Sand screens are used to separate sand particles from other materials, commonly in petroleum production. They are made of stainless steel and graded by mesh size. Expandable sand screens can be set to different sizes and used deep underground.
A sand screen is a type of filter used to separate sand particles from other materials. It is often used in the production of oil sands and allows users to harvest petroleum products without also harvesting nearby sand. These screens are also used on a smaller scale in many industrial and mining applications to separate sand from collected material. They are usually made from metal and can vary in size depending on the application. While one sand screen can fit inside a simple wheelbarrow, another sand screen can extend thousands of feet (or meters) below the surface of the earth.
The most frequent application for sand screens is in petroleum production. Much of the world’s supplies of crude oil and natural gas are found deep underground, often in areas with desert-like conditions. Very large drills are used to dig below the surface of the earth in these areas to collect the oil. A sand screen is often used to line the diameter of the hole, allowing oil and natural gases to seep through while keeping the sand out of the hole. This helps prevent sand from entering the drills, where it can slow production or even render the drilling equipment inoperable.
Sand control screens are usually made from stainless steel, which helps the screen hold up in harsh conditions. Stainless steel tends to function much more efficiently than other materials when exposed to natural gas or crude oil. It is able to resist rust and chemical corrosion, which helps extend the life of the screen.
A sand screen is typically graded based on the size of the holes it contains, known as the “mesh.” Each screen must be chosen carefully based on the size of the sand particles in each application as well as the thickness and flow rate of the oil being collected. Too large a mesh means that more sand will slide through the screen. If the mesh is too fine, however, production will be slowed down and the desired materials may not be able to filter through the screen. Many operations rely on a combination of screens with different mesh sizes to collect sand while allowing oil to flow easily into the hole.
Many drilling operations use an expandable sand screen that extends along the depth of the hole. These screens work like a telescope, allowing them to be set to a wide variety of sizes. As the drill passes deeper underground, the expandable sand screen extends along its length, getting slightly narrower as it progresses. These screens allow workers to block sand even deep underground where a more traditional sand screen might not reach.
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