Apparatus and method for distributing fluids to a wellbore

Abstract

An apparatus for distributing fluids to a well. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a well stimulation fluid delivery system having an intake connection for receiving well stimulation fluid and a first conduit configured to route the well stimulation fluid from the intake connection to multiple outlet connections configured to be coupled to pumps for increasing the pressure of the well stimulation fluid. A second conduit of the apparatus is configured to receive the well stimulation fluid from the pumps, via multiple inlet connections configured to be coupled to the pumps, and to route the well stimulation fluid to a discharge connection. The apparatus also includes individual skids including platforms on which fluid conduit segments are mounted. The individual skids are coupled to one another via their mounted fluid conduit segments to form the first conduit and the second conduit. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a well stimulation fluid delivery system including:
 an intake connection for receiving well stimulation fluid; 
 a first conduit configured to route the well stimulation fluid from the intake connection to multiple outlet connections configured to be coupled to pumps for increasing the pressure of the well stimulation fluid; 
 a second conduit configured to receive the well stimulation fluid from the pumps, via multiple inlet connections configured to be coupled to the pumps, and to route the well stimulation fluid to a discharge connection; and 
 a plurality of individual skids including platforms on which fluid conduit segments are mounted, wherein the individual skids are coupled to one another via their mounted fluid conduit segments to form the first conduit and the second conduit, wherein the plurality of individual skids includes a first skid having the intake connection and a second skid having the discharge connection. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individual skids includes at least one additional skid coupled between the first skid and the second skid. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the well stimulation fluid delivery system includes an additional conduit configured to route the well stimulation fluid from the intake connection to multiple additional outlet connections configured to be coupled to additional pumps for increasing the pressure of the well stimulation fluid;   the second conduit is configured to receive the well stimulation fluid from the additional pumps, via multiple additional inlet connections configured to be coupled to the additional pumps, and to route the well stimulation fluid to the discharge connection; and   additional fluid conduit segments are mounted on the platforms of the plurality of individual skids, and the additional fluid conduit segments are coupled to one another to form the additional conduit.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit segments of at least two individual skids of the plurality of individual skids are coupled directly together. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit segments of at least two individual skids of the plurality of individual skids are coupled together via additional fluid conduit segments that are not mounted on any of the plurality of individual skids. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the individual skids of the plurality of individual skids are coupled in series such that the distance between the intake connection and the discharge connection is greater than seventeen meters. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a fracturing tree connected to receive the well stimulation fluid from the second conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the fracturing tree is connected to receive the well stimulation fluid from the second conduit via a fracturing manifold. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the pumps, wherein the pumps are coupled to the multiple outlet connections and to the multiple inlet connections. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a modular fracturing fluid delivery system including a plurality of skids coupled to one another to route low-pressure fracturing fluid to pumps connected to the plurality of skids and to route high-pressure fracturing fluid from the pumps to a well via the plurality of skids, the plurality of skids including:
 a suction skid including a low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit and a high-pressure fracturing fluid conduit, the low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the suction skid including an inlet for receiving the low-pressure fracturing fluid; 
 a pump skid including a low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit coupled to the low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the suction skid and a high-pressure fracturing fluid conduit coupled to the high-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the suction skid; and 
 a discharge skid including a low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit coupled to the low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the pump skid and a high-pressure fracturing fluid conduit coupled to the high-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the pump skid, the high-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the discharge skid including an outlet for routing the high-pressure fracturing fluid to the well; 
 wherein the modular fracturing fluid delivery system further includes: a low-pressure fracturing fluid line having the low-pressure fracturing fluid conduits of the suction skid, the pump skid, and the discharge skid; a high-pressure fracturing fluid line having the high-pressure fracturing fluid conduits of the suction skid, the pump skid, and the discharge skid; a first plurality of pump connections on the low-pressure fracturing fluid line for routing the low-pressure fracturing fluid out of the low-pressure fracturing fluid line into pumps; and a second plurality of pump connections on the high-pressure fracturing fluid line for receiving the high-pressure fracturing fluid from the pumps into the high-pressure fracturing fluid line. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , comprising a blender coupled to provide the low-pressure fracturing fluid to the low-pressure fracturing fluid line of the modular fracturing fluid delivery system via the inlet of the low-pressure fracturing fluid conduit of the suction skid. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , comprising a plurality of pumps coupled to the first plurality of pump connections to receive the low-pressure fracturing fluid from the low-pressure fracturing fluid line and coupled to the second plurality of pump connections to provide the high-pressure fracturing fluid to the high-pressure fracturing fluid line. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of pumps includes a plurality of truck-mounted pumps. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the pump skid includes a plurality of pump skids coupled in series to one another. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , comprising a fracturing fluid manifold coupled between the outlet of the discharge skid and a plurality of fracturing trees connected to wellheads. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled)