The Chilliwack Progress Wednesday, January 28, 2015
www.theprogress.com
B11
True Grit Resource Development: Improving Safety and Efficiency
O
ne of Chilliwack’s leading innovators wants to be part of the solution where fracking is concerned. Rosedale-based Tycrop has produced a new product under its Propell Oilfield Equipment wing, one that promises to make fracking job-sites safer while increasing efficiency and profits. All that, and protecting the environment, too. The SandStorm is a mobile proppant handling system designed to thwart the threat of silica, one of the highest industrial carcinogens.
ment, the stuff flies all over the place. Not only does it create a health hazard, it also wastes material. Search ‘cabot site silica’ on Youtube for examples of how much can get away. By comparison, one of Tycrop’s SandStorm customers happily reported receiving nine million pounds of proppant, and only losing 100 pounds of it to waste. “Our system literally leaves behind a few shovels worth
of sand as opposed to what you see in those videos of the competition,” said Tycrop’s branding and marketing manager Bob Fugger. The SandStorm is the result of industry input followed by years of product development. “Our product development teams are cross-functional from all areas of the company,” Fugger said. “We utilize staff from our supply chain, manufacturing, customer care, etc. — not just engineers
by: Eric Welsh and prototyping — to ensure that what we design can be built, sourced and supported effectively. It can take years to develop the initial product.” The SandStorm is big. On site, it can be set up in two configurations. One measures 125 feet across by 76.5 feet deep. The other measures 120 feet across by 57 feet deep. Each of SandStorm’s (up to) six ‘GravityBoxes’ can handle 550,000 pounds of material, transferring it onto
Silica sand is an ingredient used in fracking (hydraulic fracturing), an environmentally controversial process where natural gas is extracted from layers of shale rock buried beneath the ground. When not properly contained, silica dust can be inhaled by workers, leading to a condition known as silicosis (also miner’s phthisis, grinder’s asthma and potter’s rot). On some sites, with some equip-
conveyer belts without the help of motors, blowers, dust filters or augers. A single engine runs the entire thing, reducing noise, maintenance and fuel expense. The entire thing can be run by just one person. “Customers love this system because it saves them time, money and personnel while being safer for them and the environment,” Fugger said. The SandStorm is a load to deliver. It takes a month to build, and the GravityBoxes need oversize permits on the highways. But units have found their way to several spots in Western Canada and various U-S locations including Texas, Pennsylvania and Colorado. The SandStorm costs a lot — well over $1,000,000 — but short term pain is offset by long-term gain. Most importantly, the Chilliwack born-and-raised solution helps companies
Tycrop’s SandStorm promises to make job-sites safer while increasing efficiency and profits.
Continued: pB15
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