Apparatus and method of preparing and delivering a fluid mixture using direct proppant injection

Abstract

An apparatus and method for preparing and delivering a fluid mixture. The apparatus includes a high pressure differential solids feeder assembly and a pressurized mixing apparatus. The feeder assembly is coupled to a proppant storage vessel at ambient pressure and receives a continuous unpressurized proppant output flow from the proppant storage vessel. The feeder assembly is configured to output a continuous pressurized proppant output flow of sufficient mass to achieve continuous operation of the apparatus in an uninterrupted episode for an individual fracture stage. The pressurized mixing apparatus is coupled to the feeder assembly and in fluidic communication with the continuous pressurized proppant output flow and a continuous pressurized fracturing fluid flow. The pressurized mixing apparatus is configured to output a continuous flow of a pressurized fluid mixture of a sufficient volume and mass to achieve continuous operation of the apparatus in an uninterrupted episode for the individual fracture stage.

1 . An apparatus for preparing and delivering a fluid mixture, the apparatus, comprising:
 an unpressurized proppant storage vessel configured to contain a dry proppant material at an ambient pressure and output a continuous unpressurized proppant output flow at the ambient pressure;   a fracturing fluid storage vessel configured to contain a pressurized fracturing fluid and output a continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow at a fracture fluid mixing pressure;   a high pressure differential solids feeder assembly coupled with the unpressurized proppant storage vessel and the fracturing fluid storage vessel to output a continuous and uninterrupted flow of pressurized proppant output,   wherein the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly comprises an eductor pump assembly, a converging-diverging nozzle, and Venturi enabling conversion of a pressure energy at a first portion of motive flow of pressurized fracturing fluid to a velocity energy, enabling the dry proppant material to be drawn out of the unpressurized proppant storage vessel and then to be injected into a pressurized mixing apparatus coupled with the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous and uninterrupted flow of pressurized proppant output comprises output of a sufficient mass to achieve a continuous and uninterrupted operation of the apparatus for an individual fracture stage, and the output of the continuous and uninterrupted flow of pressurized proppant output is at the mixing pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mixing pressure is greater than the ambient pressure and further wherein the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow is split into the first portion and a second portion. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the first portion is input into the pressurized mixing apparatus through the converging-diverging nozzle and the Venturi. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the second portion is input directly into the pressurized mixing apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized mixing apparatus comprises at least one inlet in fluidic communication with the continuous pressurized proppant output flow and at least one inlet in fluid communication with the second portion of the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow at the mixing pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly comprises a proppant inlet to input the continuous unpressurized proppant flow at the ambient pressure into the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly and a fracture fluid inlet to input the first portion of the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow into the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly as the motive flow. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized mixing apparatus comprises a tank, the tank comprising a mixer to mix the continuous pressurized proppant output flow and the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid flow in the pressurized mixing apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the mixer comprises at least one of plates and mixer elements. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the mixer mixes the continuous pressurized proppant output flow and the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid flow in the pressurized mixing apparatus by at least one of agitation and static mixing. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized mixing apparatus provides an output of a continuous and uninterrupted flow of a pressurized fluid mixture of proppant and fracturing fluid of a sufficient volume and mass to achieve continuous operation of the apparatus in an uninterrupted episode for the individual fracture stage, wherein the continuous and uninterrupted flow of the pressurized fluid mixture of proppant and fracturing fluid is output at or above the mixing pressure. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for preparing and delivering a fluid mixture, the apparatus, comprising:
 an unpressurized proppant storage vessel configured to contain a dry proppant material at an ambient pressure and output a continuous unpressurized proppant output flow at the ambient pressure;   a fracturing fluid storage vessel configured to contain a pressurized fracturing fluid and output a continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow at a fracture fluid mixing pressure, wherein the mixing pressure is greater than the ambient pressure and further wherein the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow is split into a first portion and a second portion; and   a high pressure differential solids feeder assembly coupled with the unpressurized proppant storage vessel and the fracturing fluid storage vessel to output a continuous and uninterrupted flow of pressurized proppant output,   wherein the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly comprises an eductor pump assembly, a converging-diverging nozzle, and Venturi enabling conversion of a pressure energy at the first portion of motive flow of pressurized fracturing fluid to a velocity energy, enabling the dry proppant material to be drawn out of the unpressurized proppant storage vessel and then to be injected into a pressurized mixing apparatus coupled with the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly,   wherein the pressurized mixing apparatus comprises at least one inlet in fluidic communication with the continuous pressurized proppant output flow and at least one inlet in fluid communication with the second portion of the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow at the mixing pressure.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for preparing and delivering a fluid mixture, the apparatus, comprising:
 an unpressurized proppant storage vessel configured to contain a dry proppant material at an ambient pressure and output a continuous unpressurized proppant output flow at the ambient pressure;   a fracturing fluid storage vessel configured to contain a pressurized fracturing fluid and output a continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow at a fracture fluid mixing pressure; and   a high pressure differential solids feeder assembly coupled with the unpressurized proppant storage vessel and the fracturing fluid storage vessel to output a continuous and uninterrupted flow of pressurized proppant output,   wherein the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly comprises an eductor pump assembly, a converging-diverging nozzle, and Venturi enabling conversion of a pressure energy at a first portion of motive flow of pressurized fracturing fluid to a velocity energy, enabling the dry proppant material to be drawn out of the unpressurized proppant storage vessel and then to be injected into a pressurized mixing apparatus coupled with the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly,   wherein the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly comprises a proppant inlet to input the continuous unpressurized proppant flow at the ambient pressure into the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly and a fracture fluid inlet to input the first portion of the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid output flow into the high pressure differential solids feeder assembly as the motive flow,   further wherein the pressurized mixing apparatus comprises a tank, the tank comprising a mixer to mix the continuous pressurized proppant output flow and the continuous pressurized fracturing fluid flow in the pressurized mixing apparatus.