WATER STORAGE
Modular tanks
Hidrofrac´s tank system is an Above ground storage tank (AST) that was developed to provide fracturing industry with a large volume and quick assembly solution, and along the time it has also become in a highly effective solution in other oil & gas areas and industries like produced water storage, circulation loss in well drilling, fire fighting, Hydrostatic pressure testing, etc.
Tank capacity varies from 1000 to 8000 m3. They can be transported, as well as assembled and disassembled in few days, on clear, leveled, and compacted ground.
Tanks are sold or provided on a lease basis, as part of either permanent or temporary facilities. Moreover, they are a solution in unusual or remote locations, where the lack of means and time hinder the construction of concrete or welded metal tanks in situ.
Characteristics
• 12 x 3 m (40’ x 10’) curved steel panel, coated with epoxy painting.
• Bolted flange joint system between panels for optimal effort transmission
• Internal one-pice PVC or composite PE liner according fluid characteristics
• Set up on leveled and compacted ground, no need of concrete floor
• Set up time: 1 to 3 days, depending on tank size
Uses
• Water storage for fracturing operations in tight and shale well
• Water storage for drilling operations with circulation loss
• Flowback and produced water storage
• Fire fighting systems
• Pipelines Hydrostatic pressure testing
• Biogas digesters tank
• Natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, etc.
Models
Hidrofrac´s AST tank system is available in different sizes:
Advantages
• Quick set up and tear down
• Cost efficient
• Reusable
• Reduced ground disturbance
Tank accesories
Hidrofrac tanks offers accessories that can be added according to customer’s needs and requirements.
LINERS
Tanks can be lined with different types of liners according to the fluid that is to be stored, usage time and customer’s needs. These are UV protected to improve lifespan and can be made from different materials like PVC, Composite PE, etc; to store water, flowback or chemically aggressive fluids.
Bird netting and convers
Hidrofrac® bird netting and covers protect the tank and the contained fluid in several ways.
Hidrofrac® bird nets are made from a HDPE net and have an independent steel structure which keeps the bird net in horizontal position, preventing it from coming into contact with the stored liquid.
Its function is avoiding contamination of clean water with the organic matter from birds, which could cause bacteria growth, and avoiding contamination of birds, caused by coming into contact with produced water or flowback which could be stored in the tank.
Hidrofrac® floating covers are made from a floating liner with a perimetrical fastening system which allows the cover to float on the water surface, fluctuating according to the liquid volume contained in the tank, and keeping the stored liquid isolated from the exterior. In storage tanks for frac water, these covers prevent the entry of dust, water evaporation on hot days, possible water overflowing on windy days, and UV radiation from enabling the growth of bacteria and algae, which has a serious impact on the reservoir due to H2S formation. In tanks storing produced water and flowback, these covers are essential to comply with environmental standards which demand the isolation of the water surface from the environment, to avoid contamination of birds and evaporation of volatile substances used in fracturing operations.
Nested tanks and secondary containment walls
Local regulations demand secondary containments around oil, flowback or produced water storage tanks, creating an additional containment in case of leakage. Hidrofrac offers two systems for this purpose, nested tanks and Nested tanks are two Hidrofrac tanks, set up one into another. For lower ground disturbance, it is recommended a 4,5 m high as main storage tank, and a 3,0 high as secondary containment tank
Secondary containment walls are built around the main storage tank from precast concrete panels, bolted to each other, with an HDPE liner inside; and are able to contain possible leakages. These are designed and calculated to withstand hydrostatic pressure, and are in compliance with the current regulations of Argentina´s Department of Energy.
Frac tanks
Hidrofac provides, on a lease basis, 50 and 70 m3 skid mounted Frac tanks, which include manifolds and accessories.
In cases these frac tanks are used to store oil, accessories, such as pressure vaccum valves, flame arresters, etc; are provided to ensure a safe operation.
PUMPING AND WATER TRANSFER
Water transfer service
HIDROFRAC® provides a comprehensive water transfer service, including the design of the facilities, the provision and set-up of equipment and highly qualified on-site operators.
This service is suitable for non-conventional hydraulic fracturing operations, drilling with circulation loss, water transfer from source to storage, loading and unloading of water tanker trucks, hydraulic testing of oil and gas pipelines, dewatering, fire fighting and other requirements of water transfer that can arise in the oil & gas industry as well as in other industries.
Characteristics
The pumping system is designed and operated by hydraulic specialists who determine the type of pump, its settings and other required equipment, after an exhaustive study of the required flow rate, the load loss according to pipe type, the pipeline length, the level differences, the number of pumps needed to guarantee a safe operation, the working pressure, etc.
EQUIPMENT
Our equipment includes the supplying of centrifugal motor pumps, manifolds, temporary pipelines of TPU layflat hoses with no-leak couplings, and man camps for operators. The pumping system can be operated for 12 or 24 hours, depending on operation’s needs. In water transfer operations in non-conventional well sites, flow rate can vary between 30 and 100 bbl/min, depending on the operation design, and whether 10” or 12” layflat hose pipeline is used.
In flowback or produced water transfer, flow rate can vary between 10 and 30 bbl/min, using centrifugal pumps suitable for fluids with hydrocarbons and chemical resistant pipes with no-leak couplings.
Temporary water pipelines
Temporary pipelines are used to transfer water from and to different points. This system is easy to deploy and install as well as low cost, on a lease basis. It is also ideal to transfer water from main water reservoirs to non-conventional fracturing operations in different locations, since it reduces transportation costs, the risk associated with truck traffic in location, and the loading and uploading during operations.
Hidrofrac can provide 4”, 6”, 8”, 10” and 12” TPU layflat hose with no-leak couplings.
All TPU hoses are deployed above ground, using an hydraulic system which enables the deployment and installation of up to 4000 meters per day.
Its watertight coupling system prevents water leakage along the pipeline. The pipeline is deployed beside the road, preventing environmental damage and ground disturbance, with no need of digging ditches. Due to their flexibility, pipelines adapt to irregular ground as well as road turns without losing efficiency. This system also includes road crossings which prevent excavations and provide a fast, non-ground-disturbing solution to situations in which the pipeline needs to be deployed across a road in location.
These temporary pipelines are also highly useful in oil and gas pipeline hydrostatic testing, fire fighting, mine dewatering, floods control, etc.
Temporary pipeline system accessories:
• Road crossings: fast and effective solution when temporary pipeline needs to be deployed across roads in location.
• Pipeline pigging: used to empty and clean the pipeline, before disassembling, when produced water and flowback has been transferred, or when, due to environmental restrictions, it is not possible to discharge the remaining water present in the pipeline, once the water transfer operation has concluded.
Diposal well injection
Injection service of produced water into disposal well, including engineering, installation design, equipment and operatorion, using triplex pumps and high-pressure pipelines.
Additionally, filtering and injection of chemical additives, such as antifouling, corrosion inhibitors, and biocides, can be provided too if the operation requires it.
Telemetry for remote monitoring is also available to get real time parameters as pressure, flow, etc.
FLUID TREATMENT
Water treatment
HIDROFRAC® offers fresh water treatment service in order to prevent algae and bacteria growth, that could negatively affect the operation causing H2S formation. This service includes careful selection of technologies and biocides, as well as other chemicals, in order to keep water quality stored in tanks or pits.
Our specialized team analyses each clients need and project, and select combination of technologies to treat stored or in the fly injection, such us:
• Pits and tanks aeration to reduce algae and bacteria
• Biocides injection for stored water
• On the fly THNM biocide injection
• Filtration in a wide range of flow rates and particle size
Dosing equipment is used to ensure correct injection ratios and a safe process.
The maintenance of water quality is of utmost importance in fracturing operations since it prevents the formation of algae and sulfate-reducing bacteria which generates sulfhydric acid, H2S, in the formation. This water treatment aims to prevent future damage in above-ground installations.
Flowback water treatment
Through Hidrofrac’s flowback treatment, the obtained treated water can be reused for fracturing or injected into disposal well. This process is done by means of a portable treatment facility which combines physical, chemical and biological processes, producing recycled flowback and, thus, treated water which can be injected in onsite disposal well or blended with fresh water and reused in future fracturing operations.
This process to treat and reuse water, together with Hidrofrac water transfer and storage services, allow us to provide customers with a comprehensive solution, including the whole water cycle.
Flowback treatment can have a great impact on cost reduction in fracturing operations since it reduces the cost of flowback disposal and of fresh water provisioning, as well as the risk of accidents during transportation of fluids to treatment facilieties.
The flowback treatment process includes removal of suspended and dissolved hydrocarbons, solids, iron and barium, and bacteria; as well as ph correction. This is achieved by means of different separation, oxidation, precipitation, flocculation, and filtration methods. The result of this process is treated water, with acceptable reuse standards and quality, that can be injected into disposal well without damaging it; or, by correct blending, it can be reused in fracturing without the risk of incompatibility with fracturing fluids.
TELEMETRY
Remote monitoring system which measures and records variables such as level, pressure, flow rate and temperature. This tool optimizes costs and time in water management operations and records precise information about water needed in fracturing operations, which can be used for future analysis and presented to environmental protection agencies.
This system provides real-time data from storage points, as well as historical data, statistics, graphics, etc., which can be viewed by accessing an interactive site, from any place with internet connection.
This system works by means of sensors, placed within the modular tanks, above-ground storage pool and flanges in the water transfer system, which transmit data to customer through a satellite station. This data is collected by a server and processed, so that it can be monitored via website.
Advantages
• Water provision can be controlled and optimized, evaluating delivery time, worked days, amount of water supplied, etc.
• Allows customer to know, at any time and from anywhere, amount of water stored in onsite tanks.
• It provides useful information to optimize the use of water in each fracturing operation, by collecting and storing accurate information about all the well variables, such as number of stages, well type, temperature, times, etc.
• Collected information can be used to make reports about the amount of fresh water used and flowback produced, which can be presented to environmental protection agencies.
• It is a useful tool to determine the amount of vaporized water and water loss through overflowing on windy days.
• It issues a warning when potentially risky levels are reached, such as minimum fresh water or maximum flowback level. This allows quick reactions and intervention to correct the situation.
