7 Types of Frac Sand Equipment You Need for Your Operations

Frac sand operations rely on specialized equipment to effectively mine, process, transport, and deploy sand in fracing sites. In this industry, precision and efficiency are essential to maintain cost-effectiveness and meet industry standards. This guide will outline key types of frac sand equipment used throughout the fracing process and explain how each type contributes to effective and safe sand management.

1. Excavation and Extraction Equipment

Efficient frac sand operations begin with specialized excavation equipment that makes sure sand can be mined quickly and transported with minimal handling. The following equipment is crucial for the initial stages:

Excavators: Excavators, equipped with powerful digging tools, are essential for removing raw sand from deposits. These machines come in various sizes and types, each suited to specific excavation needs based on site terrain, sand deposit depth, and production scale.
Bulldozers: Bulldozers help clear large tracts of land and prepare the ground for excavation. They are also used to move sand that has been dug up, ensuring smooth operations and reducing the workload for loaders and conveyors that follow.
Front-end Loaders: This machinery is useful for moving large volumes of sand. Front-end loaders offer flexibility by easily moving raw sand from the ground to conveyors or trucks, maintaining an uninterrupted flow during peak excavation periods.

2. Material Conveyance Systems

These systems improve sand movement from the excavation site to processing facilities, minimizing the need for manual handling. This includes:

Conveyor Belts – Conveyor belts efficiently move sand from the excavation area to washing stations or processing facilities. These systems have various lengths and capacities to suit different production scales and distances.
Screw Conveyors – Often used in sand processing plants, screw conveyors help move frac sand from washing and screening units to storage bins. Their design also ensures that the sand is evenly distributed along the conveyance path, which can be essential for quality control.
Bucket Elevators – Bucket elevators are used to lift sand to different heights within the processing facility. They help optimize plant space by reducing horizontal movement requirements and allowing for smoother sand flow between processing stages.

3. Washing and Scrubbing Equipment

After initial excavation, frac sand needs to be cleaned to remove impurities such as clay, silt, and unwanted minerals. Effective washing and scrubbing equipment improve the quality of the final product and maintain compliance with industry standards.

Attrition Scrubbers: These machines are designed to scrub away surface contaminants on sand particles, such as clay and other mineral deposits. Attrition scrubbers improve the purity of frac sand, enhancing its performance at fracing sites.
Log Washers: Log washers use large paddles to thoroughly clean raw sand by agitating the material in water. This effectively removes impurities from the sand, ensuring that it meets industry specifications before moving to the drying stage.
Hydrocyclones: Hydrocyclones separate unwanted fine materials from the sand, reducing dust and ensuring optimal particle size distribution. This separation is crucial, as fines can reduce the effectiveness of frac sand when deployed at fracing sites.

4. Drying Equipment

Frac sand must be dried to a specific moisture content before being transported to fracing sites. High-quality drying equipment ensures the sand meets industry moisture standards for efficient deployment.

Rotary Dryers – Rotary dryers are commonly used in frac sand operations due to their high capacity and efficiency. These machines quickly dry large amounts of sand, using a rotating drum that evenly distributes heat to achieve consistent moisture reduction.
Fluid Bed Dryers – Fluid bed dryers work by suspending sand particles in a stream of hot air. These machines are energy-efficient and offer better temperature control than rotary dryers, which can help maintain consistent moisture levels.
Flash Dryers – Flash dryers rapidly dry frac sand through a high-velocity airstream, making them ideal for operations that need quick turnaround times. However, they are typically more suited to smaller-scale operations due to their lower capacity.

Learn more about Pontotoc Sand & Stones’ materials and frac sand equipment that can help improve your operations.

Quality Sand Materials

5. Screening and Classification Equipment

Frac sand needs to meet specific particle size requirements to be effective during fracing. Screening and classification equipment ensures that the sand is sorted by size and consistency before it’s deployed.

Vibrating Screens: Vibrating screens are used to separate sand particles by size. They use mechanical vibrations to move sand across a series of screens with different-sized openings, so only the sand meeting the required particle size reaches the next stage.
Trommel Screens: These cylindrical screens rotate, allowing finer sand particles to pass through while larger particles are separated. These machines are particularly effective for high-capacity screening.
Air Classifiers: Air classifiers separate sand particles based on their weight. Lighter particles are blown away by air, leaving only the heavier sand particles that are suitable for fracing. This process helps maintain consistency and uniformity in particle size distribution.

6. Storage and Loadout Equipment

Once processed, frac sand needs to be stored and transported efficiently to fracing sites. Storage and loadout equipment streamline this process:

Silica Storage Silos: Silica silos are designed to store large quantities of frac sand in a controlled environment. They protect the sand from moisture and other contaminants, preserving its quality.
Sand Hoppers: Sand hoppers facilitate loading sand onto trucks or conveyor belts for easy transport. They are equipped with flow controls to manage the amount of sand being loaded, ensuring efficient and safe handling.
Automated Loadout Systems: Automated loadout systems enable faster and safer loading of frac sand. These systems often include weigh scales, so each truck is loaded with the correct amount of sand, improving logistics efficiency.

7. Pump Systems and Blenders

Frac sand needs to be mixed with water and other chemicals at the well site before being pumped underground. Specialized pump systems and blenders are necessary to prepare and deploy sand effectively.

Centrifugal Pumps – Centrifugal pumps move large volumes of sand-water slurry at high pressure, so the mixture can be efficiently injected into the well. These pumps are durable and well-suited for high-volume fracing operations.
Blenders – Blenders combine frac sand with water and chemicals, creating a uniform slurry. They are crucial in achieving the desired mix ratio, allowing for effective sand deployment underground.
Screw Pumps – Screw options handle thicker, more viscous slurry mixtures, ideal for larger sand particles that need a strong pump to transport them. These pumps make sure the sand-water mixture flows consistently during fracing.

Partner with Pontotoc for Reliable Frac Sand Equipment and Solutions

Selecting the right equipment is only part of the equation for successful frac sand operations. Pontotoc offers reliable, high-quality frac sand equipment that meets industry standards and performs effectively at fracing sites. Reach out today to learn more about how our frac sand solutions can elevate your fracing operations with consistent quality and expertise.