Remote wellsite material tracking

{
  "publication_number": "US2014234059A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Remote wellsite material tracking",
  "abstract": "A wellsite system that includes a bulk material transporter, a mobile tagger, and an uplink. The bulk material transporter includes a supply of a bulk material, a meter to measure output from the supply, and a data logger to log the output as a function of a predetermined parameter. The mobile tagger assigns transfer parameters to each transfer of the bulk material from the supply to one of multiple assets located at the wellsite, including the output measured by the meter. The uplink wirelessly transmits data from the log and the transfer parameters to remote data storage not located at the wellsite.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A wellsite system, comprising: a bulk material transporter comprising: a supply of a bulk material; a meter operable to measure output of the bulk material from the supply; and a data logger operable to log the output as a function of a predetermined parameter; a mobile tagger operable to assign a plurality of transfer parameters to each of a plurality of transfers of the bulk material from the supply to corresponding ones of a plurality of assets located at the wellsite, wherein the plurality of transfer parameters includes the output measured by the meter; and an uplink operable to wirelessly transmit data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters to remote data storage not located at the wellsite. 2. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the bulk material transporter is a motor vehicle operable to position the supply proximate one of the plurality of assets selected to receive a resupply of the bulk material from the supply. 3. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the bulk material is combustion engine fuel. 4. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the bulk material is selected from the group consisting of: sand; proppant; guar; and water. 5. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of assets includes a motor vehicle powered by the bulk material and operable to transport another one of the plurality of assets that is also powered by the bulk material. 6. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of assets includes: a pump powered by the bulk material; and a generator powered by the bulk material. 7. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the uplink is further operable to synchronize the data from the bulk material transporter and the mobile tagger with respect to time prior to transmitting the synchronized data to the remote data storage. 8. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the uplink is operable to wirelessly transmit data via at least one network selected from the group consisting of: a satellite telecommunications network; a cellular telecommunications network; and a wireless local area network (WLAN). 9. The wellsite system of claim 1 wherein the bulk material transporter comprises a computer operable to: control the data logger; synchronize the log with data received from the mobile tagger; and wirelessly transmit the synchronized data to the uplink. 10. The wellsite system of claim 1 further comprising the remote data storage, wherein the data received by the remote data storage from the uplink is accessible by multiple users, and wherein the multiple users are in different geographic locations and have different access levels. 11. A bulk material transporter, comprising: a supply of a bulk material; a motor vehicle operable to position the supply of bulk material proximate one of a plurality of assets selected to receive a resupply of the bulk material; a meter carried by the motor vehicle and operable to measure output of the bulk material from the supply; a data logger carried by the motor vehicle and operable to log the output as a function of a predetermined parameter; and a mobile tagger removable from the motor vehicle and operable to assign a plurality of transfer parameters to each of a plurality of transfers of the bulk material from the supply to the corresponding ones of the plurality of assets, wherein the plurality of transfer parameters includes the output measured by the meter. 12. The bulk material transporter of claim 11 wherein the mobile tagger is a handheld wireless device. 13. The bulk material transporter of claim 11 wherein: the function of the predetermined parameter is a function of time; and the plurality of transfer parameters includes time. 14. The bulk material transporter of claim 11 wherein the plurality of transfer parameters includes: a first identification identifying current location; and a second identification identifying which of the plurality of assets is receiving a resupply of the bulk material. 15. The bulk material transporter of claim 14 wherein the mobile tagger is operable to scan a code indicative of at least one of the first and second identifications. 16. A method, comprising: selecting one of a plurality of wellsite assets at a wellsite to receive a resupply of a bulk material; operating a motor vehicle to position a supply of the bulk material proximate the selected one of the plurality of wellsite assets; transferring a measured amount of the bulk material output from the supply to the selected one of the plurality of wellsite assets; generating a log of the output as a function of a predetermined parameter; operating a mobile tagger to assign a plurality of transfer parameters to the transfer, wherein the plurality of transfer parameters includes the measured amount of the bulk material output from the supply to the selected one of the plurality of wellsite assets; wirelessly transmitting data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters to remote data storage not located at the wellsite; and synchronizing the data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters with respect to time. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein: synchronizing the data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters with respect to time occurs before wirelessly transmitting data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters to remote data storage; and wirelessly transmitting data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters to remote data storage includes wirelessly transmitting the synchronized data to the remote data storage. 18. The method of claim 16 wherein wirelessly transmitting data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters to remote data storage occurs before synchronizing the data from the log and the plurality of transfer parameters with respect to time. 19. The method of claim 16 further comprising permitting access to the wirelessly transmitted, synchronized data by multiple users in different locations via at least one network selected from the group consisting of: a satellite telecommunications network; a cellular telecommunications network; a wireless local area network (WLAN); and the internet. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the multiple users have different access levels."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The drilling and operation of oil and gas wells generally occurs at a wellsite at which machinery, tanks, vehicles, and other physical assets are stationed for an extended period of time. Many of the physical assets utilize various consumables, such as fuel, water, and sand. In an effort to reduce related costs and errors attributable to human workers at the wellsite, various attempts have been made to automate the management of usage, supply levels, and resupplies of the consumables. However, the cost of such automation for a large, existing fleet of assets can be limiting to the scope of implementation. Deploying the automation across a large fleet can also be limited by related maintenance costs and logistics, because assets of large fleets less frequently return to maintenance facilities when demand for the assets increases. Past automation attempts were also plagued by the difficulties associated with the assets being resupplied across a substantial geographic area, including where asset and supply mobility became hampered by loss of wireless connectivity due to lack of line of site between assets at multiple wellsites, or even within a single wellsite.\n\nThe present disclosure introduces a wellsite system that includes a bulk material transporter, a mobile tagger, and an uplink. The bulk material transporter includes a supply of a bulk material, a meter to measure output of the bulk material from the supply, and a data logger to log the output as a function of a predetermined parameter.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60P 3/14",
    "B60P 1/00",
    "E21B 41/0092",
    "Y02P 90/845"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "E21B 41/00",
    "B60P 1/00",
    "B60P 3/14"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Schlumberger Technology Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hubertus V. Thomeer"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-02-21",
  "publication_date": "2014-08-21",
  "priority_date": "2013-02-21",
  "application_number": "US-201414186250-A",
  "family_id": "51351299",
  "cited_by_count": 96,
  "citations": [
    "US20100250139A1",
    "US20120219391A1"
  ]
}