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Commentary: What’s the Outlook for Rail-Haul Fracking Sand and the Rail Construction Aggregate Markets [June 24, 2019], Freightwaves.com
Since 2009, the Association of American Railroads has shown a steady growth in rail shipping of crushed stone, gravel and sand. But historical data is not always reliable for predicting future demand.
Commentary: Future of U.S. Railroads Chemicals Transport Looks Strong [June 10, 2019], Freightwaves.com
According to this article at Freightwaves.com chemical freight makes up about 8% of the total rail shipments in the U.S. and approximately 15% of total gross railway company revenue on average. And this number is growing. Experts like PLG Consulting’s CEO Graham Brisben have projected that as much as $125B will be invested to build new petrochemical facilities in U.S. by the year 2025, which means additional potential railroad revenue of almost $1B.
Freightwaves Oil Report: The Need to Transport Frac Sand Many Miles is Fading Away [June 1, 2019], Freightwaves.com
The future of Northern White Sand (NWS) is looking grim as more frac sand is being mined closer to the oil and gas-producing fields. When factoring transportation costs, Moody’s recently predicted local, in-basin frac sand is 60% less expensive then NWS. Reaching beyond the sand shippers, the reduction in shipping is also affecting rail shipments of Nonmetallic Minerals, which Freightwaves reports is down 5.3 percent year to date.
Operator Executives Share Haynesville Development Strategies [May 2, 2019], Journal of Petroleum Technology
While large E&Ps like Chesapeake Energy, XTO Energy and BP have a presence in the Haynesville Shale region of North Louisiana and East Texas, the Journal of Petroleum Technology reports it’s the privately-owned, pure-play operators who have “accounted for much of the play’s output increases.” Indigo, Aethon and Rockcliff own substantial acreage and Aethon and Indigo are taking advantage of local sand.
Futures aren’t just for juice. They’re for truck routes too. [March 31, 2019]. WIRED
Is the old-school truck industry ready to enter the 21st century? With insights from PLG’s senior consultant Jon Gilbert, this article in WIRED online reveals details about truck futures trading and how shippers on select routes can hedge their contracts up to 16 months in advance of transport.
Permian In-Basin Fracture Sand on Pace to Surpass Northern White, [March 29, 2019] NGIs Shale Daily
Within the past couple of years, the Eagle Ford, Haynesville and Oklahoma plays “have largely reached — or are well on their way toward — self-sufficiency as far as fracture sand supply is concerned,” said PLG’s President, Taylor Robinson. Read this article about the future of in-basin vs. traditional northern white sand and contact PLG Consulting for a no-obligation conversation about which is the best sand for your company.
REF 2019 Roundup, [March 26, 2019] Railway Age
If you missed this year’s Rail Equipment Finance Conference held in La Quinta, Calif., you missed a chance to hear the best rail equipment and finance executives share their industry outlooks, including PLG’s CEO Graham Brisben. In this “Financial Edge” annual summary, you’ll get the key takeaways from the speakers sharing the podium at REF 2019.
For more on the topic of rail transport optimization, check out Brisben’s highlights and analysis from the Midwest Association of Rail Shipper’s winter meeting earlier this year.
Everything Has Changed – The Frac Sand Revolution, [March 19, 2019] RBN Energy
The U.S. frac sand market has been turned on its head. Over the past three years, demand for the sand used in hydraulic fracturing has more than doubled, dozens of new “local” sand mines have been popping up within the Permian and other fast-growing plays, and frac sand prices have fallen sharply from their 2017 highs. The big changes don’t end there. Continue reading >>The Top 10 stories read on FleetOwner.com in 2018, [December 31, 2018] , FleetOwner
From HOS complaints to rising operational costs for truckers, FleetOwner published their Top 10 most engaging stories from 2018. PLG Consulting’s insights on the trucking industry came in at #4 for the year.
Fracking’s Next Boom? Petrochemical Plants Fuel Debate Over Jobs, Pollution, [December 4, 2018] WV Public Broadcasting
PTT Global Chemical is eyeing a spot in Ohio’s Belmont County for a new petrochemical plant. According to PLG Consulting, the cracker plant would require a complex supply chain that would have far-reaching impacts for the entire Ohio Valley.