Caterpillar Inc.

Jason T Herlehy

Perry Dwain Converse

Todd R Kabrich

Andy Publes

Casey Alan Otten

Brandon J Mabe

Joseph C Bufkin

Yanchai Zhang

Zhijun Cai

Baoyang Deng

Christopher G Y Haddad

Nausheen Ahmad

A method may include monitoring an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of a hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include one or more fracturing rigs, one or more blending equipment, and one or more power sources electrically connected to a first subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, or one or more fuel sources fluidly connected to a second subset of the one or more fracturing rigs. The hydraulic fracturing system may further include one or more missile valves, one or more zipper piping and zipper valve sets, one or more well head valves, and one or more well heads. The method may further include controlling, based on monitoring the operation or the state, the one or more subsystems within operating limits or based on operating expectations to cause or prevent an occurrence of one or more well integrity-related events.

Controlling operations of a hydraulic fracturing system to cause or prevent an occurrence of one or more events

A method may include monitoring, for two or more well heads of a hydraulic fracturing system, an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include one or more fracturing rigs, one or more blending equipment, one or more power sources electrically connected to a first subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, or one or more fuel sources fluidly connected to a second subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, and one or more missile valves. The hydraulic fracturing system may further include one or more zipper valves, one or more well head valves, and multiple well heads. The method may further include controlling, based on an operation schedule for the hydraulic fracturing system and based on monitoring the operation or the state, fluid pressures at the two or more well heads for continuous pumping.

Controlling fluid pressures at multiple well heads for continuous pumping

A method may include receiving information related to operation or a configuration of a hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include a plurality of electric power source outputs and a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs. The method may further include performing, based on the information, asymmetric power management of the plurality of electric power source outputs. The method may further include performing, based on the information, asymmetric load management of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs.

Asymmetric power management and load management

A method may include monitoring, for a well head of a hydraulic fracturing system, an operation or a state of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include one or more fracturing rigs, one or more blending equipment, and one or more power sources electrically connected to a first subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, or one or more fuel sources fluidly connected to a second subset of the one or more fracturing rigs. The hydraulic fracturing system may further include one or more missile valves, one or more zipper valves, one or more well head valves, and one or more well heads. The method may further include controlling, based on an operation schedule for the hydraulic fracturing system and based on monitoring the operation or the state, the state or equipment changes.

Controlling fluid pressure at a well head based on an operation schedule

A method may include receiving information related to operation or a configuration of a hydraulic fracturing system, The hydraulic fracturing system may include one or more fracturing rigs, one or more blending equipment, and one or more power sources electrically connected to a first subset of the one or more fracturing rigs, or one or more fuel sources fluidly connected to a second subset of the one or more fracturing rigs. The hydraulic fracturing system may further include one or more missile valves, one or more zipper valves, one or more well head valves, and one or more well heads. The method may further include optimizing the operation of one or more subsystems of the hydraulic fracturing system using a particle swarm algorithm. The method may further include outputting one or more control signals to the one or more subsystems based on optimizing the operation.

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The Woodlands, TX, United States of America

Jason T Herlehy