Weyburn 鈥� You absolutely couldn鈥檛 miss the giant water tank that Campbell Oilfield Rentals Ltd brought to the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show as it towered over the west side of the outdoor exhibits. While it wasn鈥檛 the tallest object on display, it certainly had the most bulk.
It鈥檚 known as a 鈥淢inion Tank,鈥� because it looks very much like the loveable sidekick characters in the Despicable Me and Minions movie series. Its shape is unmistakable, with the air-pressure driven bulging dome at the top. That dome is very functional, as Pipeline Newsfound out in speaking to Campbell representatives on June 6.
The Minion tank set up for the show was their middle-sized unit. The company offers 1,033 cubic metre (6,500 bbl.), 1,589 cubic metre (10,000 bbl.) and 3,200 cubic metres (20,000 bbl.) sizes, with diameters of 40, 49 and 67 feet respectively.
Steve Wiseman, Minion Tank supervisor said the Minion is 鈥渧ertical fluid storage, mostly 小蓝视频 used for frac sites right now, and discovering new applications as we go. It鈥檚 kind of like a C-ring, but instead of 小蓝视频 more horizontal, this is more vertical. It鈥檚 higher. A C-ring is usually 12-feet. This one is 32-feet.鈥�
C-rings have a much larger footprint on the ground. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the plusses of this tank, the footprint,鈥� Wiseman said. 鈥淭ypically, a 3,000 cubic metre C-ring is around 110 feet (in diameter), and our 3,000 cubic metre Minion, which is the next size up from this one, is 67 feet.鈥�
They have 25 Minion Tanks in Canada.
The units are enclosed, resulting in better heat efficiencies. 鈥淎 C-ring, they have to put a lid on it or a bird net over it.
The liner is reusable. Positive air pressure is used to maintain the integrity and shape of the bladder, similar to how the roof on B.C. Place used to be, or how a golf dome works.
Not only does it retain heat, but by 小蓝视频 enclosed, it also reduces evaporation loss.
On a windy day, a large, open C-ring can actually see whitecaps form, and splash water out of the ring. The enclosed Minion does not allow that to happen.
鈥淭he way a C-ring works, they have a gooseneck that goes over the wall, and you have to have a pump outside to pull the fluid over the wall. Our tank, the bladder is flanged onto a manifold on the bottom. You just open the valves, and gravity gives you your water pressure, so it works on hydrostatic pressure. You鈥檙e eliminating pumps and manpower.鈥�
To empty out the bottom of the tank, the blender鈥檚 pump is used.
To fill it, a speed-loading system is used. It involves a manifold that trucks connect to, and has a diesel pump, which allows for quicker unloading of trucks.
While fracking it is typical to keep the water at a certain level for most of the frac. At the end, a pump-down is conducted.
Campbell has been offering the Minion for three years. 鈥淭his is the first one in Saskatchewan. They鈥檝e been in B.C., Alberta and the U.S.鈥�
Campbell has a location on the northeast corner of Estevan, just outside the truck bypass.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to move into this area, so we鈥檒l see what interest is,鈥� Wiseman said.
Wiseman is based in Grande Prairie. He noted that Campbell is the Canadian sales and marketing service provider on this side of the border.
Corey Verge is the operations manager for Campbell Oilfield Rentals. He noted it took four hours for them to assemble the minion on the oil show site. The assembly uses a pin-pocket system. The liner is attached to the main headboard, and it drops down. It鈥檚 always connected at the top. 鈥淚t stays with the tank. It doesn鈥檛 get removed or added. It鈥檚 always there,鈥� he said.
There鈥檚 less trucking, and no disposal of liners, he added, both of which offer environmental savings. The reduced lease size is another benefit.
Jason Frederick is Estevan鈥檚 branch manager. He said they have five people working out of Estevan.
鈥淭his will expand that manpower pool, quite a bit,鈥� Verge said, if interest takes hold.
