How's it? Here's some Q & A
Published: Thu, 05/22/14
it?" to ask how you were doing.
Informality was a way of life there. Dress down, relax, and take
your time. I hope that your spring and summer are starting with
some of that Aloha spirit.
Ok, let's do some Q & A today...
But first, I have a request of you - if you have, or you know of
someone that has, a frac sand portable wash plant, I have a client
that might take it off your/their hands. Reply to this e-mail with
info. The wash plant needs to do a minimum of 45 tons/hr.
Ok, on to the questions I received recently via e-mail, and the
answers that I sent them.
=========
Q1: If we want to start with crush resistance and acid solubility
tests to screen our materials, what is the minimum amount of sample
do you need for each test?
A1: I always like to get around 5 lbs per sample -- no matter what
testing
that I'm doing -- because it usually gives me enough to move
into
other tests -- or crush multiple sizes (ie 30/50 and 40/70 material)
-- without having you send additional samples.
==========
Q2: I saw on your website that you do barite testing and we are
interested in knowing more about your company's capabilities in
this respect.
We need a laboratory that can undertake the following:
o determine the specific mineralogy of baryte ore.
o determine liberation characteristcs of the ore and the quarts
with a view of producing a product with an SG in excess of 4.2 and
a silica content of less than 5%.
o looking for the optimal processing method (and are inclined to
process though spiral gravity separation or flotation).
Please advise whether this possible and kindly provide us with more
details.
A2: At this time, I can only provide the following barite testing
services:
API Drilling Grade Barite testing
A. Density $300/sample
B. Water-soluble alkaline earth metals $500/sample
C. Particle Size Distribution $350/sample
D. All Barite Tests A-C $950/sample
* Test results usually available by 10 business days. Faster
turnaround available at increased price.
** Send around 3lbs of barite per sample, randomly sampled, for
analysis
*** Testing is done in accordance with API 13A.
If you need research done in the other areas you mentioned, such as
finding a lab to perform minerology and help with processing, I
could provide consulting at a rate of $120USD/hr with a $1,000
minimum retainer.
==========
Q3: Thanks for the quote. I realized that conductivity is not
included in this quotation? We need conductivity as well.
What standards would you use for testing?
A3: For testing, we use the standard ISO 13503-2 "Measurement
of properties of proppants used in hydraulic fracturing and
gravel-packing operations" to guide us through the procedural
nature of testing for frac sand. This is also called "ANSI/API
Recommended Practice 19C"
We also use American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice
56 to help interpret the results.
For conductivity, I can coordinate this testing for you -- and
arrange for the best pricing -- through a larger lab that has this
expensive equipment. It costs anywhere from $11k to $18k per
sample depending on how detailed you want the conductivity test
performed. The wait time is extensive on conductivity -- about a
month or more.
My recommendation is to perform the initial API testing and then
have me send your best sample(s) to a larger lab for conductivity
testing. This lets you know whether or not you have frac quality
sand BEFORE sending it in for expensive conductivity testing.
==========
Alright that's enough for today. I've got some sand
crushing to do!
In the meantime if YOU have a question for me, just reply to this
e-mail or give me a call. How can I be of service to you?