{
  "patent_number": "US RE49155",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Electric or Natural Gas Blending and Pumping for Oil Wells",
  "original_title": "USRE49155E1 - Electric or natural gas fired small footprint fracturing fluid blending and pumping equipment",
  "summary": "This patent describes a compact, modular system for mixing and pumping fluids used in oil and gas wells, powered by electricity or natural gas, using gravity to feed materials into a main blender.",
  "what_it_does": "This system integrates the storage and blending of materials, like those used in hydraulic fracturing, into a compact setup. It uses separate modules for main dry storage, liquid additives, and a pre-gel blender. A key design is that gravity pulls materials from these storage units down into a main blender (Claim 1). After blending, two powerful pumps move the mixed fluid \"down hole\" into a well. These pumps are specifically designed to run on natural gas or electricity (Claim 1), offering an alternative to traditional diesel power. For instance, a system could store gel powder, water, and other chemicals, blend them into a fracturing fluid, and then pump it into an oil well using an electric motor, with the pre-gel blender hydrating the gel powder in an annular space before mixing.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Systems where materials are not gravity-fed from storage units into the main blender (Claim 1 explicitly states \"gravity directs the contents\").",
    "Blending systems where the main pumps are exclusively powered by diesel or other combustion engines not fueled by natural gas (Claim 1 specifies \"natural gas and electricity\").",
    "Systems that do not include a dedicated pre-gel blender with a central core and an annular space for hydrating materials (Claim 1).",
    "Blending systems that are not modular, meaning they are not composed of distinct, separable storage and blending units (Claim 20)."
  ],
  "filed": "2019-08-09",
  "granted": "2022-08-02",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Halliburton Energy Services Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/halliburton-energy-services-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Ron Hyden",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/ron-hyden"
    },
    {
      "name": "Calvin L. Stegemoeller",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/calvin-l-stegemoeller"
    },
    {
      "name": "Leonard R. Case",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/leonard-r-case"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ed B. Hagan",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/ed-b-hagan"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 34,
  "tags": [
    "oil_and_gas",
    "energy",
    "mechanical",
    "software"
  ],
  "abstract": "Methods and systems for integral storage and blending of the materials used in oilfield operations are disclosed. A modular integrated material blending and storage system includes a first module comprising a storage unit, a second module comprising a liquid additive storage unit and a pump for maintaining pressure at an outlet of the liquid additive storage unit. The system further includes a third module comprising a pre-gel blender. An output of each of the first module, the second module and the third module is located above a blender and gravity directs the contents of the first module, the second module and the third module to the blender. The system also includes a pump that directs the output of the blender to a desired down hole location. The pump may be powered by natural gas or electricity.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE49155/connected-exercise-bike",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE49155/connected-exercise-bike/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/USRE49155",
  "relatedPatents": []
}