UNP Sets Frack Sand Shipment Record -- July 6, 2015

Before reading this note, remember these two data points:

• EOG has a significant presence in the Eagle Ford
• EOG likes to use a lot of sand in their fracks

San Antonio Business Journal is reporting:

While the nation was celebrating the Fourth of July, three companies broke an oil industry record in the Eagle Ford shale just south of San Antonio.

Unimin Energy Solutions, Union Pacific Railroad and Twin Eagle Sand Logistics moved the largest shipment of frac sand by rail in U.S. history.

The 140-train car shipment arrived at Twin Eagle's facility at the Mission Rail Park in Elmendorf on the Fourth of July.

Twin Eagle has been regularly receiving trains with 130 railcars filled with frac sand but the shipment received this weekend broke a national record.

Powered by four diesel engines and measuring 6,200 feet long, the shipment was certified by Union Pacific as the largest single frac sand rail delivery in the United States.

This is very, very interesting:

Recent industry reports show that new drilling and general demand for frac sand is down but the amount of the finely ground silica used per well on the remaining shale oil and natural gas drilling sites is increasing.

More data points valuable for future reading and for newbies:

One study shows that shale drilling sites are now using an average of 2,100 tons of frac sand per well. With each rail car capable of carrying of 100 tons of frac sand, the Fourth of July shipment arrived carrying 14,000 tons of frac sand, which is enough to supply up to seven average wells.

The sand will be stored at Twin Eagle's silos where 18-wheelers will come to be filled and haul the sand to jobs sites. Company officials said it takes four to five 18-wheelers to haul one rail car's worth of sand to a drilling site. At that rate, it would take at least 94 truck trips to haul enough sand to a drilling site.

If a ton = 2,000 lbs, then 2,100 tons = 4.2 million lbs which sounds about right. The average should increase if EOG continues to impress with 10-million-lb sand fracks.

The only personal disappointment: BNSF did not set the national record in the Bakken. 

So, one drilling site:

• 5 18-wheelers = one rail car
• 94 truck trips for one drilling site

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If You Can't See "Him," He Can't See You

This afternoon our adult daughter sent several photographs of our one-year-old granddaughter visiting the Ft Worth Zoo -- or is the Dallas Zoo -- probably the Dallas Zoo. Doesn't matter.

These are precious:

 My, what big teeth you have. 

 I can't see you, so you can't see me.