We refreshed our drive time analysis for the X local Permian Basin frac sand mines that we consider “firm” (either operational or showing progress moving towards first production). For this analysis, we force ranked the Top 5 mines for each key Permian sub-market based on proximity. There’s a lot more …
Read More »The Shale Supply Chain’s New(ish) Ownership Conundrum
Epic quantities of frac sand and water will fracture a lot of low permeability rock in the Lower 48 this year. This same sand and water has also fractured the US oilfield supply chain. Conventional wisdom on market segmentation and task ownership is now being challenged. The chain of custody …
Read More »Research Rewind: Permian Basin Frac Sand Trucking
Infill Thinking comes at you fast. In 2018, we are on track to publish more than 400 original research updates. These proprietary updates often break the seal on topics that will be covered elsewhere months later (i.e. Permian frac sand truckload estimates). While timely, Infill Thinking updates also contain proprietary …
Read More »Making A Mountain Out Of A Molehill? Permian Producers Downplay Pipeline Impact On Their Completion Programs
With the Midland crude basis differential widening to as much as $15/bbl, we’ve received inbound questions from quite a few supply chain subscribers (and Bloomberg News too) asking about the impact on oilfield service activity and logistics. Here is an executive summary of the Permian producers’ view, our view, and …
Read More »Automatize Takes An “Airbnb” Style Approach To Last Mile Logistics [Silica Valley Series]
This is the third installment in our Silica Valley Series which shines the spotlight on an increasingly critical part of the frac value chain: new software solutions in the last mile. A crop of new entrants are improving the frac sand industry’s “mind-muscle connection” on the highways from origin to …
Read More »Permian Frac Sand Truck Demand And 6 Factors That Could Reduce The Need [Chart Of The Day]
So how many trucks will West Texas frac sand require in the last mile? We have estimates… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to …
Read More »The New Face Of Frac Sand? Permian Startups Take The House Floor In Austin [Testimony Recap]
Last Wednesday, Hayden Gillespie (Chief Commercial Officer of Black Mountain Sand) and Bud Brigham (Chairman of Atlas Sand) testified in front of the Texas House Of Representatives Energy Committee. If you missed their testimony, no worries took it in and recapped the highlights here. Some interesting market intel and perspective on …
Read More »If Not Rail, Then Barge. Unanticipated Logistics Havoc Is Plaguing 2018 Completions More Than Anticipated Trucking Issues
Everyone’s been focused on trucking in Texas. And trucking in Texas is tight. But it’s the devil you don’t know that’ll get you. And during the first half of 2018, unanticipated disruptions in transportation modes not involving wheels have wreaked much more havoc in the shale frac sand transportation network. …
Read More »More Negative Highway Headlines Out In West Texas This Week
A few local headlines in West Texas caught our attention this week. Oilfield traffic is becoming a bigger problem as the year goes on… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Silica Valley – Software Startups Are Racing To Digitalize The Last Mile
When the term “new entrants” is mentioned in frac sand conversation, the focus immediately gravitates to the physical. New sand producers, new plants, new well-site storage containers, and new trailer fleets have been all the rage lately. Hardware gets the headlines, but new software solutions have swept in too. A …
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