Method of delivering, storing, unloading, and using proppant at a well site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440785-B2
Application number	US-201414310786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jul 23, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A proppant discharge system has a container with an outlet formed at a bottom thereof and a gate slidably affixed at the outlet so as to be movable between a first position covering the outlet to second position opening the outlet, and a support structure having an actuator thereon. The container is removably positioned on the top surface of the support structure. The actuator is engageable with gate so as to move the gate from the first position to the second position. A conveyor underlies the container so as to receive proppant as discharged from the container through the outlet. The container is a ten foot ISO container.

First claim

That claimed is:

1. A method of unloading fracking proppant at a well site for use when hydraulic fracking is to be performed, the method comprising:
a) removing a plurality of proppant containers that contain fracking proppant from a trailer of one or more transport road vehicles when positioned adjacent a well site at a location where hydraulic fracking is to be performed, each of the plurality of proppant containers having an outlet positioned at a bottom thereof with a funnel-shaped portion directing the fracking proppant toward the outlet, each of the plurality of proppant containers having a closed and substantially rectangular upper proppant containing portion, the funnel-shaped portion underlying the upper proppant containing portion and having proppant also positioned therein, a pair of vertically-extending end walls and a pair of vertically-extending side walls defining the closed and substantially rectangular upper proppant containing portion, a frame including a plurality of structural support members positioned to span the end walls and the sidewalls between end frame members to enhance support of the end walls and the side walls when the proppant container is full of fracking proppant, and each of the plurality of containers has an open area positioned about the funnel-shaped portion and below the upper proppant containing portion adjacent a bottom of the respective each of the plurality of proppant containers to allow for visual access of a respective exterior surface of the funnel-shaped portion when the container is full of fracking proppant, the open area being visible through one or more spatial gaps extending through the frame in a location positioned below at least each of the side walls of and above the bottom of the proppant container;
b) transferring, after removal from the trailer of the one or more transport road vehicles, each of the plurality of proppant containers to a support structure positioned at the well site so that each of the plurality of proppant containers is positioned to overlay a common conveyor positioned at a separate location on the well site from the trailer, the support structure including a plurality of cradles that correspond to the plurality of proppant containers transferred thereto, the common conveyor being positioned to underlie and to be spaced-apart from each of the plurality of cradles;
c) discharging by gravity feed the fracking proppant contained within each of the plurality of proppant containers when positioned on the support structure and within the plurality of cradles from the outlet positioned at a bottom of each of the plurality of proppant containers so that the fracking proppant passes onto the common conveyor; and
d) conveying the fracking proppant away from the plurality of proppant containers, after the discharging of the fracking proppant onto the common conveyor, toward a desired location at the well site where hydraulic fracking is to be performed so that the fracking proppant is introduced to fracking fluid for passage into a wellbore at the well site.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of structural support members are operably fixed to the frame, and wherein the support structure further comprises:
a plurality of hoppers each positioned to receive fracking proppant from one of the plurality of proppant containers and direct the fracking proppant to the common conveyor, each hopper corresponding to one of the plurality of cradles and having a gate positioned between the one of the plurality of cradles and the common conveyor to interrupt the flow of fracking proppant between the one of the plurality of cradles and the common conveyor when the fracking proppant passes from the one of the plurality of proppant containers to the common conveyor, the plurality of hoppers being vertically spaced apart from the plurality of proppant containers and the common conveyor; and
a receptacle positioned to engage a gate positioned over the outlet of the proppant container, the gate being operatively coupled to an actuator to drive movement of the gate between an open position and a closed position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing the fracking proppant from the common conveyor to a desired location with a chute attached to the support structure and configured to receive the fracking proppant from the common conveyor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling the flow of fracking proppant onto the common conveyor with one or more flow gates positioned adjacent the plurality of proppant containers when positioned on the support structure and the common conveyor, the one or more flow gates being coupled to the support structure when each of the plurality of proppant containers is positioned thereon and configured to move between closed and open positions.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
controlling the one or more flow gates with one or more actuators attached to the one or more flow gates and configured to move the one or more flow gates in discrete increments between the closed and open positions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of structural support members span exterior surfaces of each of the end walls and each of the side walls of each container from a bottom of the proppant container to a top of the proppant container, and the plurality of structural support members are in direct contact with and coupled to the end walls and the side walls.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support structure further supports the common conveyor, and wherein step c) includes directing the flow of fracking proppant from each of the plurality of proppant containers to the common conveyor through one or more separate hoppers fixedly connected to the support structure, and metering the fracking proppant as it passes from the plurality of proppant containers to the common conveyor.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein step b) includes lifting each of the plurality of proppant containers with a forklift and setting each of the plurality of proppant containers on top of the support structure, the method further comprising:
transporting the support structure from one location within the well site to another location within the well site on wheels attached to the support structure, and delivering the fracking proppant from the common conveyor to a blender.

9. A method for storing and unloading of fracking proppant at a well site for use when hydraulic fracking is to be performed, comprising:
a) removing a plurality of proppant containers that contain fracking proppant from a trailer of one or more transport road vehicles when positioned adjacent a well site at a location where hydraulic fracking is to be performed, each of the plurality of proppant containers having an outlet positioned at a bottom thereof, each of the plurality of proppant containers having a closed and substantially rectangular upper proppant containing portion, a funnel-shaped portion underlying the upper proppant containing portion and having proppant also positioned therein, a pair of vertically-extending end walls and a pair of vertically-extending side walls defining the closed and substantially rectangular upper proppant containing portion, a frame including a plurality of structural support members positioned to span the end walls and the sidewalls between end frame members to enhance support of the end walls and the side walls when the proppant container is full of fracking proppant, and the plurality of proppant containers have open areas adjacent the funnel-shaped portions and bottoms of the proppant containers to allow for visual access inside a portion of the containers, the open areas extending through one or more spatial gaps between a

Assignees

• Oren Tech Llc

Inventors

• Oren John
• Oren Joshua

Classifications

• B65G65/42

  using belt or chain conveyors · CPC title

• B65D88/12

  specially adapted for transport (associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64) · CPC title

• B65D88/32

  in multiple arrangement · CPC title

• B65D88/121

  ISO containers · CPC title

• B65D2547/04

  Closures with discharging devices other than pumps · CPC title