BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

This disclosure relates generally to hydraulic fracturing and more particularly to systems and methods for configuring high horsepower pumping systems.

2. Background

With advancements in technology over the past few decades, the ability to reach unconventional sources of hydrocarbons has tremendously increased. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are two such ways that new developments in technology have led to hydrocarbon production from previously unreachable shale formations. Hydraulic fracturing (fracturing) operations typically require powering numerous components in order to recover oil and gas resources from the ground. For example, hydraulic fracturing usually includes pumps that inject fracturing fluid down the wellbore, blenders that mix proppant, chemicals, and the like into the fluid, cranes, wireline units, and many other components that all perform different functions to carry out fracturing operations.

Usually in fracturing systems, the fracturing equipment runs on diesel motors or by other internal combustion engines. Such engines may be very powerful, but have certain disadvantages. Diesel is more expensive, is less environmentally friendly, less safe, and heavier to transport than natural gas. For example, diesel engines are very heavy, and so require the use of a large amount of heavy equipment, including trailers and trucks, to transport the engines to and from a well site. In addition, such engines are not clean, generating large amounts of exhaust and pollutants that may cause environmental hazards, and are extremely loud, among other problems. Onsite refueling, especially during operations, presents increased risks of fuel leaks, fires, and other accidents. The large amounts of diesel fuel needed to power traditional fracturing operations require constant transportation and delivery by diesel tankers onto the well site, resulting in significant carbon dioxide emissions.

Some systems have tried to eliminate partial reliance on diesel by creating bi-fuel systems. These systems blend natural gas and diesel, but have not been very successful. It is thus desirable that a natural gas powered fracturing system be used in order to improve safety, save costs, and provide benefits to the environment over diesel powered systems. Turbine use is well known as a power source, but is not typically employed for powering mobile fracturing operations.

Some electric pumping configurations have a limited horsepower (HP) range, such as between approximately 1750 HP and 2500 HP. This contrasts diesel powered pumping configurations which may include horsepower ranges between 2250 HP and 3000 HP. Fracturing operations with high horsepower configurations which desire the benefits of electric powered pumps typically supplement with smaller diesel powered configurations, which may reduce or eliminate the numerous benefits provided by electric powered pumps. Moreover, rig up times may be increased because two different types of pumping configurations are transported and installed at the well site.

SUMMARY

Applicant recognized the problems noted above herein and conceived and developed embodiments of systems and methods, according to the present disclosure, for operating electric fracturing pumps.

In an embodiment a hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation includes an electric pump, arranged on a first support structure, the electric pump coupled to a well associated with the subterranean formation and powered by at least one electric motor, and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the subterranean formation and fractures the subterranean formation. The system also includes support equipment, arranged on a second support structure, electrically coupled to the electric pump, wherein the support equipment includes at least a transformer for distributing power to the electric pump, the power being received from at least one generator at a voltage higher than an operating voltage of the electric pump.

In an embodiment a hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation includes a first support structure, forming a pumping trailer. The first support structure includes an electric pump fluidly connected to a well associated with the subterranean formation and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the subterranean formation and fractures the subterranean formation. The first support structure also includes at least one electric motor providing operational energy to the electric pump. The first support structure further includes a first support component, the first support component regulating operation of the electric pump. The system also includes a second support structure, forming a support trailer. The second support structure includes a second support component, the second support component regulating electric power transmission to the electric pump.

In an embodiment a hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation includes at least one generator and at least one switch gear receiving electrical power from the generator. The system also includes an electric pump, arranged on a first support structure, the electric pump coupled to a well associated with the subterranean formation and powered by at least one electric motor arranged on the first support structure, the electric pump configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the subterranean formation and fractures the subterranean formation. The system also includes a transformer, arranged on a second support structure, positioned between the switch gear and at least one electric motor, the transformer reducing a voltage output from the at least one switchgear.

