Sand

Dallas-based Pioneer Natural Resources Co., one of the largest Permian Basin producers, has secured fracture sand reserves near its West Texas operations in a 15-year deal with U.S. Silica Holdings Inc.

Acknowledging that it is somewhat of a long shot, North Dakota energy and geologic officials are re-evaluating whether sands in the state could be used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking), which has fueled the oil and natural gas boom in the Bakken Shale.

Shale Support, which provides proppant for oil and gas drilling, has gained capital from Austin, TX-based CrowdOut Capital LLC to acquire two mines that would double its reserves.

Fracture sand provider Black Mountain Sand is expanding into the Anadarko Basin with construction underway on its sixth mine, the first outside Texas.

No “easy beach days” are ahead in the U.S. onshore proppant sand market, as fierce competition among suppliers, and a slowdown in Permian Basin completions, likely will continue into 2019, according to analysts.

With horizontal wells longer than ever and completions requiring more stages, U.S. fracture (frack) sand operators secured more long-term contracts during the second quarter and continue to see support to expand capacity for more in-basin services.

Houston-based Hi-Crush Partners LP unveiled a triple shot of expansions on Monday, with the takeover of a Manitoba-based silo-based sand storage business and build out of proppant operations in Wisconsin and the Permian Basin.

Emerge Energy Services LP subsidiary Superior Silica Sands LLC expects to start up a fracture sand mining and processing operation by the end of the year in the heart of Oklahoma’s myriad reservoirs with nameplate capacity of 1.5 million tons/year.

Black Mountain Sand is expanding its operations into the Eagle Ford Shale with the acquisition of 2,400 acres in South Texas.