Method for oilfield material delivery

A method of operating at least one pressure vessel to inject a particulate slurry into a high-pressure line, the high pressure line comprising substantially clean treatment fluid, the method comprising:

• a first operating cycle comprising:
• isolating the at least one pressure vessel from the high-pressure line;
• introducing, under low-pressure conditions, particulate solids into the pressure vessel through a particulate solids inlet aperture;
• a second operating cycle comprising:
• providing high-pressure flow into the pressure vessel;
• and
• providing a high-pressure slurry flow from the pressure vessel into the high-pressure line;
• operating the at least one pressure vessel in the second operating cycle for a predetermined time interval to create heterogeneous flow of slurry into the high-pressure line;
• wherein the at least one pressure vessel is a single chamber container, and
• wherein the second operating cycle further comprises equalizing the pressure of the pressure vessel and the high-pressure line by increasing the pressure in the pressure vessel prior to providing high-pressure clean-fluid flow into the pressure vessel.

A method of fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore utilizing at least one pressure vessel to inject a particulate slurry into a high-pressure line, the high-pressure line comprising substantially clean treatment fluid, comprising:

• isolating the at least one pressure vessel from the high-pressure line;
• introducing, under low-pressure conditions, particulate solids into the pressure vessel through a particulate solids inlet aperture to form the slurry, the slurry having a predetermined property different than a property of the treatment fluid;
• providing high-pressure flow into the pressure vessel;
• providing a high-pressure slurry flow from the pressure vessel into the high-pressure line to inject the slurry into the high pressure line at a predetermined time interval to create heterogeneous flow of slurry into the high-pressure line;
• equalizing the pressure of the pressure vessel and the high-pressure line by increasing the pressure in the pressure vessel prior to providing high-pressure clean-fluid flow into the pressure vessel;
• and
• routing the high pressure line to the wellbore to perform a fracturing job in the wellbore;
• wherein the at least one pressure vessel is a single chamber container.