At the onset of the Eagle Ford boom, the biggest priority was getting skin in the game. Now, rather than a land grab, the next big thing may be a sand grab.
Next month, the EIA predicts the Eagle Ford will reach oil production of $1.5-million bbls/d, but according to the Houston Chronicle, 95% of the oil and gas is left behind, despite the high production numbers. With those statistics, operators are motivated to find ways to recover these hydrocarbons. One method already being applied is the use of copious amounts of sand in well completions, in order to further stimulate the well during the fracking process.
The use of sand in well completions stands to greatly benefit companies that supply sand to operators. Sand miner US Silica Holdings Inc. said its demand could triple over the next five years, according to Reuters. Thousands of tons of sand are used to frack just one well.