IP Library Granted Patent US 12,480,927
Granted Patent B1
US 12,480,927 · App. 17/035,600 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Water usage monitor and tracking

Inventors: Pratik Kharel (Houston, TX); Mark Metzger (Houston, TX); Warren Sharp (Humble, TX); Aaron Carl Shaffer (Houston, TX); Jude Lloyd Ankrah (Cypress, TX); Justin Alan Ward (Houston, TX); Alexey Lukyanov (Houston, TX); Ashley Sean Kessel (Bellaire, TX); Alexander P. Jones (Houston, TX); Bradley Bennett Burt (Corpus Christi, TX); Nathan Rice (Durham, NC); Dustin Cole Kinder (Houston, TX)
Assignee: EOG Resources, Inc.
G01N33/18E21B49/0875G05B19/0428G06Q10/047G06Q10/06312G06Q10/06315G06Q10/06375G06Q10/067G06Q50/06E21B21/062E21B33/13E21B43/26G05B2219/24215
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,480,927
App. No.
17/035,600
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

System and methods for water management method for managing water used in extraction of fluids from subsurface formations wherein water is stored in a plurality of water pits and further wherein water is obtained from one or more water wells. The method includes simulating water pit volumes to determine a water level in each of the water pits at a pit volume simulation time; performing water chemistry analysis to determine one or more chemical properties of water stored in one of the water pits; performing a mapping operation to determine one or more pipeline routes, pit-pit transfer lines, and gathering systems; performing water pit evaporation analysis for a water pit evaporation simulation time; and performing a cost data capture to determine forecast costs at a cost data capture simulation time.

Claims (64)

1 . A water management method for managing water used in extraction of fluids from subsurface formations wherein water is stored in a plurality of water reuse pits and further wherein water is obtained from one or more water wells, the method comprising:

Simulating via non-transitory executable instructions communicated to one or more processors water reuse pit volumes to determine a water level in each of the water reuse pits at a future pit volume simulation time, wherein simulating water reuse pit volumes comprises predicting a future volume of a fluid to be measured or determined at the pit volume simulation time in at least one of the plurality of water reuse pits;

determining, based on the water reuse pit volumes at a real time and one or more of a past and future time, one or more chemical properties of water stored in one of the water reuse pits, wherein said one or more chemical properties includes the salinity of the fluid in the water reuse pit;

performing a mapping operation to determine one or more pipeline routes, pit-pit transfer lines, and water gathering systems;

performing, via non-transitory executable instructions communicated to the one or more processors, a water pit evaporation analysis for a future water pit evaporation simulation time, wherein said water pit evaporation analysis comprises (1) observing the water level in each of the water reuse pits, (2) observing the flow of fluid into each of the water reuse pits, (3) observing the flow of fluid out of each of the water reuse pits; and (4) comparing the observed water level in the water reuse pits with a previously-observed water level in the water reuse pits;

performing via non-transitory executable instructions communicated to the one or more processors a cost data capture to determine forecast costs at a future cost data capture simulation time,

wherein the forecast costs comprise fixed and variable costs for managing water, and wherein the fixed and variable costs for managing water comprise data provided to the one or more processors based on one or more invoices containing at least one price for managing water;

storing said determinations, observations, and comparisons related to the water pit evaporation analysis, mapping operation, and cost data capture into one or more memory communicatively connected to the one or more processors; and

in response to performing the pit evaporation analysis and cost data capture, routing additional fluid to at least one water reuse pit of the plurality of water reuse pits via the one or more pipeline routes, pit-pit transfer lines, and water gathering systems.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein simulating water reuse pit volumes to determine a water level in each of the water reuse pits at the future pit volume simulation time is based, at least in part on one or more of:

an amount of water supply available at the future pit volume simulation time;

an amount of water demand at the future pit volume simulation time;

connections between two or more water reuse pits at the future pit volume simulation time;

connections between one or more water reuse pits and one or more source water wells and/or one or more production facilities that use water from the water reuse pits at the future pit volume simulation time; and

for one or more water reuse pits, an amount of water pit evaporation at the future pit volume simulation time.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing flowback planning to determine the amount of pipeline and pump capacity needed at a future flowback planning simulation time, wherein performing flowback planning to determine the amount of pipeline and pump capacity needed at the future flowback planning simulation time is based, at least in part, on one or more of:

one or more production schedules for one or more wells, wherein the wells are to extract fluids from one or more of the subsurface formations;

one or more production forecasts for the one or more wells;

a number of sand separators, pumps, fuel stores, and electricity access points at the future flowback planning simulation time

a configuration of sand separators, pumps, fuel stores, and electricity access points at the future flowback planning simulation time; and

a capacity of each pipeline at the flowback planning time.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing water pit evaporation analysis for the future water pit evaporation simulation time is based, at least in part, on one or more of:

water properties of water in each of the water reuse pits at the future water pit evaporation simulation time, wherein the water properties include one or more of salinity, temperature, and salt content;

weather data at the future water pit evaporation simulation time, including one or more of humidity, wind speed, and temperature; and

water reuse pit dimensions, wherein the pit dimensions include a surface area of water exposed to the atmosphere.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a last-mile transfer analysis to determine routes for water transfer pipelines.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

detecting one or more anomalies in one or more water transfer pipelines.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping operation is further to view and aggregate SCADA data.

8 . A water management system for managing water used in extraction of fluids from subsurface formations, the system comprising:

a plurality of water reuse pits to store water;

a plurality of water well to obtain water;

one or more processors; and

at least one memory, the memory including non-transitory executable instructions that, when executed cause the one or more processors to:

simulate via non-transitory executable instructions communicated to one or more processors water reuse pit volumes to determine a water level in each of the water reuse pits at a future pit volume simulation time, wherein simulating water reuse pit volumes comprises predicting a future volume of a fluid to be measured or determined at the pit volume simulation time in at least one of the plurality of water reuse pits;

determine, based on the water reuse pit volumes at a real time and one or more of a past and future time, one or more chemical properties of water stored in one of the water reuse pits, wherein said one or more chemical properties includes the salinity of the fluid in the water reuse pit;

perform a mapping operation to determine one or more pipeline routes, pit-pit transfer lines, and water gathering systems;

perform via non-transitory executable instructions communicated to the one or more processors a water pit evaporation analysis for a future water pit evaporation simulation time, wherein said water pit evaporation analysis comprises (1) observing the water level in each of the water reuse pits, (2) observing the flow of fluid into each of the water reuse pits, (3) observing the flow of fluid out of each of the water reuse pits; and (4) comparing the observed water level in the water reuse pits with a previously-observed water level in the water reuse pits;

perform via non-transitory executable instructions communicated to the one or more processors a cost data capture to determine forecast costs at a future cost data capture simulation time,

wherein the forecast costs comprise fixed and variable costs for managing water, and wherein the fixed and variable costs for managing water comprise data provided to the one or more processors based on one or more invoices containing at least one price for managing water;

store said simulations, determinations, operations, observations, and comparisons related to the water pit evaporation analysis, mapping operation, and cost data capture into the at least one memory; and

in response to performing the pit evaporation analysis and cost data capture, routing additional fluid to at least one water reuse pit of the plurality of water reuse pits via the one or more pipeline routes, pit-pit transfer lines, and water gathering systems.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the one or more processors to simulate water reuse pit volumes to determine a water level in each of the water reuse pits at the future pit volume simulation time is based, at least in part on one or more of:

an amount of water supply available at the future pit volume simulation time;

an amount of water demand at the future pit volume simulation time;

connections between two or more water reuse pits at the future pit volume simulation time;

connections between one or more water reuse pits and one or more source water wells and/or one or more production facilities that use water from the water reuse pits at the future pit volume simulation time; and

for one or more water reuse pits, an amount of water pit evaporation at the future pit volume simulation time.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions cause the one or more processors to determine the amount of pipeline and pump capacity needed at a future flowback planning simulation time based, at least in part, on one or more of:

one or more production schedules for one or more wells, wherein the wells are to extract fluids from one or more of the subsurface formations;

one or more production forecasts for the one or more wells;

a number of sand separators, pumps, fuel stores, and electricity access points at the future flowback planning simulation time

a configuration of sand separators, pumps, fuel stores, and electricity access points at the future flowback planning simulation time; and

a capacity of each pipeline at the flowback planning time.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform water pit evaporation analysis for the future water pit evaporation simulation time is based, at least in part, on one or more of:

water properties of water in each of the water reuse pits at the future water pit evaporation simulation time, wherein the water properties include one or more of salinity, temperature, and salt content;

weather data at the future water pit evaporation simulation time, including one or more of humidity, wind speed, and temperature; and

water reuse pit dimensions, wherein the pit dimensions include a surface area of water exposed to the atmosphere.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

perform a last-mile transfer analysis to determine routes for water transfer pipelines.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

detecting one or more anomalies in one or more water transfer pipelines.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform a mapping operation, further cause the one or more processors to display and aggregate SCADA data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2020
From: KHAREL, PRATIK; METZGER, MARK; SHARP, WARREN; SHAFFER, AARON CARL; ANKRAH, JUDE LLOYD; WARD, JUSTIN ALAN; LUKYANOV, ALEXEY; KESSEL, ASHLEY SEAN; JONES, ALEXANDER P.; BURT, BRADLEY BENNETT; RICE, NATHAN; KINDER, DUSTIN COLE
To: EOG RESOURCES, INC.
Reel/Frame 054613/0742 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62924457 · Oct 22, 2019
Provisional Application 62907085 · Sep 27, 2019
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