Automated additive inventory and delivery logistics control system and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10346791-B2
Application number	US-201313896813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2013
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A process of managing inventory and delivery logistics of one or more chemical additives used at a well treatment site. The process includes placing one or more bulk containers at the well treatment site to maintain inventory capacity for one or more chemical additives on-site for a well treatment procedure. Monitoring chemical additive inventory within the one or more bulk containers. Making a determination, based on monitored chemical additive inventory, whether additional additive is needed in the one or more bulk containers; generating, based on the determination, initiation of an order for delivery of additional additive. delivering the additional additive in a delivery bulk container to the well treatment site. Also included is an automated additive inventory and delivery logistics control system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of managing inventory and delivery logistics of one or more chemical additives used at a well treatment site, the process comprising:
placing one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site to maintain inventory capacity for one or more chemical additives on-site for a well treatment procedure;
connecting at least one of the trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers to a portion of a hydraulic fluid processing system;
monitoring chemical additive inventory within the one or more bulk containers;
making a determination, based on monitored chemical additive inventory, whether additional additive is needed in the one or more bulk containers;
generating, based on the determination, initiation of an order for delivery of additional additive;
delivering the additional additive in a delivery bulk container to the well treatment site;
and transferring the additional additive from the delivery bulk container to a respective one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a level sensor to each of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site, each level sensor configured to automatically transmit information regarding a level of the chemical additive in a respective trailer-mounted ISO bulk container at the well treatment site.

3. The process of claim 2 , further comprising processing, at a processor located remotely from the trailer-mounted ISO bulk container at the well treatment site, the information regarding the level of the chemical additive.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein processing the information is performed at a location separate from the well treatment site.

5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information regarding a level of the chemical additive in each of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site automatically and wirelessly to a location separate from the well treatment site.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein generating initiation of an order for delivery of additional additive includes automatically, without manual intervention, generating an additive delivery alert indicating a need for the additional additive, sending the delivery alert to an additive manufacturer, and delivering the additional additive directly from the manufacturer.

7. A process of managing inventory and delivery logistics of one or more chemical additives used at a well treatment site, the process comprising:
placing one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site to maintain inventory capacity for one or more chemical additives on-site for a well treatment procedure;
coupling at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site with a global positioning system navigation device, and processing location information of the at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site at a remote location from the well treatment site;
monitoring chemical additive inventory within the one or more bulk containers;
making a determination, based on monitored chemical additive inventory, whether additional additive is needed in the one or more bulk containers;
generating, based on the determination, initiation of an order for delivery of additional additive;
delivering the additional additive in a delivery bulk container to the well treatment site;
and transferring the additional additive from the delivery bulk container to a respective one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein generating initiation of an order for delivery occurs at a dispatch system located remotely from the well treatment site, further comprising and determining, at the dispatch system, whether the additional additive is needed at a plurality of well treatment sites occurs at the dispatch system.

9. The process of claim 8 , further comprising consecutively refilling at least two trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at different well treatment sites with a same delivery bulk container carrying the additional additive.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising predicting an amount of the chemical additive to be used in a specific period of time to determine whether additional additive is needed in each of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein placing one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site includes placing one or more ISO containers, each having a capacity of at least 7,500 gallons, at the well treatment site.

12. The process of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining connection between the respective one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site and a hydraulic fluid processing system during transfer of additional additive from the delivery bulk container to the respective one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site.

13. An automated additive inventory and delivery logistics control system comprising:
one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers positioned at a well treatment site, the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers configured to indicate a quantity of an additive therein, at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted bulk containers connected to a portion of a hydraulic fluid processing system;
a global positioning system navigation device coupled with at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers; and,
a monitoring system positioned remotely from the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers, the monitoring system configured to automatically receive information from the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers regarding a location of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers and the quantity of an additive therein.

14. The automated additive inventory and delivery logistics control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers each include a level sensor configured to indicate a quantity of an additive within the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers.

15. The automated additive inventory and delivery logistics control system of claim 14 further comprising a dispatch system located remotely from the well treatment site, the dispatch system configured to receive information from at least one of the monitoring system and the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers regarding the location of the at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers and the quantity of an additive in the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers.

16. The automated additive inventory and delivery logistics control system of claim 15 , further comprising a transport vehicle carrying a delivery bulk container dispatched by the dispatch system when it is determined that additional additive is required in at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site, the delivery bulk container connectable to the at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site to refill the at least one of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers at the well treatment site.

17. The automated additive inventory control and delivery logistics system of claim 13 , wherein each of the one or more trailer-mounted ISO bulk containers has a capacity of at least 7,500 gallons.

Assignees

• Justice Martha Cheryl
• Brannon Harold
• Burnette Blake C
• Hughes Ronnie D
• Naizer Brent
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Brannon Harold
• Burnette Blake C
• Hughes Ronnie D
• Naizer Brent
• Reed Ted

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/0877

  by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting · CPC title

• G06Q10/08726 Primary

  for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation · CPC title