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

摘要

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.

主权项

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.