We got a big snow up here in Butte, Montana today, and it continues to come down.
I dropped my girl off at preschool today, and the woman at the front desk asked me how I was getting around.
I have a four wheel drive Ford truck, and was getting along nicely.
“You just have to leave early and take your time, and everything works out,” I told her.
She said, “It always seems like I’m rushing everywhere, and I never can just take my time.”
I smiled at her and walked away.
It’s the same thing with frac sand testing, especially on sand that needs processing.
You just have to take your time, and sometimes experiment with processing.
First, break down any sandstones.
Then, inspect the material, under a microscope if you have to.
What sometimes happens is that small clusters of sand are still present.
These need to be broken down as well, because they will indicate that your sand is weaker than it really is.
In other words, these clusters of sands explode under the pressure of a crush, and seem to indicate that the sand is weak.
I have some special equipment in my lab to do this, but it takes some experimentation to get the final product just right.
Too little processing, and you don’t get the clusters to break open.
Too much processing, and you risk damaging the sand.
Yes, even strong frac sand can get damaged by metal contact.
Ergo, it takes some patience and careful experimentation to get it right.
All with client contact and discussion, of course.
It’s how we roll here in our lab.
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