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. Read more about how frac sand is mined and the different types Pontotoc offers.
What Makes Frac Sand Proppant Different?
Frac sand is different from other types of sand because of its roundness and high silica content. While other sand is polluted with minerals and rocks, frac sand mainly contains durable quartz that withstands extreme underground pressure.
The Frac Sand Mining Process
Fracing wells require hundreds of tons of frac sand every day, but before the sand is used, it’s removed from the ground in a five-step process that includes:
Vegetation Removal
Most frac sand mines are located in remote areas, so tree and vegetation removal should be done before drilling.
Topsoil and Rock Layer Removal
Industrial scrapers and tracked excavators remove the topsoil and rock layers. The removed sections are stacked around the mine to serve as light and noise barriers.
Sandstone Removal
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock that might be loose enough to remove without blasting. However, large deposits need to be broken apart with 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.
Different Types of Frac Sand
Using the right sand product is critical for maintaining operations. The wrong material reduces yield, creates delays, and impacts mine efficiency. Here are the three main types of frac sand and the advantages each provides:
100 Mesh
100 mesh is the most commonly used type of frac sand. Some of its advantages 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
Why Source Your Frac Sand Proppant From Pontotoc?
Pontotoc understands the importance of an effective frac sand supply chain. That’s why our silica sand production involves washing, grading, and testing our sand to make sure it meets industry specifications for sphericity, acid solubility, and crush resistance.
While other mines have a slow pickup system that hurts your efficiency, our automated truck loading process is completed in as little as seven minutes. This innovative procedure increases safety by keeping your driver in their truck the entire time.
Industrial Uses of Our Products
From high-quality frac and industrial sand to durable crushed limestone, Pontotoc offers a wide variety of products that serve multiple industries, including:
Oil and Gas
The oil and gas industry uses frac sand to extract valuable resources from the ground.
Construction
Pontotoc provides limestone rock and industrial sand that is the foundation of the modern construction industry.
Roofing Industry
Industrial sand withstands extreme weather conditions and UV rays, making it an ideal material for shingles in the roofing industry.
Glass Industry
The glass industry needs high-quality silica sand to maintain final product strength.
Let Pontotoc Sand & Stone Supply Your Frac Sand
At Pontotoc, we believe in helping our clients achieve maximum efficiency. That’s why we implemented a quality assurance process that removes impurities and debris from our products before shipping them to your facility. Partnering with us means you always receive sand that’s ready for immediate use. Contact us today to learn more about our industry-leading frac sand proppant.
