By now, you already understand the basic components of hydraulic fracturing. In this article, we’ll delve a little deeper with our understanding of fracking by exploring frac pits as well as how to best line them. From primary frac pit liners to secondary frac pit liners, our team has you—and your project—covered.
Both primary and secondary containment play an essential role in protecting the environment and preserving oil during transportation and storage.
What is a Frac Pit?
Frac pits have been used to hold drilling fluids and wastes from the time the very first oil and gas wells were drilled.
But don’t let the name fool you—not all frac “pits” are found in the ground. These pits can be either excavated holes in the earth or above ground containment systems like steel tanks.
Frac pits are used for a multitude of purposes, including:
● Emergency overflow
● Storage of produced water
● Burn off from waste oil
● Temporary oil storage
● Temporary storage of fluids required to complete and treat wells
The containment of fluids in a frac pit is essential for all operations. In fact, it’s the most important element in the prevention of contamination of shallow groundwater.
The failure of a frac pit liner, tank, or line carrying fluid (a “flowline”) could result in the release of contaminated materials into surface water as well as shallow groundwater. Remember, environmental clean-up of these accidentally released materials is a costly and time-consuming process.
So, what’s the best way to prevent this from happening?
Primary Frac Pit Liners
For pits constructed from ground excavation, pit lining is essential for preventing the infiltration of fluids into the subsurface of the ground. High-quality pit liners are constructed of materials like reinforced polyethylene with treated fabric that can be joined, if necessary, by using special equipment.
Primary fac pit liners help to keep harsh chemicals and flowback contained to ensure that you don’t have an oil spill or environmental cleanup on your hands. A strong geomembrane liner like ArmorPro maximizes your protection when it comes to chemical storage, which ensures that you never need to worry about storing hazardous products.
Secondary Frac Pit Liners
You may be wondering why you might need secondary frac pit liners if your primary fracking pit liner is already in place. Although most of the time primary frac liners will suffice, many fracking installers are also required to use a secondary frac containment liner.
Secondary frac pit liners are utilized as a precaution to make sure that certain safety guidelines are met. Likewise, secondary frac pit liners also give you the assurance that no flowback can permeate into the ground or escape from your frac pit. Think of this as your fail-safe to guarantee that your operation has no leakage whatsoever.
Having a secondary frac pit liner in place is also a great way to prove to your local community and government that your operation is responsible, sustainable, and safe.
