I Must Be Doing The Math Wrong -- Fracking Sand Volume -- February 24, 2017

Disclaimer: I did this while multi-tasking other tasks so there may be huge mistakes on this page. Do not make any financial, investment, job, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. If this is important to you, go to the source.

Updates

Later, 11:57 a.m. Central Time: see comments below. Maybe it's pounds of proppant per foot per stage, but even so, not sure. Doesn't matter in big scheme of things. Just idle chatter. Bottom line: CLR thinks the law of diminishing returns applies to how much sand one uses when fracking. Fifteen pounds/foot may get as good a financial return as three thousand pounds/foot.
 

Original Post

 
Back-of-the-envelope:

• Bakken horizontals are about 10,000 feet long
• 1 million lbs of sand = 1,000,000 / 10,000 = 100 lbs / foot
• 10 million lbs of sand = 10,000,000 / 10,000 = 1,000 lbs / foot
• 30 million lbs of sand = 30,000,000 / 10,000 = 3,000 lbs / foot

Is that correct?

Note this article at Investor's Business Daily:

Continental Resources (CLR) plans to use less sand than other exploration and production companies do, as demand for materials used in fracking takes off and potentially adds to cost pressures for shale companies.

Glen Brown, Continental's vice president of exploration, said during a conference call Thursday that the bellwether shale company is using 1,000-2,000 pounds of fracking sand per foot as it tests enhanced completion techniques in the Bakken formation.

He noted that Continental's optimum range is closer to 1,000-1,500 pounds in the company's part of the shale play, while other operators in the area are using more than 3,000 pounds.

I must have done the math "wrong."

Over at "high intensity fracks" -- these are the exceptions -- run through the list, see how many are using more than 10 million lbs/frack. I'm not seeing it (yet). So either I must have done the math wrong (which is probably the case) or I mis-read the linked article above.

• 31670, 2,063, CLR, Rath Federal 5-22H, Sanish, 62 stages, 14 million lbs, t8/16; cum 120K 12/16; 
• 30505, 1,052, Hess, BB-Eide-151-95-3328H-4, Blue Buttes, 50 stages, 3.5 million lbs, t1/17; cum 14K over 10 days;
• 30506, 893, Hess, BB-Eide-151-95-3328H-5, Three Forks, 50 stages, 3.5 million lbs, Blue Buttes, t1/17; cum 7K over 5 days;  
• 30504, 1,136, Hess, BB-Eide-151-95-3328H-3, Blue Buttes, Three Forks, 50 stages, 3.5 million lbs, t12/16; cum 23K over 16 days;  
• 27595, 920, Petro-Hunt, Marinenko 145-97-31D-30-1H, Little Knife, 50 stages; 4.9 million lbs, t11/16; cum 16K 12/16;
• 31515, 150, CLR, Topeak 9-12H1, Brooklyn, 30 stages; 8.9 million lbs, t8/16; cum 23K 12/16; 
• the BR Gudmunson wells in Elidah oil field; also note the number of stages from one well to another;
• 31686, 1,957, Whiting, P Bibler 154-99-3-5-8-14H, Stockyard Creek, 40 stages, 10.6 million lbs, Whiting's P Bibler wells are tracked here, t8/16; cum 99K 11/16;   
• 31892, 1,717, Hess, BB-Sivertson-151-95-2019H-6, Blue Buttes, 53 stages, 3.7 million lbs, t11/16; cum --
• 31893, 1,523, Hess, BB-Siverston-151-95-2019H-7, Blue Buttes, 53 stages, 3.7 million lbs, t12/16; cum --
• 29693, 2,471, Whiting, P Bibler 155-99-16-31-30-1H, Epping, 39 stages, 10 million lbs, t7/16; cum 131K 10/16;
• 31891, 1,506, Hess, BB-Siverston-LS-151-95-2019H-1, Blue Buttes, 53 stages, 3.7 million lbs, t12/16; cum --
• 31280, 1,612, Hess, EN-VP and R-154-94-2536H-5, Alkali Creek, Three Forks, 53 stages, 3.7 million lbs, t10/16; cum 14K after 8 days; 
• 31281, 746, Hess, EN-VP and R-154-94-2536H-6, Alkali Creek, middle Bakken, 57 stages, 4 million lbs, t11/16; cum 3K after 3 days; 
• 31919, 1,413, Oasis, Johnsrud Federal 5198 11-18 3BX, North Tobacco Garden, 4 sections, 50 stages, 20 million lbs, t6/16; cum 126K 10/16;
•  32340, 2,010, Whiting, Carscallen31-14-4H, Truax, 45 stages, 13.6 million lbs, t7/16; cum 140K 10/16;
•  32417, 257, EOG, Austin 421-2821H,  Parshall, 44 stages; 17 million lbs, t6/16; cum 125K 10/16; 32418, 681, EOG, Austin 422-2821H, Parshall, 42 stages, 16 million lbs, t6/16; cum 151K 10/16; 
• 32419, 678, EOG, Austin 423-2821H, Parshall, 32 stages, 12 million lbs; t6/16; cum 115K 10/16; 
• 24072, 342, Crescent Point, CPEUSC Holmes 8-5-158N-100W, Winner, TD = 19,842 feet, 70 stages, 8.5 million lbs, t3/15; cum 89K 9/16; [a pretty good considering its location]
• 31247, 1,613, EOG, West Clark 103-0136H, Clarks Creek, 37 stages, 21.1 million lbs, s12/10/15; TD, 12/20/15; TVD, 10,552 feet; TD, 17,965 feet; again, only a 1.5 section lateral; 960-acre spacing; middle Bakken;  
• 31403, 1,447, EOG, West Clark 117-0136H, Clarks Creek, middle Bakken, 36 stages, 27.65 million lbs, t5/16; cum 132K 9/16;
•  31248, 1,272, EOG, West Clark 104-0136H, Clarks Creek, middle Bakken, 36 stages, 21 million lbs, t5/16; cum 86K 9/16; drilling unit: 960 acres; TVD around 10,600 feet; TD, 18,185 feet; total lateral, 7,338 feet; target total, 7,338 feet (100%); KOP December 4, 2015; cease drilling December 8, 2015; from surface, well was sited in southwest corner of section 1-151-95; proceeded northeast and then northnortheast under section 1-151-95, ending just short of the halfway mark in section 36-151-95W (according to diagram on page 29 -- but it obviously ended in section 36-152-95).
• 31057, 3,490, MRO, Chamaine USA 14-35TFH, Antelope, Sanish, 45 stages, 12 million lbs, t6/16; cum 131K 8/16 after just three months;
• 31058, 3,661, MRO, Clarks Creek USA 14-35H, Antelope, Sanish, 45 stages, 18 million lbs, t5/16; cum 143K 8/16; after just 3.5 months;
• 31061, 2,942, MRO, Juanita USA 13-35H, Antelope, Sanish, 40 stages, 12 million lbs, t7/16; cum 115K after just 2.5 months;
• 29443, 1,442, WPX, Olive Mae 7-8-9HW, Van Hook, 68 stages, 15 million lbs, t10/15; cum 81K 1/16; 
• 27414, 2,712, HRC, Fort Berthold 148-95-25B-36-6H, Eagle Nest, 56 stages, 6.7 million lbs/ t4/16; cum 22K after 15 days; distance between closest fracture initiation point and abandoned "5H" is 654 feet; 
• 31119, 2,149, Oasis, Lefty 5200 12-30 7B, Camp, 50 stages, 4.2 million lbs, t4/16; cum 100K 8/16;
•  27412, 3,745, HRC, Fort Berthold 148-95-25B-36-7H, Eagle Nest, 56 stages; 6.7 million lbs, t4/16; cum 35K after 16 days;
  
• 31313, 2,204, Hess, AN-Brenna-153-94-3130H-2, Antelope, Sanish, t9/16; cum -- 
• 31120, 907, Oasis, Left 5200 12-30 8T, Camp. 50 stages, 8.9 million lbs, t4/16; cum 36K 8/16; 
• 31188, 3,752, HRC, Fort Berthold 148-95-25B-36-8H, Eagle Nest, 56 stages, 6.7 million lbs, t4/16; cum 38K 8/16; no production since the first 18 days; last produced 5/16; 
• 28330, 1,716, CLR, Salers Federal 3-27H, 50 stages; 19 million lbs; 14 days spud to TD, t10/14; cum 383K 8/16;
• 31121, 1,374, Oasis, Hysted 5200 12-30 10B, Camp, 36 stages, 20 million lbs, t4/16; cum 67K 8/16; 
• 30286, 1,974, EOG, Riverview 102-32H, 23 stages, 13 million lbs, t6/15; cum 419K 8/16; 320-acre spacing; short lateral  
• 31060, 3,473, MRO, Heather USA 13-35TFH, 44 stages, 12 million lbs, t5/16; cum 123K 8/16;
• 31061, 2,942, MRO, Juanita USA 13-35H, 40 stages, 12 million lbs, t7/16; cum 115K 8/16;