Methods of storing and moving proppant at location adjacent rail line

• US 9,682,815 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SandBox Enterprises LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oren Technologies LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oren, John
• Primary Examiner(s): McCullough, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWENNING, LYNN E
• Application Number:
  US15/251,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20160368704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 414802
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 1/005 Rail vehicle marshalling systems; Rail freight terminals transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas or railway yards; marshalling yard installations B65G63/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/022 in multiple arrangement, e.g. stackable, nestable, connected or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/70 using fluid jets B65D88/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/008 Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers locking E05B83/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/34 Venting means vehicle fuel tanks characterised by venting means B60K15/035
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/008 for bulk material
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/23 Devices for tilting and emptying of containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/32 Filling devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/34 Emptying devices conveyor construction B65G15/00 - B65G35/00; devices similar to vehicle tipplers B65G67/48

Abstract

A method of delivering proppant to a well site has the steps of transporting a load of proppant in a vessel to a desired location, moving the load of proppant from the vessel into a container so as to create a proppant-loaded container, unloading the proppant-loaded container into a pneumatic bulk trailer, and transporting the unloaded proppant in the pneumatic bulk trailer to well site. The container is placed onto a bed of a truck and moved in proximity to the vessel. The proppant-loaded container is placed onto a tilting mechanism and then tilted so that the proppant is discharged through a flow gate of a container into a hopper. The proppant in the hopper can then be conveyed to the pneumatic bulk trailer.

Claims

1. A method of storing and moving fracking proppant at a desired location in a plurality of separate containers constructed to store fracking proppant therein, the method comprising:

a) stacking a plurality of containers separate from a vehicle on top of one another so that a bottom of one of the plurality of containers overlies the top of another one of the plurality of containers to thereby define a stack, the stack positioned at a desired location, the structural integrity of the plurality of containers being enhanced by a plurality of structural uprights positioned to extend from the bottom to the top of each of the plurality of containers and thereby increase the weight carrying capacity of each of the plurality of containers when fracking proppant is positioned therein;

b) placing one or more of the plurality of containers from the stack onto one or more trailers of one or more vehicles by use of a container loader/unloader so that the one or more of the plurality of containers from the stack placed onto the one or more trailers defines a first one or more of the plurality of containers from the stack and so that remaining containers of the plurality of containers define a second one or more of the plurality of containers from the stack;

c) moving the first plurality of containers when positioned on the one or more trailers away from the stack of the second one or more of the plurality of containers; and

d) scaling the number of the plurality of containers according to the amount of proppant required at a particular location, each of the plurality of containers positioned to include an outlet adjacent the bottom for discharge of proppant therefrom, an opening adjacent the top thereof to load proppant therein, a pair of spaced-apart end walls connected to and extending between the bottom and the top, a pair of side walls connected to and extending between the pair of end walls and the top and the bottom, one or more structural support members positioned to support each of the side walls of the pair of side walls and each of the end walls of the pair of end walls, and a flow gate positioned adjacent the outlet to control flow of proppant through the outlet each of the plurality of containers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before step a), transporting proppant on one or more railcars to the desired location, the desired location being adjacent a rail line, each railcar configured to transport an amount of proppant equal to or greater than the amount of proppant required to fill substantially at least two of the plurality of containers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving includes positioning each of the plurality of containers when proppant is contained therein adjacent a fracturing operation of a production field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of containers each has proppant therein and includes four containers, wherein the four containers are positioned in the stack, wherein the stack comprises a first stack, wherein the method further comprises stacking another plurality of containers that each have proppant therein closely adjacent the first stack thereby to define a second stack, and wherein the one or more structural support members include a plurality of support bars.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the amount of proppant on hand at the desired location with bar-codes or logging mechanisms.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

injecting air into each of the plurality of containers to enhance flow of proppant from the outlet of each of the plurality of containers adjacent the flow gate when the flow gate is positioned to allow proppant to flow therefrom.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the mesh size of the proppant in the containers at the location with bar-codes or logging mechanisms.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising staging a plurality of empty containers at a proppant site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the outlet of each of the plurality of containers is positioned in a substantially central portion of the bottom of the container, wherein the one or more structural support members of each of the plurality of containers further includes a plurality of horizontal structural members extending between the plurality of structural uprights.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the container loader/unloader comprises a forklift, and the method further comprising:

positioning prongs of a forklift in one or more slots positioned adjacent the bottom of each of the plurality of containers in a defined region thereby to enhance lifting and positioning of the containers for stacking and moving.

11. A method of storing and moving fracking proppant at a desired location in a plurality of separate containers constructed to store fracking proppant therein, the method comprising:

a) removing fracking proppant from a railcar;

b) storing the proppant in a plurality of containers separate from the railcar, each container of the plurality of containers comprising;

an opening adjacent the top thereof to receive proppant into the container, a pair of spaced-apart end walls connected to and extending between the bottom and the top, and a pair of sidewalls connected to an extending between the pair of end walls and the top and the bottom, and one or more structural support members extending between the pair of end walls and one or more structural support members extending between the side walls,

an outlet positioned in a substantially central portion of the container to discharge proppant therefrom, and

a flow gate positioned adjacent the outlet to control flow of proppant through the outlet;

c) transporting one or more of the plurality of containers with one or more vehicle trailers;

d) removing the one or more of the plurality of containers from the one or more vehicle trailers;

e) positioning prongs of a forklift in one or more slots positioned adjacent the bottom of each of the plurality of containers in a defined region to thereby enhance lifting and positioning of the containers for stacking and moving the plurality of containers; and

f) scaling the number of containers at the desired location according to the amount of proppant required at a particular location, each of the plurality of containers has a plurality of structural uprights positioned to extend from the bottom to the top of each of the plurality of containers at intervals between the side walls and the end walls to thereby increase the weight carrying capacity of each of the plurality of containers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step b) further comprises:

stacking the plurality of containers on top of one another so that a bottom of one of the plurality of containers overlies the top of another one of the plurality of containers to thereby define a stack to reduce the footprint of the stored containers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of containers that each has proppant therein includes two or more containers, wherein the two or more containers are positioned in the stack, wherein the stack comprises a first stack, and wherein the method further comprises stacking another plurality of containers that each have proppant therein closely adjacent the first stack thereby to define a second stack.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

before step a), transporting proppant to the location adjacent a rail line on one or more railcars, each railcar configured to transport an amount of proppant equal to or greater than the amount of proppant required to fill at least two of the plurality of containers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the transporting includes positioning each of the plurality of containers that has proppant contained therein adjacent a fracturing operation of a production field.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

tracking the amount of proppant on hand at a location with bar-codes or logging mechanisms.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

tracking the mesh size of the proppant in the containers at the location with bar-codes or logging mechanisms.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising staging a plurality of empty containers at a proppant site.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

injecting air into each of the plurality of containers to enhance flow of proppant from the outlet of each of the plurality of containers adjacent the flow gate when discharging proppant therefrom.