New type of unit train??? OKC, OK

[BaltACD]

mudchicken

 

caldreamer

Why is frac sand transporation sensative?  Sand is sand, not some chemicals that due to thier nature are time sensative?

 

 

Ohio/Illinois/Wisconsin/Michigan sand is coming out west to Colorado...there are multiple gradations of sand and different specific weights and Silica contents. It isn't quite as simple as you make it sound.

 

When it comes to industrial commodities - each had myriad of different 'grades' and each of the grades has a specific reason for existing and using the wrong grade of the commodity will ruin the process 

Not all coal is the same.
Not all oil is the same.
Not all wheat is the same.
Not all corn is the same.
Not all soybeans are the same...and on and on!

Industrial buyers of commodities want specific characteristics in the commodities they buy and they rigoriously test to make sure the get what they are paying for.

[mudchicken]

caldreamer

Why is frac sand transporation sensative?  Sand is sand, not some chemicals that due to thier nature are time sensative?

Ohio/Illinois/Wisconsin/Michigan sand is coming out west to Colorado...there are multiple gradations of sand and different specific weights and Silica contents. It isn't quite as simple as you make it sound.

[CatFoodFlambe]

caldreamer

Why is frac sand transporation sensative?  Sand is sand, not some chemicals that due to thier nature are time sensative?

 

I should clarify - it's sensitive to the cost of transportation - the closest producer usually has the overall price advantage.  There are production cost differences, of course (union vs. non-union employees, for example), and a large driller might sign a contract with a multipe-mine operator that results in a lower total delievered price from a greater distance), but generally, Ohio sand will wind up in wells in OH/PA instead of North Dakota simply because of the cost of lugging it an extra 500 miles.

[caldreamer]

Why is frac sand transporation sensative?  Sand is sand, not some chemicals that due to thier nature are time sensative?

[MP173]

NS runs considerable volume of frac sand on their Chicago - Conway trains.  These trains out of BRC often will have 25 - 50 cars (2 bay covered hoppers).  Also moving east are the BNSF trains to Elkhart with similar volumes.  Lots of sand, lots of $$$.

 

Ed

[jeffhergert]

UP handles a lot of Wisconsin originated sand going towards the Texas area.

Jeff  

[CatFoodFlambe]

NILE

I did not, but it was a long train.  Most of the hoppers were not railroad reporting marks, FTEX or something like that.  Does anyone know where the Frac Sand is coming from?  to?

 

 

Frac sand comes mostly from an area bounded by the Missouri River on the west and southwest, the Ohio River on the south, and the Allegheny Mountains on the east.   There are localized deposits outside of this area. 

Your train is almost certainly bound for Texas, and the sand probably came from Indiana, Illinois, Missouri or Wisconsion.  Eastern sand tends to stay in Ohio and Pennsylvania, while Wisconsin and other northern sands tend to move to the Dakotas.   There are lots of exceptions, but sand is transportation-sensitive and usually prices itself out of contention with distance. 

[/quote]

[NILE]

I did not, but it was a long train.  Most of the hoppers were not railroad reporting marks, FTEX or something like that.  Does anyone know where the Frac Sand is coming from?  to?

[MP173]

Did you count the number of cars perhaps?

[mudchicken]

Frac sand.

[NILE]

On Christmas Eve (day) my son and I watched a southbound BNSF (Oklahoma City, OK) train that was all two bay covered hoppers.  I know up north these cars are used for sand, fly ash, cement, and the likes...  Does someone know what type of frieght this train could be hauling?  It was long, had two be GEs on the front and one in DPU on the rear.