# Electric or Natural Gas Blending and Pumping for Oil Wells > 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. - **Patent:** US RE49155 - **Original title:** USRE49155E1 - Electric or natural gas fired small footprint fracturing fluid blending and pumping equipment - **Owner:** Halliburton Energy Services Inc - **Granted:** 2022 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 34 - **Field:** oil_and_gas, energy, mechanical, software ## 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). ## The clever bit The novelty lies in integrating multiple material storage and pre-blending units into a compact, modular system that uses gravity for efficient material flow to a main blender, and then powering the high-pressure pumps with natural gas or electricity, offering an alternative to traditional diesel engines. ## Real-world examples 1. Halliburton's electric fracturing fleets 2. Natural gas-powered well stimulation equipment 3. Modular blending units for hydraulic fracturing 4. Integrated fluid delivery systems for oil and gas ## Why it matters This technology aims to make oilfield operations, especially hydraulic fracturing, more efficient and potentially less impactful environmentally by using cleaner or more readily available power sources like natural gas or electricity. By integrating storage and blending into a smaller, modular footprint, it can reduce setup time and transportation costs at remote well sites. This approach can help reduce emissions and noise compared to traditional diesel-powered equipment, which is a significant concern in the industry. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Electric or Natural Gas Blending and Pumping for Oil Wells cover? 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. ### Who owns patent US RE49155? Halliburton Energy Services Inc owns this patent, granted in 2022. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on August 2, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US RE49155 cited by? This patent has been cited by 34 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology aims to make oilfield operations, especially hydraulic fracturing, more efficient and potentially less impactful environmentally by using cleaner or more readily available power sources like natural gas or electricity. By integrating storage and blending into a smaller, modular footprint, it can reduce setup time and transportation costs at remote well sites. This approach can help reduce emissions and noise compared to traditional diesel-powered equipment, which is a significant concern in the industry. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Systems where materials are not gravity-fed from storage units into the main blender (Claim 1 explicitly states "gravity directs the contents"). **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE49155/connected-exercise-bike **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/USRE49155 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Electric Pumps for Fracking: How They Break Rocks Underground](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735968/hydraulic-fracturing-equipment-with-non-hydraulic-power) — This patent describes a system for breaking underground rocks using high-pressure fluid from electric pumps, replacing traditional diesel-powered fracturing equipment. - [How Electric Power Systems Run Industrial Fracturing Equipment](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735969/electrically-driven-fracturing-system) — This patent describes an electrical power system for fracturing equipment, using separate high-voltage and low-voltage generators and switches to efficiently power a main motor and its auxiliary devices. - [Vacuum System for Lifting Materials in Tall Industrial Towers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735276/receiver-assemblies-and-methods-for-loading-and-extracting-product-in) — This patent describes a system that uses a vacuum to efficiently lift and move materials within tall structures like refinery towers, while also reducing the noise made by the vacuum equipment. - [How Nuclear Power Plants Reuse Fuel Between Multiple Reactors](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10818403/inter-module-fuel-shuffling) — This patent describes a method for nuclear power plants with several reactors to efficiently reuse partially used fuel by moving it between different reactor cores across multiple operating cycles. - [Managing Power with Different Types of Batteries in an Energy Storage System](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10756544/energy-storage-system-and-management-method-thereof) — This patent describes an energy storage system that uses multiple types of batteries, each with different charging and discharging speeds, to efficiently manage power from various sources like solar panels or the main power grid for different electricity needs.