Wellhead Gas Heater

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that may include providing a wellhead gas burner to burn wellhead gas produced from a wellhead to heat water and/or other chemicals used in hydrocarbon production and/or well completion processes, including, but not limited to hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The wellhead gas burner may include a pressure regulator and an expansion chamber that permit the wellhead gas burner to continuously operate and accommodate wellhead gas pressure fluctuations. The wellhead gas burner may also be configured as a primary heat source and integrated with a traditional propane/diesel gas burner system configured as a supplemental heat source. The wellhead gas burner may also be mounted to a mobile superheater truck.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wellhead gas burner, comprising:
 a supply line configured to couple to a wellhead gas source and configured to flow wellhead gas at a first velocity;   an expansion chamber in fluid communication with the supply line and configured to flow wellhead gas at a second velocity that is less than the first velocity;   a fuel rail in fluid communication with the expansion chamber; and   at least one fuel rail finger in fluid communication to the fuel rail, wherein the at least one fuel rail finger comprises a plurality of combustion chambers, and wherein each combustion chamber comprises a combustion tube holder that at least partially envelopes a combustion tube.   
     
     
         2 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion chamber is configured to allow the wellhead gas burner to continuously combust the wellhead gas when the pressure of the wellhead gas is between about 5 pounds per square inch (psi) to about 15,000 pounds per square inch (psi). 
     
     
         3 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion chamber provides a sufficient volume for storing the wellhead gas so that the flow of the wellhead gas to the plurality of combustion chambers remains substantially uninterrupted and allows combustion of the wellhead gas within the plurality of combustion chambers when the pressure of the wellhead gas fluctuates. 
     
     
         4 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion chamber comprises a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a length of at least about 10 feet, and wherein the supply line comprises a diameter of about 2 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the wellhead gas flowing through the supply line is greater than the pressure of the wellhead gas flowing through the expansion chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of combustion tubes extends further from its respective fuel rail finger than each of the respective combustion tube holders. 
     
     
         7 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel rail finger is integrated with a plurality of traditional fuel rail fingers of a traditional gas burner configured to combust at least one of propane, butane, gasoline, diesel, liquified natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids (NGLs). 
     
     
         8 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 7 , wherein wellhead gas burner comprises a plurality of fuel rail fingers, and wherein the plurality of fuel rail fingers are configured to be interstitially spaced with a plurality of traditional fuel rail fingers of the traditional gas burner. 
     
     
         9 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 7 , wherein wellhead gas burner comprises a plurality of fuel rail fingers, and wherein the plurality of fuel rail fingers are oriented at a substantially perpendicularly to a plurality of traditional fuel rail fingers of the traditional gas burner. 
     
     
         10 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 1 , further comprising: a separator configured to remove hydrocarbons from the wellhead gas prior to being combusted by the wellhead gas burner. 
     
     
         11 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 8 , wherein the wellhead gas burner is mounted to at least one of a superheater truck, a trailer, a frac heater unit, and a skid. 
     
     
         12 . A wellhead gas burner, comprising:
 a supply line configured to couple to a wellhead gas source and configured to flow wellhead gas at a first pressure;   an expansion chamber in fluid communication with the supply line and configured to flow wellhead gas at a second pressure that is less than the first pressure;   a first fuel rail in fluid communication with the expansion chamber; and   at least one fuel rail finger connected in fluid communication to the first fuel rail, wherein the at least one fuel rail finger comprises a plurality of combustion chambers, wherein each combustion chamber comprises a combustion tube holder that at least partially envelopes a combustion tube, and wherein the plurality of fuel rail fingers are configured to integrate with a traditional gas burner.   
     
     
         13 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein wellhead gas burner comprises a plurality of fuel rail fingers, and wherein the plurality of fuel rail fingers are oriented at a substantially perpendicularly to a plurality of traditional fuel rail fingers of the traditional gas burner. 
     
     
         14 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein wellhead gas burner comprises a plurality of fuel rail fingers, and wherein the plurality of fuel rail fingers are configured to be interstitially spaced with a plurality of traditional fuel rail fingers of the traditional gas burner. 
     
     
         15 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein each of the fuel rail fingers are movable relative to the fuel rail. 
     
     
         16 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein the expansion chamber comprises a diameter of at least about 2 inches and a length of at least about 10 feet, and wherein the supply line comprises a diameter of at least about 2 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein the velocity of the wellhead gas flowing through the supply line is greater than the velocity of the wellhead gas flowing through the expansion chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein the wellhead gas burner comprises size # 40  orifices in each of the plurality of combustion chambers to allow wellhead gas to exit each of the plurality of fuel rail fingers into each of a plurality of combustion chambers. 
     
     
         19 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , further comprising: a separator configured to remove hydrocarbons from the wellhead gas prior to being combusted by the wellhead gas burner. 
     
     
         20 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 12 , wherein the traditional gas burner is configured to burn at least one of propane, butane, gasoline, diesel, liquified natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids (NGLs). 
     
     
         21 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 20 , wherein the traditional gas burner is configured to operate when the wellhead gas burner supplies less than about 3500 British Thermal Units (BTU) per cubic foot. 
     
     
         22 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 20 , wherein the traditional gas burner is configured to operate when the wellhead gas pressure drops below about 1000 pounds per square inch (psi). 
     
     
         23 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 20 , wherein the wellhead gas burner and the traditional gas burner are configured to operate simultaneously. 
     
     
         24 . The wellhead gas burner of  claim 23 , wherein the wellhead gas burner and the traditional gas burner are mounted to at least one of a superheater truck, a trailer, a frac heater unit, and a skid.