System and method for delivery of oilfield materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150612-B2
Application number	US-201414318095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A system and methodology facilitates the handling of oilfield material. The oilfield material is stored in at least one silo which enables use of gravity to feed the oilfield material to a blender or other suitable equipment. Each modular silo is transportable and may be engaged with a support structure via a pivot connection. Once engaged, the silo is pivoted to a raised, upright position on the support structure. The oilfield material is then moved to an interior of the silo, and gravity may be used to feed the oilfield material to a blender or other equipment in a controlled manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile support structure for supporting at least one modular silo at a well site, the mobile support structure comprising:
a support base having a first end and a second end, a top surface and a bottom surface, a first side and a second side, the bottom surface for engaging the mobile support structure with a ground surface at the well site;
a frame structure connected to the support base, the frame structure extending above the support base to define a passage between the top surface and the frame structure, the frame structure having at least one upper silo receiving region sized and configured to receive the at least one modular silo;
a first extended base having a framework design and defining a substantially planar upper base surface and an opposing substantially planar lower base surface substantially parallel to the upper base surface, the upper base surface and lower base surface extending within the entire framework design, the upper base surface configured to accommodate a load thereon, the first extended base connected with the first side of the support base and movable to a support position extending away from the support base, the lower base surface engaging with the ground surface at the well site when in the support position; and
a second extended base having a framework design and defining a substantially planar upper base surface and an opposing substantially planar lower base surface substantially parallel to the upper surface, the upper base surface and lower base surface extending within the entire framework design, the upper base surface configured to accommodate a load thereon, the second extended base connected with the second side of the support base and movable to a support position extending away from the frame structure, the lower base surface engaging with the ground surface at the well site when in the support position, wherein the bottom surface of the support base and the lower surfaces of the first and second extended bases combined occupy a predetermined horizontal area of the ground surface to aid in stabilization of the support structure.

2. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , wherein the support base, the first extended base and the second extended base are configured to provide vertical and lateral support to the at least one modular silo when the first and second extended base are in the support position and the first and second extended base and the support base engage with the ground surface at the wellsite.

3. The mobile support structure of claim 2 , further comprising a first set of moveable joints connecting the first extended base to at least one of the frame structure and the support base, and a second set of moveable joints connecting the second extended base to at least one of the frame structure and the support base.

4. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , further comprising a first actuator connected to the frame structure and the first extended base, and configured to move the first extended base between the support position and a travel position.

5. The mobile support structure of claim 4 , wherein when the first extended base is positioned in the support position, the first extended base extends substantially horizontally from the frame structure, and when the first extended base is positioned in the travel position, the first extended base extends substantially vertically and adjacent to the frame structure.

6. The mobile support structure of claim 4 , further comprising a second actuator connected to the frame structure and second extended base, and configured to move the second extended base between the support position and a travel position.

7. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , wherein the first extended base and the second extended base each further comprise a silo receiving region.

8. The mobile support structure of claim 7 , wherein a first portion of the frame structure is positioned above the support base, second portions of the frame structure are positioned on the first and second sides of the support base, and the first and second extended bases are movably connected with the second portions, wherein the mobile support structure further comprises a first connection on the first portion of the frame structure to receive and support a first portion of the at least one modular silo within the upper silo receiving region, and second connections on the first and second extended base silo receiving regions adapted to receive and support a second portion of the modular silo within the first and second extended bases.

9. The mobile support structure of claim 8 , wherein the first connection and the second connection within each silo receiving region are positioned to form a truncated triangle.

10. The mobile support structure of claim 9 , wherein the truncated triangle is in the form of a trapezoid.

11. The mobile support structure of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one load cell pin located at the first connection;
wherein the at least one modular silo comprises a silo base and a silo frame, wherein the silo base and the silo frame are connected with at least one load cell pin; and
one or more controller coupled to the load cell pins and configured to receive signals from the load cell pins indicative of force applied to the load cell pins and transform the signals into information indicative of at least one of a weight of each of the at least one modular silo installed on the frame structure and an amount of oilfield material contained within each of the at least one modular silo installed on the frame structure.

12. The mobile support structure of claim 11 , wherein the first extended base and the second extended base further comprise an interlocking framework design for receiving and securing the silo base, and wherein the silo base comprises base extensions for interlocking with the first extended base or the second extended base.

13. The mobile support structure of claim 11 , wherein at least one tie is connected to the silo base and the silo frame.

14. The mobile support structure of claim 13 , wherein at least one tie is a chain, cable, hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, strut, or any combination thereof.

15. The mobile support structure of claim 11 , further comprising at least one conveyor assembly integrated with the at least one modular silo.

16. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one modular silo comprises a silo base and a silo frame and wherein one of the at least one modular silos occupies a first horizontal area when positioned in a vertical orientation, and wherein the combined predetermined area occupied by the bottom surface of the support base and the lower surfaces of the first extended base and the second extended base is at least one and a half times as large as the first horizontal area.

17. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , further comprising an integrated blending system supported by the support base and within the passage defined by the frame structure.

18. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper base surfaces of the extended bases are configured to accommodate a weight related to a wheeled vehicle.

19. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper base surfaces of the extended bases are configured to accommodate a weight related to material delivery to the system, maintenance, subsequent disassembly of the system, or rig up.

20. The mobile support structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper base surfaces of the extended ba

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Pham Hau Nguyen-Phuc

Classifications

• B65D90/48

  Arrangements of indicating or measuring devices · CPC title

• B65D90/12 Primary

  Supports · CPC title

• B65D88/32

  in multiple arrangement · CPC title

• E04H7/22

  Containers for fluent solids, e.g. silos, bunkers; Supports therefor · CPC title

• B65D88/30 Primary

  specially adapted to facilitate transportation from one utilisation site to another (collapsible hoppers B65D88/52) · CPC title