wells. The gels for example are normally made using dry polymer additives or agents which are mixed with water or other aqueous fluids at the job site. The mixing procedures which have been used have inherent problems.
For example, early "batch" mixing procedures involved mixing bags of powdered polymer in tanks at the job site. This created problems such as uneven and inaccurate mixing, lumping of the powder into insoluble balls or globules which obstructed the flow of the gel, chemical dust hazards, and so forth.
A known method of solving the lumpingj gel ball problem is to delay hydration long enough for the individual polymer particles to disperse and become surrounded by water so that no dry particles are trapped inside a gelled coating to form a gel ball. This delay is achieved by coating the polymer with material such as borate salts, glyoxal, non-~lumping HEC, sulfosuccinate, metallic soaps, surfactants, or other materials of opposite surface charge to the polymer.
Another known way to improve the efficiency of polymer addition to water and derive the maximum yield from 2 1 9 t 690 the polymer is to prepare a stabilized polymer slurry, also referred to as a liquid gel concentrate. The liquid gel concentrate is premixed prior to transport and then later added to the water at the well site. In Briscoe U.S. Patent No. 4,336,145, a liquid gel concentrate is discIosed comprising water, the polymer or polymers, and an inhibitor having a property of reversibly reacting with the hydratable polymer in a manner wherein the rate of hydration of the polymer is retarded. Upon a change in the pH condition of the concentrate such as by dilution and/or the addition of a buffering agent (pH changing chemical) to the concentrate, upon increasing the temperature of the concentrate, or upon a change of other selected condition of the concentrate, the inhibition reaction is reversed, and the polymer or polymers hydrate to yield the desired viscosified fluid. This reversal of the inhibition of the hydration of the gelling agent in the concentrate may be carried out directly in the concentrate or later when the concentrate is combined with additional water.
The aqueous-based liquid gel concentrate of Briscoe has worked well at eliminating gel balls and is still in routine use in the industry. However, aqueous concentrates can suspend only a limited quantity of polymer due to the physical swelling and viscosification that occurs in a water-based medium.
Typically, about 0.8 pounds of polymer can be suspended per gallon of the concentrate.
By using a hydrocarbon carrier fluid for the slurry, rather than water, higher quantities of solids can be suspended. For example, up to about five pounds of polymer may be suspended in a gallon of diesel fuel carrier. Such a liquid gel concentrate is disclosed in Harms and Norman U.S.
Patent No. 4,722,646. The hydrocarbon-based liquid gel concentrate is later mixed with water at the well site in a manner similar to that for aqueous-based liquid gel concentrates to yield a hydrated viscosified fluid, but hydrocarbon-based concentrates have the advantage of holding 2l9l~o more polymer. Proppants can be added to the hydrated gel prior to injection of the fluid down the well bore. Elevated viscosities in the treatment fluid are required to maximize its proppant carrying capacity and to minimize leak off into the treated formation during the high pressure fracturing phase of the operation.
An additional problem with prior methods using - liquid gel concentrates is the time required for the polymer material in the concentrate to fully hydrate, i.e., absorb water. Without complete or near complete hydration, fluid viscosities will be inadequate to maximize proppant concentrations and to minimize leak-off. As well, without complete hydration, the addition of buffer or pH adjusters for cross-linking will actually prevent full hydration. Without agitation of the gel/water mixture, full hydration requires at least 15 minutes of residence time, necessitating the use of huge and difficult-to-transport storage vessels capable of holding a "batch" of sufficient quantity to complete the job at hand. Batching is expensive because of wasted time and unused fluid resulting from treatment delays, termination of the treatment before pumping all fluids, and fluid left in the bottom of the tanks which cannot be pumped out. The disposal of unused gelled fluid has also become an expensive process because of stricter laws on the disposal of chemical wastes.
More recently, it has been proposed to effect the real time or on-the-fly hydration of a gellable fluid for well treatment operations by increasing the residence time of the gellable flow in a flow-through operation by providing a series of vertical flow tanks. The hydratable gel material is mixed with water at the beginning of the series of tanks and, in theory, the mixture passes through the series of vertical flow tanks in a "plug flow" which gives the gellable material sufficient time to hydrate in the aqueous mixture.
Such a system is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,828,034 (Constien) in order to achieve substantially complete -219~6q~
hydration of the hydratable gel. Systems like that of Constien however, as actually used in the field, still typically require a blender tub operating volume on the order of 200 barrels in order to provide sufficient residence time.
A 200 barrel blender tub makes an extremely large unit which is difficult to transport to the field.
Yet more recent approaches are described in U.S.
Patents 5,046,856 and 5,195,824. McIntire in '856 proposes hydration of a hydratable gel by achieving near absolute theoretical plug flow through a plurality of tanks in series fluid communication. The plug flow is accompanied by high shear of the hydratable gel along its flow path through the series of tanks using a radial flow impeller positioned within at least one of the tanks. In practice, some or even all of the tanks are provided with mixing impellers.
Stromberg in '824 proposes to reduce the size of the apparatus required by the McIntire process by subjecting the hydratable/gel water mixture to "high shear rotary mixing".
High shear rotary mixing means are disposed in a blender tub divided into first and second zones with first and second mixers disposed in the first and second zones. The plurality of rotary mixers provides a total circulation flow rate at least an order of magnitude greater than the mixture flow rate through the tub so that an average fluid particle of the mixture passes through the mixers a total of at least 10 times while passing through the blender tub.
A slightly modified approach is taught by Wilson in U.S. Patent No. 5,052,486. Wilson initially applies a relatively low level of mixing energy to the hydratable gel/water mixture and then allows this mixture to flow through a first compartment of a residence tank for approximately 45 seconds, after which the mixture enters via plug flow into a second recycle compartment. The product in the recycle compartment is withdrawn in portions. The withdrawn portion is subjected to high shear and is then returned to the recycle s compartment. This reoccurs until fully hydrated product i8 introduced into an exit compartment. Wilson claims a reduction of residence time to three minutes or less.
It will be appreciated that all of these on-the-fly methods still require residence times measured on the order of minutes. Residence times of this magnitude remain sufficiently large that storage containers or high volume manifolds are required. Stromberg requires a blender tub, McIntire teaches the use of a "plurality of tanks" arranged in series for plug flow, Wilson requires a multi-compartmented mixing chamber, and Constien requires plug flow holding tanks.
Whatever the nature of these reservoirs, they are all prohibitively expensive, difficult to clean, and all require specialized and expensive mounting for transport to the field.
For systems designed to deliver 4 m3 to 10 m3 of hydrated gel per minute, a residence volume of 12 to 30 m3 to 16 to 40 m3 is required. Even though these volumes represent a substantial reduction in holding capacity compared to "batch"
systems, this rem~; n~ a substantial volume of fluid for disposal if a job screens out. Moreover, for flow rates of 40 bbls/min. (approximately 6 m3/minute) and water at 80~F, even with a 70 barrel hydration volume for approximately 2 minutes of residency, 218 horsepower of agitation is required.
(Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper No. SPE 21857, "Modeling the Effects of Time, Temperature and Shear on the Hydration of Natural Guar Gels", Stromberg, J.J., et al.) Lower agitation reduces horsepower requirements, but residency times then go up and so must residence volumes.
There rPm~ins therefore a need for a true on-the-fly high shear mixing technology that achieves complete or near-complete hydration of a hydratable gel in the residence time available during normal fracturing operations in a system having no residence volumes in the form of tanks or manifolds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The applicant has discovered that homogenizers or high shear mixers can be used to hydrate gel slurries on the fly without the need for hydration units that utilize residence tanks or tubes.
In a preferred embodiment, a base fluid, normally water, is pumped directly into a high shear pump line mixer with gel concentrate added to the water supply line by means of an injection Tee or venturi. Back pressure is maintained in the pipeline mixer either by means of an elongated hose from the mixer to the blender where proppants are added to the hydrated gel or by means of a restriction or gate valve downstream of the mixer or a combination of the two.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the mixing of chemical agents with base fluids that obviate and mitigate from the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the complete or near-complete on-the-fly hydration of a hydratable gel concentrate or cement slurry without the need for residence volumes in the form of tanks or reservoirs.
According to the present invention, then, there is provided a method for rapidly mixing two fluids comprising the steps of introducing a predetermined amount of a first fluid into a stream of a base fluid, pumping said stream of said first fluid and said base fluid into a high shear rate mixing means having a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-l, and directing said mixed fluid away from said mixing means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of rapidly hydrating a liquid polymer concentrate to form a fracturing fluid comprising the steps of introducing an effective amount of said concentrate into a stream of base fluid to ultimately produce a fracturing fluid having a viscosity within a - 21916~0 predetermined range, pumping said stream of concentrate and base fluid into high shear rate mixing means, and directing the hydrated fluid away from the mixing means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of hydrating a hydratable gel to form a viscosified fluid comprising the steps of dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture, supplying said mixture to high shear mixing means for exposing the polymer in said mixture to a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-l, and directing the hydrated gel away from the mixing means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided apparatus for hydrating a polymer concentrate to form a viscosified fluid comprising high shear rate mixing means having an inlet and an outlet, supply means for introducing a mixture of said concentrate dispersed in a stream of water to said inlet, means for regulating the rate of flow of the said mixture through said mixing means, and conduit means from said outlet for directing fluid away from said mixing means.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for hydration of a hydratable gel, comprising the steps of dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture, supplying said mixture to mixing means for mixing said mixture at a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-l, controlling the rate at which said mixture flows through said mixing means so that a given sample of said mixture is mixed at said shear rate for a predetermined amount of time sufficient to produce complete or near complete hydration, and directing the hydrated fluid away from said mixing means.
219i6~0 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described-in greater detail and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawing which is a schematical block diagram illustrating the present method and apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference to Figure 1, there is shown schematically the present system for the mixing of a stabilized polymer slurry or concentrate with a base fluid which normally will be water. Although the following description is limited by way of example to the formation of fracturing fluids for the treatment of underground stratigraphic formations from the mixture of a polymer concentrate and a base fluid, it will be understood that this same system can be used to mix together other fluids, including fluids having particulate suspensions therein.
Examples include the mixing of polyemulsions, foams, cement - slurries, drilling fluid and so forth. The use of the present system for the hydration of gelled fracturing fluids is particularly significant however in view of its ability to completely or nearly completely hydrate the fluids in a sufficiently short period of time to obviate the need for prior art residence volumes.
As can be seen from Figure 1, a base fluid, normally water, is pumped from a reservoir 20 by means of a centrifugal pump 30 through a supply line 25 into a high shear pipeline mixer/homogenizer 50. A polymer slurry is injected at a metered predetermined rate into supply line 25 via an injection Tee 40 for dispersal of the concentrate in the water stream. A venturi can be used for dispersal of the slurry into the water stream if preferred. An exhaust line 60 from the mixer directs the hydrated fracturing fluid usually to a blender 100 for the introduction of proppants into the fluid prior to injection down the wellbore 125 using conventional g high pressure frac pumps 110. Blenders and frac pumps are well known in the art and not therefore described in detail herein.
The residence time of the hydrated gel/water mixture in pipeline mixer 50 can range from almost instantaneous flow through (i.e. near 0) to even a minute or more but is ideally in the range of lO to 20 seconds. In this context, residence time refers to the amount of time a particular particle or sample of the gel/water mixture requires to travel from the mixer inlet, through the rotor/stator to the mixer outlet.
Residence times can be controlled by regulating the mixer's outflow. In one prototypical system tested by the applicant, this is accomplished by subjecting the mixer to a predetermined back pressure of 45 to 100 psi, depending on system throughput. Advantageously, the back pressure is developed by inserting a gate valve 61 and back pressure meter 62 into exhaust line 60. In the alternative, the diameter and/or length of the exhaust line can be varied. For example, in tests conducted by the applicant, good results were obtained using a 4 inch diameter line 60 feet in length measured from the mixer to a Fann~ 35 Sample Port 68 in line 60. It is not fully understood whether back pressure directly affects gel viscosity and the speed of hydration (i.e. with back pressure, does the gel hydrate more quickly than without back pressure) or whether its effect is indirect resulting from the control or regulation of mixer residence times. In either event, back pressure has been found useful to limit or prevent cavitation from occurring within the mixer.
Mixer 50 is a commercially available product. In tests conducted by the applicant, good results have been obtained using either a Greerco Corp. 4" Tandem-Shear Pipeline Mixer or a Silverson Machines, Inc. 3" 600 LSH High Shear Mixer. Larger units are available from both companies. Two or more such mixers can be used connected together for example .
' -in series although to date this has not been found to result in significantly improved hydration times or viscosities.
In tests conducted by the applicant, a batch of polymer slurry was prepared using 590 liters of diesel fuel mixed with 5 kilograms of SA-lX mixed together and sheared for 10 to 15 minutes. One liter of methanol was then added and mixed in for 10 to 15 minutes. This was followed by the addition of 10 liters of S-ll mixed in for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Guar gum (WG-15) was added in the amount of 550 kilograms mixed in for 25 minutes. The direction of rotation of the mixing auger was reversed for each bag of the powdered polymer. The resulting gel slurry achieves a viscosity of 14 to 16 cP at a shear rate of 511 s-1 when loaded to water in the ratio of 6 litres of slurry (equivalent to 3 kg of WG-15) per cubic meter of water. Based therefore on these tests, 100% hydration was considered to have been achieved at a viscosity of 14 cP @ 511 s-l.
In testing, concentrate was introduced into supply line 25 at the rate of 1% l/min. to 100 l/min. to be mixed with water introduced at the rate of ~ to 10 m3/min. for a system throughput of ~ m3/min. to ~11 m3/min. Residence times for full hydration at the lower throughput were instantaneous to achieve an initial viscosity of 15 cp and a viscosity of 18 cp in 30 seconds. Residence times for full hydration at the higher throughput were 30 seconds, to achieve an initial viscosity of 12 cp and a viscosity of 14 cp in 30 seconds.
In most of the tests performed by the applicant, 100% hydration (i.e. viscosities -2 14 cP) were achieved with system residence times ranging from substantially instantaneous to 30 seconds depending upon total throughput.
This result was unexpected particularly having regard to Stromberg in '824 who indicates at column 5, line 5 that:
'- 2191690 We have discovered, as further explained below, that for a specific energy input into a gelled fracturing fluid, the energy is much more efficiently used to increase hydration of the fluid if the energy is input at lower levels over a longer period- of time rather than an intense burst over a very short period of time. Thus, large agitation tanks have been determined to be much more energy efficient viscosity producers than are small volume devices such as centrifugal pumps, static mixers and the like which are inefficient viscosity producers.
In contrast, the applicant has found the opposite to be true.
More specifically, the applicant has found that the use of a low volume high shear mixer that applies an intense burst of shear over a short period of time provides the necessary on-the-fly volume of completely or near-completely hydrated gel for commercial fracturing operations in such a short period of time that residence tanks, blending tubs and the like are no longer required. No complete explanation of this phenomenon is as yet available but it's possible that the high shear pipeline mixers as used by the applicant which expose the particles of polymer in the concentrated gel to a specific shear rate of 25,000 s-l and preferably 100,000 s-l to 1,000,000 s-l may actually be fragmenting the particles into even smaller pieces, exposing more surface area for faster and more complete hydration to provide higher yields and viscosities.
In typical fracture operations, it is common to use a base or polymer gel concentration of 3 to 7 kg of polymer per cubic metre of water. At final system throughputs of 2 m3 or less, the final concentration and rate required at the blender can be achieved by adding the slurry concentrate to the water and treating this mixture through high shear mixture 50. If higher throughputs are required, there are several options. One is to use a larger mixer capable of treating the mixture at the desired shear and flowthrough rates. A second -option is to add a higher concentration of slurry (polymer) than the finally desired concentration through the mixer and add makeup water through a supply line 59 that taps into line 60 downstream of mixer 50 and prior to the sample port. This makeup water can be metered to dilute the polymer concentrations back to the desired final level. This second option may be the more practical as it does not require that a second higher volume mixer be on site.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the following appended claims.
Claims (41)
1. A method for rapidly mixing two fluids comprising the steps of:
introducing a predetermined amount of a first fluid into a stream of a base fluid;
pumping said stream of said first fluid and said base fluid into a high shear rate mixing means having a shear rate of at least 25,000 s -1 ; and directing said mixed fluid away from said mixing means.
introducing a predetermined amount of a first fluid into a stream of a base fluid;
pumping said stream of said first fluid and said base fluid into a high shear rate mixing means having a shear rate of at least 25,000 s -1 ; and directing said mixed fluid away from said mixing means.
2. A method of rapidly hydrating a liquid polymer concentrate to form a fracturing fluid comprising the steps of:
introducing an effective amount of said concentrate into a stream of base fluid to ultimately produce a fracturing fluid having a viscosity within a predetermined range;
pumping said stream of concentrate and base fluid into high shear rate mixing means; and directing the hydrated fluid away from the mixing means.
introducing an effective amount of said concentrate into a stream of base fluid to ultimately produce a fracturing fluid having a viscosity within a predetermined range;
pumping said stream of concentrate and base fluid into high shear rate mixing means; and directing the hydrated fluid away from the mixing means.
3. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein said base fluid is water.
4. A method according to claims 2 or 3 wherein the shear rate of said mixing means is at least 25,000 s -1 .
5. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the shear rate of said mixing means is in the range of from 100,000 s -1 to 1,000,000 s -1.
6. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the fluid in said mixing means is subjected to said shear for a sufficient time to produce hydration.
7. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the fluid in said mixing means is subjected to said high shear rate for a predetermined length of time.
8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said predetermined length of time is up to one minute.
9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said predetermined length of time is from 10 to 20 seconds.
10. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the flow rate of the concentrate and base fluid through said high shear rate mixing means is regulated by means of back pressure.
11. A method according to any of the preceding claims comprising the further step of maintaining back pressure in said mixing means.
12. The method according to claims 10 or 11 wherein said back pressure in said mixing means is in the range from 45 psi to 100 psi.
13. The method according to claims 10, 11 or 12 wherein said back pressure is partially or completely maintained by means of valve means provided downstream of said mixing means.
14. The method of claim 4 wherein said back pressure is partially or completely maintained by directing said fracturing fluid away from said mixing means through a conduit having a combination of length and diameter selected to produce said back pressure.
15. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein said concentrate is added to said stream of base fluid at a rate of from substantially 1 1/2 1/min to 100 1/min.
16. The method according to claim 15 wherein said base fluid is water and said water is supplied to the mixing means at a rate of from substantially 1/4 m3/min to 10 m3/min.
17. A method according to claim 15 or 16 wherein said water and concentrate mixture is exposed to said high rate of shear for a time of up to 30 seconds.
18. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein additional base fluid is added to said hydrated fluid downstream of said mixing means.
19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said additional water is added to maintain the concentration of said polymer in said fracturing fluid at a predetermined level.
20. A method of hydrating a hydratable gel to form a viscosified fluid comprising the steps of:
dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture;
supplying said mixture to high shear mixing means for exposing the polymer in said mixture to a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-1; and directing the hydrated gel away from the mixing means.
dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture;
supplying said mixture to high shear mixing means for exposing the polymer in said mixture to a shear rate of at least 25,000 s-1; and directing the hydrated gel away from the mixing means.
21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the shear rate is at least 100,000 s-1.
22. The method according to claims 20 or 21 wherein the shear rate is in the range of 100,000 s-1 to 1,000,000 s-1.
23. A method according to claims 20, 21 or 22 wherein a given sample of said mixture is subjected to said shear for a sufficient time to produce hydration.
24. The method according to claim 23 wherein said time is up to one minute.
25. The method according to claim 24 wherein said time is from 10 to 20 seconds.
26. A method according to claims 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 or 25 comprising the further step of maintaining back pressure in said mixing means.
27. The method according to claim 26 wherein said back pressure is in the range of from 45 psi to 100 psi.
28. Apparatus for hydrating a polymer concentrate to form a viscosified fluid comprising;
high shear rate mixing means having an inlet and an outlet;
supply means for introducing a mixture of said concentrate dispersed in a stream of water to said inlet;
means for regulating the rate of flow of the said mixture through said mixing means; and conduit means from said outlet for directing fluid away from said mixing means.
high shear rate mixing means having an inlet and an outlet;
supply means for introducing a mixture of said concentrate dispersed in a stream of water to said inlet;
means for regulating the rate of flow of the said mixture through said mixing means; and conduit means from said outlet for directing fluid away from said mixing means.
29. Apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said means for regulating the flow of said mixture is means for creating back pressure in said mixing means.
30. Apparatus according to claim 28 or 29 wherein said means for regulating the flow of said mixture comprise valve means provided in said conduit means downstream of said mixing means.
31. Apparatus according to claims 28, 29 or 30 including second supply means for introducing water into said conduit means in predetermined amounts for diluting the concentration of polymer in said hydrated fluid.
32. The apparatus according to any preceding apparatus claim wherein the shear rate of high shear rate mixing means is at least 25,000 s -1.
33. The apparatus of any preceding apparatus claim wherein the shear rate of said high shear rate mixing means is at least 100,000 s -l.
34. The apparatus of any preceding apparatus claim wherein the shear rate of said high shear rate mixing means is in the range of 100,000 s -1 to 1,000,000 s -1.
35. The apparatus according to any preceding apparatus claim wherein the length and diameter of said conduit means is selected for partially or completing creating said back pressure in said mixing means.
36. A method for hydration of a hydratable gel, comprising the steps of:
dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture;
supplying said mixture to mixing means for mixing said mixture at a shear rate of at least 25,000 s -l;
controlling the rate at which said mixture flows through said mixing means so that a given sample of said mixture is mixed at said shear rate for a predetermined amount of time sufficient to produce complete or near complete hydration; and directing the hydrated fluid away from said mixing means.
dispersing a predetermined quantity of said gel into a stream of hydrating fluid to form a mixture;
supplying said mixture to mixing means for mixing said mixture at a shear rate of at least 25,000 s -l;
controlling the rate at which said mixture flows through said mixing means so that a given sample of said mixture is mixed at said shear rate for a predetermined amount of time sufficient to produce complete or near complete hydration; and directing the hydrated fluid away from said mixing means.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein said shear rate is at least 100,000 s -l.
38. The method of claims 36 or 37 wherein said predetermined amount of time is up to 1 minute.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein said predetermined amount of time is 10 to 20 seconds.
40. The method of claims 38 or 39 wherein the rate at which said mixture flows through said mixing means is controlled by means of maintaining a predetermined back pressure in said mixing means.
41. The method of claim 40 wherein said predetermined back pressure is in the range of 45 psi to 100 psi.
Priority Applications (6)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002191690A CA2191690A1 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1996-11-29 | Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries |
| CA002220972A CA2220972C (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1997-11-20 | Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries |
| AU45375/97A AU4537597A (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1997-11-26 | Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries |
| IDP973792A ID19015A (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1997-11-27 | TOOLS AND HOW TO MIX HIGH FRICTION FOR FLOWING FROM DISTRIBUTION OF LIQUID SUBSTANCES AND MIXING OF CEMENT DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS IN HIGH SPEED MACHINE |
| EP97309589A EP0845291A1 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1997-11-27 | Homogenizer/high shear mixing process for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries |
| NO975485A NO975485L (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1997-11-28 | Mixing technology for homogenization / high shear impact hydration in the flow of fracturing fluids and mixing in the flow of cement sludge |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002191690A CA2191690A1 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1996-11-29 | Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2191690A1 true CA2191690A1 (en) | 1998-05-29 |
Family
ID=4159350
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002191690A Abandoned CA2191690A1 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 1996-11-29 | Homogenizer/high shear mixing technology for on-the-fly hydration of fracturing fluids and on-the-fly mixing of cement slurries |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU4537597A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2191690A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008084192A1 (en) * | 2007-01-09 | 2008-07-17 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Process for enhancing fluid hydration |
-
1996
- 1996-11-29 CA CA002191690A patent/CA2191690A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
1997
- 1997-11-26 AU AU45375/97A patent/AU4537597A/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008084192A1 (en) * | 2007-01-09 | 2008-07-17 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Process for enhancing fluid hydration |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU4537597A (en) | 1998-06-04 |
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