Frac Sand Weekly News Digest

Nick Cook, Editor

Issue #181 | August 22, 2018

This Week's News

Optimizing Frack Sand's Last Mile

Proppant use in the U.S. has seen tremendous growth this year, with demand increasing about 40% since 2017 and roughly 60% since the 2014 peak. The rapid growth has caused...

Candid Covia CEO: 'Oversupply Is Upon Us'

Candid is probably the best word to describe Covia’s conference call yesterday. Management owned up to the oversupply in the frac sand market – a reckoning our reporting has foreshadowed...

Covia Holdings' First Earnings Report Shows Some Promise for Investors

After completing the merger between Fairmount Santrol Holdings and Unimin back in June and changing its name to Covia Holdings, we got to see the financials of the combined entity...

The Proppant Demand Dichotomy in Appalachia Super Laterals

While the Appalachia Basin only accounts for roughly 15% of total proppant usage in the Lower 48, the US Northeast has some of the highest proppant amounts per well. In...

2020 Vision: Over 1/2 The US Frac Sand Supply Base Will Be Local When The Decade Turns

Even after covering this story daily for more than 1.5 years here at Infill Thinking, this chart is still mind-blowing to us because of both its velocity and its scale....

Room Block Information for the 7th Annual Frac Sand Supply & Logistics Conference

The room block at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort for the Frac Sand Supply & Logistics Conference is sold out. We've set up additional room blocks at nearby...

US Shale Operators Prepped to Spend More to Produce More

Second quarter 2018 results recently released by US E&P operators signaled higher expected capital investments and oil production growth from US shale than guided in early 2018. While selected operators...

Can U.S. Shale Stop A Global Oil Supply Crisis?

Despite an expected slowdown in Permian growth rates, the U.S. shale patch is increasing production and will continue to do so this year and next. Oil market investors and analysts...

Fracking Robots in the Works as Halliburton Digitizes Oil Field

Rack up one more thing robots can be used for: Fracking for oil. Bots already are used to vacuum floors, build cars and do heart surgery. Now, Halliburton Co. wants...

Will Electrified Frac Spreads Stay On The Fringe Or Go Mainstream? Here’s How This Story Begins…

In this update, we provide a deep dive on a new topic that is emerging from the fringes in fracing: Electric Frac Spreads. Fad or a game changer?

Whiting Petroleum Says Reducing Proppant in Bakken Wells, Bucking Trend

While increasing the use of proppant during completions has been typical among oil producers over the past several years, Whiting Petroleum CEO Brad Holly says his company has managed to...

Going Local Part 2: US Independents Are 'Backing Up The Truck' On In-Basin Sand

Several weeks ago in this update, we documented an inflection on local sand adoption. Recent proppant customer commentary has remained on trend – here’s what’s new.

Texas Sand Mining Boom: What Does It Mean for the Permian Basin?

Out in the west Texas plains, Greg Edwards runs a sand mine. Silos that dot the horizon out here mark the ever-growing competition in his field, which didn’t exist just...

Alarmist Headlines Obscure Context of Duke Study on Water Use and Fracking

A new report by researchers from Duke University has triggered some unnecessarily alarmist media reports. Popular Science, for example, ran a story under the headline “New fracking wells are using...

IAC Commissions Multiple Patented Combination Dual Feed Rotary Frac Sand Dryer/Coolers

Industrial Accessories Company (IAC), one of the largest EPC contractors for the Frac Sand industry, has developed a state-of-the art advanced Frac Sand Rotary Dryer / Cooler, which has been...

IAC Now Supports Preferred Sands with Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance Services

Adelphi Construction LC, owned by Industrial Accessories Company (IAC), recently completed the design/build of two Frac Sand facilities for Preferred Sands in central Texas and is completing 3 more plants...

Patriot Rail Company's Rail and Real Estate Assets Provide Opportunity for Energy Sector Companies

Patriot Rail Company LLC is a premier short line railroad and transportation service provider in North America. Recently, its Louisiana & North West Railroad (LNW) location, which operates over...

Appeals Court Rejects Jackson County Frac Mine Challenge, Approves Legal Strategy

A Wisconsin appeals court has rejected attempts by a group of landowners to block a proposed frac sand operation in western Wisconsin but may open a door for legal challenges...

Ordinance Banning Industrial Mineral Mining Not A Regulatory Taking - But What About Palazzolo?

Challenging an ordinance that the court characterizes as an "even-handed" zoning regulation, even if it outlaws an existing conditional use, is going to be a tough one for a plaintiff....

UK Government Drops Fracking Question from Public Attitude Tracker

The government has stopped asking the British public whether they are for or against fracking for shale gas just weeks before the first fracking operation in seven years is due...

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AGENDA - NOV 18

  • Frac Sand Equipment Expo Begins 9:00 am
  • Shuttle Service from Hyatt to Expo Begins 10:00 am
  • Welcome Reception at the Expo 4:30 pm
  • Shuttle Service from Hyatt to Expo Ends 6:00 pm

AGENDA - NOV 19

AGENDA - NOV 20

SPONSOR ADD-ONS

  • Frac Sand Equipment Expo 20'x40' Space $3,500
  • VIP Dinner on November 19th $7,500
  • Coffee Mugs SOLD
  • Notebook SOLD
  • Speaker/Sponsor Reception on November 18th SOLD
  • Conference Mobile App $3,000
  • Day 1 Kick-Off SOLD
  • Day 2 Kick-Off $3,000
  • Lanyard SOLD
  • Networking Lunch on November 19th SOLD
  • Networking Reception Glasses SOLD
  • Day 1 Morning Break (Video ad) SOLD
  • Day 1 Afternoon Break (Video ad) $2,500
  • Day 2 Morning Break (Video ad) $2,500
  • Day 2 Afternoon Break (Video ad) $2,500
  • Case Study 1 $2,500
  • Case Study 2 $2,500
  • Charging Station $2,500
  • Printed Program SOLD
  • Conference Wifi SOLD
  • Golf: Water Bottles SOLD
  • Golf: Hosted Hole (Beverage Station & Contest) $3,700
  • Golf: Hats $3,500
  • Golf: Cigars $3,200
  • Golf: Divot Tools $3,200
  • Golf: Balls $3,200
  • Golf: Towels $3,200

The Frac Sand
Summer Happy Hour

Event Registration – $25