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Frac sand
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Frac sand is a crush-resistant quartz sand used during hydraulic fracturing to enhance the extraction of oil and natural gas. The sand is a proppant, which is small, granular material to prop open fissures in underground rock formations. Frac sand is an ingredient of fracturing fluid, a combination of water, chemicals, and sand that is injected into a crude oil or natural gas well to reduce friction pressure and create a fracture. Also known as industrial sand, frac sand contains high levels of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and can also be used in glassmaking. The majority of frac sand is made from sandstone. Other types of frac sand include ceramic beads or metal beads made from aluminum. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 81.7 million tons of frac sand were used in 2014.[1][2]
Background
Oil or natural gas from some subsurface rocks cannot rise to the surface through a well because the rocks lack interconnected pore spaces or because oil or gas cannot flow through smaller pores. During fracking, operators drill a well, seal a part of the well from the oil or gas-bearing area, and pump water and other fluids into the sealed portion of the well. This fluid, known as fracturing fluid, is injected at a high speed into the wellbore to enhance the release of oil or natural gas. On average, frac fluid contains between 98 percent and 99.5 percent water and frac sand. Between 0.5 percent and 2 percent of the fluid is composed of chemical additives, which are used to stop the growth of microorganisms, prevent well casing corrosion, increase the rate at which the fluid is injected, and reduce pressure, among other uses. Operators may use several thousand tons of frac sand to stimulate an oil or gas well.[3]
Types of frac sand
Frac sand must be processed before it can be used in frac fluid. The sand is washed, drained, dried, and screened at processing plants, which may be located in the same area where the sand is mined. Some frac sand is coated with resin to improve the sand's performance in frac fluid. The frac sand is then delivered by rail or truck to fracking sites. The two main types of frac sand are described below:[3]
- Brady Brown sand, also known as Hickory sand, comes from the Hickory Sandstone Formation in Texas. The sand contains less silicon dioxide (SiO2) than Ottawa White sand, which is found in the Midwest. As a result, Brady Brown sand is generally used in wells that are drilled less than 8,000 feet below the Earth's surface.[4]
- Ottawa White sand, also known as Northern White sand, is composed of 99 percent quartz and is found in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ottawa White sand is used for its ability to withstand high pressure without breaking. This sand is rounder than other types of frac sand and thus can increase oil and gas flow through fissures made in the rocks containing oil and gas resources.[5][6]
Production
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a single fracked well can use up to 1,800 metric tons of frac sand. In 2014, approximately 81.7 million tons of frac sand were used in fracking operations.[2][7][3]
Fracking overview
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a method of oil and natural gas extraction. The process involves injecting fluid into subterranean rock formations at high pressure. The high-pressure fluid produces a fracture network that allows crude oil and natural gas inside dense rocks to flow into a wellbore and be extracted at the surface. The fluid (known as frac fluid) contains between 98 percent and 99.5 percent water and sand; between 0.5 percent and 2 percent of the fluid is composed of chemical additives, which are used to stop the growth of microorganisms, prevent well casing corrosion, increase the rate at which the fluid is injected, and reduce pressure, among other things.[8]
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells in the United States in 2000. In 2015, the United States contained approximately 300,000 hydraulically fractured wells, accounting for 67 percent of U.S. natural gas production and 51 percent of U.S. crude oil production.[9][10][11]
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey, “Silica Statistics and Information,” accessed January 23, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 U.S. Geological Survey, “2014 Minerals Yearbook - Silica,” accessed April 12, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Geology.com, "What is Frac Sand?" accessed June 28, 2016
- ↑ Houston Business Journal, Energy services companies head to the sand pit,” August 9, 2012
- ↑ National Geographic, “Sand Rush: Fracking Boom Spurs Rush on Wisconsin Silica,” July 3, 2013
- ↑ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, “Industrial Silica Sand FAQs,” accessed January 23, 2014
- ↑ National Geographic, “Sand Rush: Fracking Boom Spurs Rush on Wisconsin Silica,” July 3, 2013
- ↑ Frack Wire, “What is Fracking,” accessed January 28, 2014
- ↑ University of Oklahoma, "Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Hydraulic fracturing accounts for about half of current U.S. crude oil production," March 15, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Hydraulically fractured wells provide two-thirds of U.S. natural gas production," May 5, 2016
