A new fracturing sand plant for Pattison Sand Company in USA

Outokumpu Technology has signed a contract with Pattison Sand Company L.L.C. for the design and turnkey delivery of a new hydraulic fracturing sand plant to Clayton, Iowa, USA. The contract price was approximately EUR 14 million.

The turnkey project encompasses process development, engineering, equipment supply, complete erection, and commissioning. The project will be managed by Outokumpu Technology's office in Jacksonville, Florida. It is estimated to be completed by March, 2007.

The plant will produce both fracturing sand and glass sand products utilizing primarily crushing and sizing equipment. The plant includes a wet process that will utilize Floatex® Density Separators to produce a crude product that will subsequently be dried and screened to produce a series of products as defined by the customer. Other Outokumpu Technology equipment includes a SUPAFLO® thickener for water reclamation. The entire process is designed to meet all America Petroleum Institute specifications.

Hydraulic fracturing sands, known as frac sands, consist almost entirely of quartz or silica sands and are used as proppants in oil and gas wells. A frac sand treatment is the forcing of a concoction of frac sands, viscous gel, and other chemicals down a well to prop open fractures in the subsurface rocks thus create a passageway for fluid from the reservoir to the well. Outokumpu Technology conducted a substantial amount of test work with the raw material and then designed an efficient flowsheet for processing the deposit.

This project is the second turnkey fracturing sand plant presently under construction by Outokumpu Technology. A hydraulic fracturing sand plant under construction in the South Western region of the United States is scheduled for completion in September 2006. For both projects, Outokumpu Technology has worked with the client from the early conception phase, through engineering, and to the final stages of implementation.

For further information please contact:
Outokumpu Technology Inc.
John Elder, President - Physical Separation
Tel. +1 904 353 3681
psdsales@outokumpu.com

 

Outokumpu Technology is a worldwide technology leader in minerals and metals processing, providing innovative tailored solutions for a wide variety of customer needs in iron and steel, aluminum and non-ferrous metals industries. With a global network of sales and service centers, research facilities and 1800 experts the company generated annual sales of 556 million euro in 2005.