The year 2019 began with the the frac industry under pressure as a whole, and pressure pumpers were no exception. A sudden oil price drop in December, coupled with downward pricing impetus from backlogged pipelines and year-end budget exhaustion led to a drop in completions—and a freefall in demand for fracturing crews and frac sand. […]
Sands of Time
Care and Grooming of a Frac Sand Mine An acute driver shortage can almost be categorized as infrastructure challenge as well. By Paul Wiseman Reminiscent of the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush, the 2018 Permian Basin sand rush saw excited investors descend on the Basin, opening approximately 19 new sources of this granular gold. Black Mountain […]
Shifting Sands
In less than 10 years, frac sand sourcing has migrated from Wisconsin/Illinois to Brady to local basins, and cut fracturing costs by millions in the process. Meanwhile, expect another sand boom. By Paul Wiseman While hydraulic fracturing traces its roots as far back as 1947 with Stanolind Oil and Gas engineer Floyd Farris’s unsuccessful trial, […]