What Are the Different Components of a Frac Head?

There are several common components used in a frac head during hydraulic fracturing operations.

Frac Stacks

Frac stacks are pressure vessel components that temporarily replace the production wellhead during fracking operations. These stacks protect the production wellhead from the effects of high-pressure abrasion and corrosion caused by the fracking process.

Hydraulic and Manual Frac Valves

Because these valves–most of the time these are gate valves–are under constant high-pressure and volume and subjected to abrasive and corrosive fluids such as acid, these values have to be extremely durable and dependable. These valves consist of a series of seats, seals, and components to help protect the valve cavities from the fracking process liquids.

Coil Tubing Frac Head

This flexible type of frac head protects the coil tubing at the surface from erosion during the fracking process. It is configured with several plug valves and can be customized for many different sizes and setups.

Frac Pump Output Header

This is also known as the “missile.” This component serves as the middleman between the fracking fluid source, which comes from a series of valves and controls often called a “tree.” to the frac manifold.

Frac Manifold

These are also known as zipper manifolds. This is a series of flow fittings and valves installed downstream from the frac pump output header. These are used to quickly isolate wells that have completed the fracking process and redirect the flow of the fluid used in the fracking process for a different location. This reduces the amount of time needed for plugging one fracking location and setting up another one improving the overall efficiency of the process. This also limits the need for human interaction in the system, making it safer for fracking workers.

Blast Joints

These are used to protect the wellhead from abrasion during the fracking process.

Ball Catchers

Flowback after the fracturing process is usually a problem because of the balls, mud, and sealers that can clog up the frac stack. Specially designed components known as ball catchers trap these “frac balls” and reduce the flowback, as well as limit the downtime that occurs as a result of clogs in the surface equipment.

Need Forged Flanges and Other Components for the Fracking Process?

Forged Components is the premier provider of industrial forged flanges and nozzles for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. For more information, call us at (281) 441-4088 or contact us online to get a quote today.