Portable frac sand plant coming to market

McLanahan Corp. has engaged Cemco Inc. to produce a portable frac sand plant that offers the ability to produce two sizes of frac sand used in oil and natural gas drilling applications.

The plant’s design is based on McLanahan’s Hydrosizer, which takes sand from the top while a column of water pushes upward from the bottom of the machine. The water moves at such a rate that only particles of plus 70 are carried up and over the unit, while coarser materials drop from the bottom of the Hydrosizer.

The plant offers an average output of 150 tph. From the initial feed, material first reports to a sump, which pumps the sand and added water up to a cyclone. The cyclone is mounted to the Hydrosizer, which separates sand of plus 70 mesh and transports it to a system of vibrating dewatering screens. Screens dewater the sand and convert it to a stackable, removable material.

Meanwhile, the minus 70 mesh sand is recycled through another system of cyclones, which again separates out the plus 70 mesh. The system puts the mesh through the dewatering screens and converts it to a stackable material. McLanahan and Cemco say the system ensures all usable frac sand is processed and separated into the two sizes, with minimal material waste.

Another feature of the plant is a one-touch screen control panel that regulates and determines the operation and characteristic of the plant, with a central distribution panel to power all the electric motors and pumps.