Energy Recovery Inc., which develops pressure energy technology for industrial fluid flows, announced the release of the VorTeq hydraulic pumping system. The system is designed to increase runtime and reduce maintenance costs by rerouting abrasive frac fluid away from existing hydraulic fracturing pumps.

VorTeq re-routes proppant-filled fluid away from high-pressure pumps on fracking sites so the pumps only process fresh water and last significantly longer. VorTeq channels the abrasive fluids and sends them down the wellbore.

Liberty Resources LLC’s subsidiary Liberty Oilfield Services signed an agreement to be the first well fracturing services provider to use Energy Recovery’s VorTeq hydraulic pumping system.

The VorTeq hydraulic pumping system uses Energy Recovery’s Pressure Exchanger technology, which is in use in more than 15,000 desalination installations worldwide. The system handles up to 110 barrels per minute, with a treating pressure up to 15,000 pounds per square inch. The system is designed with only one moving part and made from tungsten carbide, which is 1,000 times more abrasion-resistant than steel.