We are pleased to share a well written article by our friends over at Ovintiv written in the Oil & Gas Journal in July. The article lays out how wet sand has and will continue to improve their Permian Basin supply chain’s operation & sustainably reduce cost.
Wet Sand Improves Permian Basin Supply Chain
Local in-field sand supplies have decreased fracture treatment costs in the Permian basin. Further cost reductions are achieved by eliminating sand drying, leaving the sand at residual 4-6% water saturation. Wet-sand transfer and metering, however, require specialized equipment to overcome grain-to-grain cohesion.
Wet-sand use removes a large portion of emissions from the unconventional-development supply chain, reducing sand-related emissions by more than 90%. Additionally, damp sand minimizes airborne dust, improving wellsite safety, comfort, and visibility.
“Relative to Northern White imports, in-field wet sand mines remove about 66% of total sand cost, permanently reducing per well costs by more than $800,000 over the last 5 years.”