spherical sand traps

Rendering of a spherical sand trap
spherical sand traps in front of GPU
Spherical Sand Trap

A Spherical Sand Trap or Sand Separator is a vessel designed to separate sand and other heavy solids from well fluids. Unlike standard sand traps, it does not use a cylindrical shell. Instead, its spherical design provides a user-friendly and accessible approach while also increasing gas capacity.

RBI’s Spherical Sand Traps are designed to provide solutions for a wide range of flow conditions and are built with ease of use and maintenance in mind.

Spherical Sand Traps Are:

  • Erosion-Resistant
  • Compact
  • Transportable From Site to Site
  • No Screens or Filters That Require Frequent Disassembly and Cleaning

Specifications

Built To ASME Section VIII, Div 1 or 2 and National Board Registered

Size Range:
60-in. ID x 3,000 – 10,000 PSI
48-in. ID × 3,000 – 10,000 PSI
36-in. ID × 3,000 – 10,000 PSI

Piping Per Customer Specifications

Pressure relief valve Per Customer Specifications

Applications

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FlowBack

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Production

Features

Removable deflector option protects vessel internals leading to long vessel life

Offered as an option on an L-skid with a gas outlet and drain spools

Available with choke valves, plug valves, flow iron and manifolds

Production Benefits

  • Greater cross-sectional area and internal baffling lead to lower flow velocities and improved sand removal.

  • Larger sand holding capacity, which equates to less frequent sand dumping.

  • Allows wells to be flowed back and produced at higher flow rates.

  • Allows operation of wells with less than complete well cleanup.

Learn more about our sand traps

Watch our video to learn more about the functionality and efficiency of our Sand Traps. Our partners at Oilfield Logic give an in-depth overview of our products on-site.

Spherical Sand Traps FAQ

A Spherical Sand Trap, also called a sand separator, is a vessel designed to separate sand and other heavy solids from well fluids. Unlike standard sand traps that use a cylindrical shell, its spherical design provides greater cross-sectional area and internal baffling, resulting in lower flow velocities and improved sand removal. The design is also built with ease of use and maintenance in mind, requiring no screens or filters that need frequent disassembly and cleaning.

RBI Spherical Sand Traps are available in inside diameters of 36″, 48″ and 60″, all rated from 3,000 to 10,000 PSI. They are built to ASME Section VIII, Div. 1 or 2 and are National Board Registered. Piping and pressure relief valves are configured per customer specifications.

The spherical design delivers several operational advantages over conventional sand traps. The larger sand-holding capacity means less frequent sand dumping, and wells can be flowed back and produced at higher flow rates. The design also allows operation of wells with less than complete well cleanup, giving operators more flexibility during early production stages.

RBI Spherical Sand Traps are used in flowback and production applications. They are compact, transportable from site to site, and erosion resistant. A removable deflector option is available to protect vessel internals and extend vessel life. Units can be offered on an L-skid with gas outlet and drain spools, and are available with choke valves, plug valves, flow iron and manifolds.

RBI Spherical Sand Traps are installed across major U.S. producing basins and shale plays, including the Anadarko Basin (SCOOP, STACK), Permian Basin (Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Spraberry), Williston Basin (Bakken), Appalachian Basin (Marcellus, Utica), DJ Basin (Niobrara), Powder River Basin (Turner, Niobrara), Eagle Ford, Haynesville/Bossier, Fort Worth Basin (Barnett), San Juan Basin and Uinta Basin.

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Learn More About Spherical Sand Traps

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