Nitrogen Storage
Nitrogen Storage
The Service
Copper Tip Energy Services provides on-site nitrogen storage so operations can run beyond the capacity of a single pumping unit. Liquid nitrogen storage trailers and gaseous tube trailers are spotted at the wellsite or facility and supply the job for as long as it runs.
The Nitrogen Storage Queen and Storage King are self-contained liquid nitrogen units, built around 55,000 m³ and 70,000 m³ storage tanks with an electric boost pump and a pressure-build vaporiser. Both are trailer-mounted, putting large-volume storage on location with the maneuverability of a standard trailer.
Gaseous nitrogen tube trailers run from a pickup-towable nine-tube unit up to jumbo trailers holding 4,000 m³. The high-pressure nine-tube unit is available for rental and suits clients who need a small, steady nitrogen supply over an extended period.
Equipment
Equipment & Operations
Where We Work
Basins & Regions
Understanding the Service
What is On-Site Nitrogen Storage?
On-site nitrogen storage is the supply that sits on location alongside the pumping equipment. A nitrogen pumping unit carries only so much on board, so operations that need sustained volume — extended cleanouts, large displacements, long pipeline work — draw from a storage unit spotted on the lease rather than waiting on repeated deliveries.
Copper Tip's liquid nitrogen storage comes from the Storage Queen and Storage King. Each is a self-contained trailer built around an LN₂ tank — 55,000 m³ on the Queen, 70,000 m³ on the King — with an ACD electrically driven centrifugal pump, a Kubota V-3600 diesel engine, an onboard cryogenic load hose, pressure relief valves, visual gauges for tank volume and pressure, and touch screen operation. Both run to a maximum tank pressure of 290 kPag (42 psig).
Gaseous storage is held in seamless steel tubes at pressure, which is a different proposition: no cryogenic handling, and a pressure regulator to supply at whatever pressure the job calls for. It suits operations that need sustained nitrogen without continuous LN₂ delivery. The fleet runs from a nine-tube pickup-towable unit at 900 Sm³ and 43,000 kPag (6,250 psig), through 22 to 34 tube trailers at 1,000 – 1,360 m³, to 54-cylinder trailers at 2,400 m³ and jumbo trailers at 4,000 m³.
Common Questions
What is on-site nitrogen storage?
On-site nitrogen storage is nitrogen held on location, in a storage trailer or tube trailer spotted alongside the pumping unit. It lets an operation draw sustained volume beyond what a pumping unit carries on board, which matters on extended cleanouts, large displacements, and long pipeline work.
What is the difference between liquid and gaseous nitrogen storage?
Liquid storage holds LN₂ in a cryogenic tank — the Storage Queen and Storage King — with a boost pump and a pressure-build vaporiser to convert it for use. Gaseous storage holds nitrogen as a compressed gas in seamless steel tubes at pressure, with a regulator to supply at the pressure the job calls for. Gaseous tube trailers avoid cryogenic handling and suit operations needing sustained supply without continuous LN₂ delivery.
How much nitrogen can be stored on location?
The Nitrogen Storage King holds 70,000 m³ and the Storage Queen 55,000 m³, both as liquid nitrogen at up to 290 kPag (42 psig). On the gaseous side, jumbo tube trailers hold 4,000 m³ at 3,100 psig, 54-cylinder trailers 2,400 m³ at 2,640 psig, standard tube trailers 1,000 – 1,360 m³ at up to 17 MPa (2,450 psig), and the pickup-towable high-pressure unit 900 Sm³ at 43,000 kPag (6,250 psig).
Can nitrogen tube trailers be rented?
Yes. The high-pressure nine-tube trailer is available for rental and is popular with clients who need a small, steady nitrogen supply over an extended period. It is towed by a standard pickup truck and offers variable pressure and flow options.
What is the difference between a nitrogen storage unit and a nitrogen bulker?
A storage unit sits on location and supplies the job. A nitrogen bulker is a transport trailer — it hauls bulk liquid nitrogen to the wellsite or plant and offloads through an onboard boost pump. Bulkers are covered under Transport, alongside acid and chemical hauling.