Mobile chemical preparation plant and method of managing a chemical inventory thereon

• US 20060131078A1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: M-I LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: M-I LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Browne, Neale
• Application Number:
  US11/303,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20060131078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/74
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/51 Methods thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A mobile chemical preparation plant and method of managing a chemical inventory is claimed. The mobile chemical preparation plant includes a mobile work area outfitted with a chemical compound preparation unit, a remote processing unit, and a global positioning system. Inventory of one or more chemical agents is also located within the mobile work area. The remote processing unit interfaces, remotely, with a central processing unit to monitor and manage inventory in the mobile work area. The method for managing inventory for a mobile chemical mixing plant that includes loading an initial inventory of one or more chemical agents into the mobile work area, recording the initial inventory, transporting the initial inventory and mobile work area to a remote location, preparing a chemical compound, recording the used inventory, calculating the remaining inventory, determining when a minimum inventory of one or more of the chemical agents remains in the mobile work area, locating the mobile chemical preparation plant, and replenishing the inventory.

Claims

1. A method of managing inventory for a mobile chemical mixing plant comprising:

loading an initial inventory of at least one storage container of at least one chemical agent into a mobile work area;

recording the initial inventory of each chemical agent;

transporting the initial inventory and the mobile work area to at least one remote location;

preparing a chemical compound having a usage amount of at least one chemical agent, wherein the usage amount equals a used inventory amount;

recording the used inventory amount of each chemical agent used to prepare the chemical compound;

calculating a remaining inventory of each chemical agent in the mobile work area;

determining when the remaining inventory in the mobile work area is equal to or less than a minimum inventory of at least one chemical agent;

locating the mobile work area;

replenishing inventory of each chemical agent for which a minimum inventory or less was determined;

recording a final inventory in the mobile work area after replenishment inventory is added.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording the initial inventory step comprises:

entering the initial inventory data on a central processing unit at a central location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the recording the initial inventory step further comprises:

entering the initial inventory data on a remote processing unit located within the mobile work area.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

conveying a used inventory amount of at least one chemical agent from at least one storage container to a chemical compound preparation unit affixed within the mobile work area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording the used inventory amount step comprises:

entering the used inventory amount into a remote processing unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording the used inventory amount step comprises:

transmitting the used inventory amount from a metering device to a remote processing unit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the used inventory amount of each chemical agent to an inventory management software application on a central processing unit;

wherein the remaining inventory is calculated with the inventory management software application

wherein determining when the remaining inventory in the mobile work area is equal to or less than the minimum inventory of at least one chemical agent is performed with the inventory management software application; and

communicating instruction for obtaining replenishment inventory to the mobile work area.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the remaining inventory of each chemical agent in the mobile work area to an inventory management software application on a central processing unit;

wherein determining when the remaining inventory in the mobile work area is equal to or less than the minimum inventory of at least one chemical agent is performed with the inventory management software application; and

communicating instruction for obtaining replenishment inventory to the mobile work area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the replenishing inventory step comprises:

transporting the mobile work area to a central location to replenish the remaining inventory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the replenishing inventory step comprises:

replacing the mobile work area with a second mobile work area containing a second initial inventory.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the replenishing inventory step comprises:

providing a replenishment inventory to the mobile work area at the remote location.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

relocating the mobile work area to a different remote location.

13. A method for managing inventory at a plurality of mobile chemical mixing plants comprising:

loading an initial inventory of at least one chemical agent into each of a plurality of mobile work areas;

recording the initial inventory of each chemical agent loaded into each of the mobile work areas;

transporting each initial inventory and the corresponding mobile work areas to individual and remote locations;

preparing a chemical compound having a usage amount of at least one chemical agent in each of the mobile work areas;

wherein the usage amount equals a used inventory amount; and

wherein the used inventory amount is unique for each of the mobile work areas;

recording the used inventory amount of each chemical agent in each mobile work area;

calculating a remaining inventory for each chemical agent in each of the mobile work areas;

determining when the remaining inventory in each mobile work area is equal to or less than a minimum inventory of at least one chemical agent;

locating each mobile work area for which a minimum inventory or less was determined;

replenishing inventory of each chemical agent to each mobile work area for which a minimum inventory or less was determined;

recording a final inventory in each mobile work area after replenishment inventory is added.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the recording the initial inventory step comprises:

entering the initial inventory data for each mobile work area on a central processing unit at a central location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the recording the initial inventory step further comprises:

entering the initial inventory data for each mobile work area on a remote processing unit correspondingly located within each of the mobile work areas.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the recording the used inventory amount step comprises:

manually entering the used inventory amount for each mobile work area into a corresponding remote processing unit.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating the used inventory amount of each chemical agent from each remote processing unit to an inventory management software application on a central processing unit;

calculating when the remaining inventory in each mobile work area is equal to or less than the minimum inventory of at least one chemical agent; and

communicating instruction for obtaining replenishment inventory to each mobile work area for which minimum inventory or less was calculated.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the recording the used inventory amount step comprises:

transmitting the used inventory amount from a metering device in each work area to a corresponding remote processing unit.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

communicating the used inventory amount of each chemical agent from each remote processing unit to an inventory management software application on a central processing unit;

calculating when the remaining inventory in each mobile work area is equal to or less than the minimum inventory of at least one chemical agent; and

communicating instruction for obtaining replenishment inventory to each mobile work area for which minimum inventory or less was calculated.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the replenishing inventory step comprises:

transporting each mobile work area for which minimum inventory or less was calculated to the central location to replenish the remaining inventory.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the replenishing inventory step comprises:

replacing each mobile work area for which minimum inventory or less was calculated with another mobile work area containing a second initial inventory.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the replenishing inventory step comprises:

providing replenishment inventory to each mobile work area for which the minimum inventory or less was calculated at the corresponding remote location.