Frac sand is high-purity quartz sand that plays a significant role in the fracing process. When high-pressure water forces the shales open, frac sand is injected to prevent them from closing, allowing the continued release of fossil fuels. Frac sand is different from other types of sand because of its roundness and high silica content. While other sand is polluted with various minerals and rocks, frac sand mainly contains durable quartz that can better withstand extreme underground pressure.
Frac sand is an ideal proppant because it’s durable and crush-resistant, which increases the efficiency of a mine by maximizing the amount of oil extracted. Read more about the fracing process, the different types of sand available, and how to make frac sand in today’s blog.
The Frac Sand Production Process
Fracing wells require hundreds of tons of sand for their operations, but before the sand is used, it needs to be removed from the ground in a five-step process that includes:
Vegetation Removal
Frac sand mines are usually located in remote areas, so tree and vegetation removal needs to be done before drilling.
Topsoil and Rock Layer Removal
Industrial scrapers and tracked excavators remove the topsoil and rock layers. The removed layers are stacked into mounds that serve as light and noise barriers.
Sandstone Removal
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock that may be loose enough to remove without blasting. However, larger deposits need to be broken into smaller pieces using explosives.
Excavation
Front-end loaders scoop sandstone rocks from the mine pit and deposit them into trucks that haul them to a processing facility.
Reduction
The excavated sandstone is broken into grain sand using an industrial crusher. Once processed, the sand is washed, sifted, separated, and tested before being stockpiled and sold.
What Are the Different Types of Frac Sand?
Using the right frac sand is the key to operating a successful mine. The wrong frac sand reduces overall yield and causes delays, impacting the efficiency of your mine. Here are the three main types of frac sand and the advantages each provides:
100 Mesh
100 mesh is the most frequently used type of frac sand. Some advantages of 100 mesh sand include:
- High crush resistance
- Minimized fines due to high sphericity
- Capable of withstanding stresses up to 14,000 PSI
40/70 Mesh
40/70 frac sand features greater silica content and a highly permeable proppant structure capable of withstanding significant pressure and closure stresses. The advantages of 40/70 sand include:
- Low acid solubility
- High silica content that provides extreme crush performance
- Strength to withstand pressure up to 10,000 PSI
40/80 Mesh
40/80 mesh is medium-density frac sand that provides a quality pathway for oil and gas production. Some of the advantages offered by 40/80 sand are:
- Low turbidity that reduces dust
- Elite crush performance
- High cracking points
- Can handle closure pressure up to 10,000 PSI
