On its 1,000 acre operation in Voca, Texas, Cadre has three Monolithic Domes for storing frac-sand. For retrieving the sand, each dome has a Monolithic concrete tunnel 23’ wide, 13’ high and about 130’ long.
Monolithic Dome Frac Sand Storage now at State-of-the-Science Facility
New domes at Cadre Proppants in Voca, Texas
Voca, Texas is one of those towns that you might have missed if you blinked while driving through on State Highway 71. The 2010 census counted just 126 residents in Voca. But while it’s small, it’s not so easily missed these days.
Voca now has three, new, very visible Monolithic Domes that Cadre, the largest single-line proppant plant in Texas, will use for storing frac-sand.
At cadreproppants.com, Cadre describes its 1,000 acre operation in Voca as a “state-of-the-science facility” where “Cadre produces frac-sand proppants, which are hard, spherical particles that are mixed with a fluid and pumped into wells at very high pressure. The fluid fractures hydrocarbon-bearing rock to create channels through which oil and natural gas reserves flow more easily.”
In February 2012, South Industries of Menan, Idaho, using Airforms designed and built by Monolithic, began the construction of two domes that are 102′ × 51′ and one dome that is 130′ × 65′. The project will be completed in August 2012.
Each dome has a cut-and-cover, Airformed tunnel leading from it to a truck-loading station. Tunnels attached to the smaller domes are 133’ long and 13.33’ wide, while the tunnel at the larger dome is 161’ long and 13.33’ wide.
A smooth flowing operation
Each of Cadre’s Monolithic Domes will store frac-sand of a different size. At loading time, that sand will travel on a conveyor to an opening at the top of a dome and pour in.
For unloading, the sand will fall through a bottom opening and onto a conveyor belt, that is slightly curved to hold the sand in place, and travel to a truck-loading station.
No product loss
These bulk storages, like all Monolithic Domes, are well insulated but will not be air conditioned. “They don’t have to be air conditioned,” said Michael South, vice president/director of operations at Monolithic.
“The domes will keep the sand dry and that means that there will be no product loss,” Michael added. “Another type of storage building – one made of wood or steel – might leak water or condensate. A Monolithic Dome will not.”
Each Monolithic Dome stores thousands of tons of frac-sand. Note the huge conveyors, resting on the domes, that carry the sand. This is a very special storage system for a very special product: frac-sand.