FRAC SANDS

In 2022, the hydraulic fracturing sand (commonly known as frac sand) market was valued at around $7 billion globally. The domestic market again experienced increases in both demand and spot pricing, with Permian Basin sand accounting for roughly half of the market. Frac sand is a high-purity silica sand with specific physical and chemical properties. In the fracking process, a mixture of sand, water and other compounds are pumped down a well at high velocities into very small, induced fractures. The frac sand particles become lodged in the fractures, “propping” them open to allow increased flow of oil and natural gas from the well. A range of particle sizes is typically used during the fracking process. These size ranges are often referred to as the mesh and are based on the ASTM International test sieve sizes. Product mesh sizes include: 20/40-mesh, 30/50-mesh, 40/70-mesh, and 100-mesh, which is sometimes referred to as 70/140- mesh. The name defines the particle size range, and the two numbers separated by a slash indicate sieve size. By convention, the size range includes particles small enough to pass a sieve indicated by the first number, but are retained on the sieve of the second number. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have published testing procedures and standards for frac sand, which are defined in API RP 19C/ISO 13503-2, “Recommended Practice for Measurement of Properties of Proppants Used in Hydraulic Fracturing and Gravel-packing Operations.” Beyond size, ideal frac sand material will exhibit the following: High silica content: Mineralogical purity is indicative of a mature deposit that has endured physical and chemical weathering, reducing impurities that are physically weaker or that may negatively interact chemically with other fracking fluids.Homogeneous grain size: Individual well conditions drive completion design and desired grain sizes, and mixtures are designed to optimize recovery. In general, larger grains increase permeability but are less durable, while smaller grains are stronger, and result in less permeable conditions.High sphericity and roundness: Sometimes referred to as the Krumbein shape factor, sphericity and roundness primarily impact grain strength and completed porosity. More rounded and spherical grains are generally stronger and result in an increased flow of oil and natural gas during extraction.High crush resistance: In order to be effective, individual grains must be able to withstand pressures of 2,000 to 10,000 lb/in.2 (psi) or more. Crush resistance is measured as a percentage of fines generated when a sample is exposed to increasing pressures. A k-value is assigned, indicating the greatest pressure withstood while generating not more than 10 percent fines by weight. For example, a k-value of nine indicates a sample generating no more than 10 percent fines by weight when subjected to 9,000 psi, but more than 10 percent fines when subjected to 10,000 psi.Low solubility: Solubility tests provide an indication of the amount of undesirable contaminants. Exposing a proppant to a 15 percent solution of hydrochloric-hydrofluoric acid (HCl-HF) may result in the dissolution of part of the proppant, which can reduce fracture conductivity.Low turbidity: Turbidity is a measure of clays, silts and other fine-grained impurities that can negatively impact the fracking fluid. These API standards represent ideal proppant material. However, in recent years, operators have made compromises in proppant quality to drastically reduce well completion costs. Uses While there are very few alternate uses for frac sand, geologic deposits yielding frac sand material can produce glass, foundry, recreational and construction sand, as well as high-purity ground silica products used in coatings, epoxies and ceramics. Figure 1 Total U.S. rig count 2022. Production U.S. frac sand demand increased by 27 percent year over year in 2022 to reach an all-time high of 113 Mt, according to data prepared by Lium Research, an energy market research firm. The Permian Basin continues to be the sand consumption geomarket leader and demand there of 58 Mt comprised approximately half the U.S. total, more than four times greater than the next largest shale basin (Eagle Ford). With demand for frac sand linked to oil and natural-gas drilling, the increased demand was mirrored by a rising rig count in North America. Based on data from Baker Hughes, the total rig count in the the United States increased by about 191 rigs in 2022 (Fig. 1). A majority of the increase was seen in the first half of the year with the second half seeing only a 50- rig increase. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude-oil prices in early 2022 increased to a mid-year high of just above $122 per barrel, at which point they began to fall, finishing the year at $80.51 per barrel, according to www.macrotrends.net. Pricing Spot prices for local sand in the Permian more than doubled in 2022, according to Lium Research estimates, as demand surpassed local sand mine capacity in the first quarter and the supply base raced to keep up for the rest of the year. It is important to note that pricing was still cyclically depressed in 2021, so even after the big upward move in 2022, prices still averaged below the prior cyclical highs set in the first half of 2018. Also of note, all the inflation occurred in the first half of 2022 with prices plateauing in the second half of 2022 and not budging much since then. Trends and outlook IMARC group projects a frac sand market compound annual growth rate of nearly 8.5 percent during 2022-2028, bringing the market to an estimated $11.4 billion by 2028. A thriving oil and natural-gas industry is cited as the key factor driving global frac sand demand. Additionally, there is an increased interest in fine-mesh frac sand, which can increase natural-gas flow in tight shale plays. Lastly, the mini-mine for on or near-site production of proppant continued to gain popularity in 2022, primarily driven by freight and fuel costs. References are available from the author.

FRAC SANDS

Authored by:
Jack Sackrider

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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