Over the years, methods of oil drilling and extraction have advanced, and new techniques have been developed. For example, one of the most popular methods of oil extraction today is hydraulic fracking, which involves using a pressurized mixture of water (or other fluids) and sand (or other particulates) to break open rocks and get to the oil underneath.
If your oilfield operation uses fracking, you will need to keep large quantities of sand on-hand at all times. Our team at Keystone Oilfield Fabrication LLC has extensive experience in the industry, and you can count on us to provide the high-quality equipment you need to keep your operation running smoothly. One of the many types of equipment we offer is sand silos, and in this article, we’ll go over some of the pros and cons of this type of storage.
Pros of Sand Silos
The main advantage of sand silos is the way they save space on your field. The main alternative to sand silos is flat storage—in flat storage facilities, the sand is spread out over a larger horizontal area, which makes it easier to access, but does eat up more land space. If you have a limited amount of land to work with or you want to maximize the utility of every square foot, storing your sand in vertical silos is the way to go.
Cons of Sand Silos
Conversely, the main disadvantage of sand silos is the way it takes longer to use them—in other words, they save space, but cost time. With flat storage, it’s possible to load multiple shipments of sand at once and send them on their way, but with sand silos, it’s often harder to keep things moving. If you want to speed up your operation, sand silos may not be the best choice for you.