Utilizing wet fracturing sand for hydraulic fracturing operations
AssigneeEvolution Well Services, LLC
InventorsJeffrey G. Morris, Adrian Benjamin Bodishbaugh, Michael Bateman, Neal Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and a method that utilizes wet proppants when creating fracturing fluid by receiving wet fracturing sand at a surge tank, vibrating the wet fracturing sand located within the surge tank, liquefying the wet fracturing sand within the surge tank based on the vibration, and metering the liquefied wet fracturing sand from the surge tank to a blending tub.
Claims20
A system for utilizing wet fracturing sand when creating fracturing fluid, comprising:
- a surge tank mounted on a trailer and configured to receive wet fracturing sand;
- a spray component located within the surge tank and configured to output a liquid to maintain a predetermined amount of the liquid within the surge tank to regulate moisture content of the wet fracturing sand;
- at least one vibration component disposed with the surge tank and configured to vibrate the wet fracturing sand received by the surge tank to generate liquefied wet fracturing sand;
- and
- a metering system coupled to the surge tank and mounted on the trailer, wherein the metering system is configured to:
- receive the liquefied wet fracturing sand from the surge tank;
- and
- control an amount of the liquefied wet fracturing sand outputted to a blending tub that produces a fracturing fluid, wherein the amount of the liquefied wet fracturing sand outputted to the blending tub affects an overall proppant concentration within the fracturing fluid.
An apparatus for utilizing wet fracturing sand when creating fracturing fluid comprising:
- a surge tank mounted on a transport that receives wet fracturing sand;
- a spray component located within the surge tank, comprising a perforated piping that outputs a liquid, wherein the perforated piping is configured to maintain a predetermined amount of the liquid within the surge tank to regulate moisture content of the wet fracturing sand;
- a vibration component affixed to an outer surface of the surge tank to cause vibration of the received wet fracturing sand to generate liquefied wet fracturing sand;
- and
- an auger coupled to the surge tank and mounted on the transport, wherein the auger meters the liquefied wet fracturing sand into a blending tub that produces a fracturing fluid, wherein an amount of the liquefied wet fracturing sand outputted to the blending tub affects an overall proppant concentration within the fracturing fluid.
A system for utilizing wet fracturing sand when creating fracturing fluid, comprising:
- a surge tank for receiving wet fracturing sand;
- a means for outputting a liquid onto the received wet fracturing sand within the surge tank to regulate moisture content of the wet fracturing sand;
- a means for vibrating the received wet fracturing sand to liquefy the wet fracturing sand received within the surge tank;
- and
- a means for metering a controlled amount of the liquefied wet fracturing sand from the surge tank to a blending tub that produces a fracturing fluid, wherein the controlled amount of the liquefied wet fracturing sand metered into the blending tub affects an overall proppant concentration of the fracturing fluid pumped into a wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.