Method of delivering, transporting, and storing proppant for delivery and use at a well site
First Claim
1. A method of transporting proppant, the method comprising:
- a) vertically stacking a plurality of empty proppant containers in close proximity to a rail spur so that one of the plurality of empty proppant containers overlies another one of the plurality of empty containers thereby to reduce footprint of the area required adjacent the rail spur to store the plurality of empty proppant containers, each of the plurality of empty containers including at least a first end surface and at least a second different end surface and each of the first and second end surfaces having a plurality of upright structural support members thereon to enhance integrity of the container so that a large amount of weight can be stacked upon the container and so that heavy weight can be stored therein;
b) filling the plurality of empty proppant containers with proppant from one or more proppant transporting rail vehicles thereby to produce a plurality of proppant filled containers;
c) transferring the plurality of proppant filled containers with a loader onto one or more support platforms associated with one or more proppant transporting road vehicles.
3 Assignments
1 Petition
Accused Products
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.
235 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of transporting proppant, the method comprising:
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a) vertically stacking a plurality of empty proppant containers in close proximity to a rail spur so that one of the plurality of empty proppant containers overlies another one of the plurality of empty containers thereby to reduce footprint of the area required adjacent the rail spur to store the plurality of empty proppant containers, each of the plurality of empty containers including at least a first end surface and at least a second different end surface and each of the first and second end surfaces having a plurality of upright structural support members thereon to enhance integrity of the container so that a large amount of weight can be stacked upon the container and so that heavy weight can be stored therein; b) filling the plurality of empty proppant containers with proppant from one or more proppant transporting rail vehicles thereby to produce a plurality of proppant filled containers; c) transferring the plurality of proppant filled containers with a loader onto one or more support platforms associated with one or more proppant transporting road vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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7. The method of 1, wherein the one or more proppant transporting road vehicles comprises a plurality of proppant transporting road vehicles, and wherein the method further comprises:
staging the plurality of proppant transporting road vehicles so that each of the plurality of proppant transporting road vehicles receives one or more of the plurality of proppant filled containers, delivers the container away from the one or more proppant transporting rail vehicles, thereby increasing the efficiency with which proppant is transferred from the one or more proppant transporting rail vehicles to the plurality of proppant transporting road vehicles.
Specification