2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium
2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium
Unconventional Wells and Hydraulic Fracturing Sand Consumption in Colorado
Unconventional Wells and Hydraulic Fracturing Sand Consumption in Colorado
PROJECT NUMBER: 81 | AUTHOR: Erik Villar, Petroleum Engineering
MENTOR: Nicole Smith and Sebnem Duzgun, Mining Engineering
ABSTRACT
In 2015, the members of the United Nations formally adopted the Agenda for Sustainable Development – composed of sustainable development goals (SDG) that the extractive industries were encouraged to contribute towards. These goals are used to invigorate environmental and social safeguards and maximize economic and social benefits.
Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used in improving production from unconventional reservoirs economically. A crucial component in successfully improving reservoir conductivity is the use of high-quality silica sand to prop open the created fractures. This frac sand has specific properties that distinguishes it from other aggregates and means that the primary sources of frac sand for unconventional wells in the United States comes from a few principal sources. Ottawa and Northern White are the most utilized natural proppant coming from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin; with “Texas Brady” sand as a relatively recent arrival. Increasing the use of high-quality mono-crystalline sand has been met with increased production from unconventional wells. However, despite its use in frac sand operations there is a gap in available information regarding its logistics. This analysis looked to understand the connection between publicly available hydraulic fracturing data in the years 2012 to 2020 in the state of Colorado, and how the Oil and Gas Industries have contributed to these SDGs. From the year of 2012 to 2019, Oil & Gas companies have had limited reporting in both “transport and logistics” and “suppliers and contractors.” This study attempted to connect the frac sand consumption of the wells in Colorado state to these primary frac sand sources mentioned above. However, while this case study identified a general approximation for the total mass of sand consumed, a gap in available supplier side data made it difficult to connect estimates of production to the amount of silica-sand consumed in Colorado. Consequently, to develop better logistical understanding transporting these materials, more transparency for supplier sourcing is needed to contribute towards sustainable development.
PRESENTATION
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Erik Villar is a Junior studying Petroleum Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. His interest in the field stems from its importance in our daily lives and the role that Oil & Gas can play in improving a community’s quality of life. He wants to work towards this goal in the short-term by learning about the life cycle of unconventionals in the United States.
Nicely done! What do you think is the main reason why oil and gas reporting data on frac sand is so low?