Cleaning Frac Tanks & AST Above-ground Storage Tanks With EDDY Pump Technology

What are Frac Tanks & Above-ground Storage Tanks and How are They Used?

Frac Tanks are used to hold a variety of materials ranging from water, proppants, oil, drilling fluid, and more when a well is being fractured. The material that is being held inside frac tanks is typically removed by pumps stationed at the bottom of the tanks either submerged in the liquid or mounted outside the tank as a flooded suction type of pump.

The drilling program in the Permian Basin calls for three types of drilling fluid. Freshwater/gel mud to start the well which protects the upper water-bearing formations from contamination. There is a salt formation around 4,000 feet and the water will become saturated with salt. The program will use this brine fluid down to the production interval. The brine fluid is displaced, and diesel base fluid is used for the production interval until the total depth is reached.

Frac tanks are rented and kept on locations for the purpose of storing the drilling fluids that are not in use or used to hold an extra volume of fluid in the event the formation breaks down and the drilling fluid is lost to the formation. There are typically 8-12 frac tanks on every drilling site.

AST or Above-ground Storage Tanks are large steel cylinders used to store petroleum products in addition to hazardous waste, refining products and chemicals, and various types of oil. AST’s tend to quickly build up sediment at the bottom of the tanks which require frequent and costly cleanouts. Currently, most AST cleanouts involve the use of manual labor pressure washers, bringing in vacuum trucks, and other expensive equipment and services.

Commonly used above-ground storage tanks for petroleum & related materials. These need to be routinely cleaned out to prevent sediment buildup to preserve the integrity of the tanks.

The Problem With Current Frac Tank & AST (Above-ground Storage Tank) Cleanout Procedures

Frac tank farms have pumps to stir the fluid to reduce the amount of sediment that settles at the bottom of the tank. Frac tanks are not designed very well and after a few months of use, there is one to two feet of sediment collected on the bottom of the tank. This sediment causes the frac tank to be too heavy to move and will inevitably decrease the amount of usable storage.

Frac tank cleaning companies typically utilize vacuum systems, water jet lines, and confined space entry to clean the tanks. It is a labor-intensive process and can cost $500-2,500 depending on the severity of the packing of the sediment and the amount of time it takes to break up the solids to make them suitable for pumping.

The EDDY Pump Solution to Cleaning Out AST & Frac Tanks

The Eddy Pump Corporation has many years of experience of designing movable pumps. A ‘crawling’ Eddy Pump can be inserted into the tank through a manway. The pump is equipped with jet lines and/or a cutter head to break up the sludge where the sediment is pumped out of the tank and through a cleaning system that recovers the wash water allowing for reuse, saving on water and surfactants. The pump assembly has lights and a camera that is used to locate pockets of sludge that cannot be seen from the hatches. Jets of wash water can be manipulated to clean these pockets and programmed to clean the entire tank without the need to insert a person.

The Eddy Pump tank cleaning process is mobile and can be brought to locations where the storage tanks cannot be moved. The process is faster and safer than traditional methods. And by recycling water and chemical the system is environmentally friendly.

Why EDDY Pumps Are Better – Highlights

This video shows how EDDY Pump transports high slurry and abrasive materials. Featured dredge pump equipment includes the Remote Operated Subdredge, Diver Operated Pump and a Excavator Attachment Dredge Pump.