Trucks and Fracking

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Without trucks, hydraulic fracturing couldn’t exist. There is a massive amount of water that needs to be taken to and from the drill sites, along with the removal of waste. Here’s a quick overview on the process and what kinds of trucks it takes to complete these big jobs.

The process of drilling horizontally into shale rock to access pockets of natural gas is commonly referred to as hydrofracking or fracking. Once a drill site is established, there is a lot of equipment that needs transported to the site. There are high-horsepower fracturing pumpers, high-pressure lines, wellheads, manifolds, monitoring equipment and other drill-related hardware that all needs shipped to and from the site.

Water is the biggest necessity in a fracking operation. Anywhere from 2 to 9 million gallons of fresh water are required per well. What does that mean for the semi-trucks hauling those loads? That breaks down to 320 truck trips if you need 2 million gallons, and 1,440 trips for 9 million gallons.

One of the downsides of fracking is that it produces a lot of wastewater during the drilling process along with the chemicals used to break apart the shale. Anywhere from 700 to 1,000 truckloads are required to haul the waste water away, assuming you are dealing with trucks that can haul up to 40 tons.

Really, it comes down to how many tanker trucks are available for the operation. They can almost work non-stop, and if the site keeps producing, they could be hauling loads back and forth for years. There are tanker trucks bringing in the fresh water, tanker trucks shipping the wastewater off the site, and repeat.

Whether you are using your rig to work at a fracking well site or another job, maintaining your tractor-trailer is key. Routine maintenance and correcting any issues you have with quality parts is paramount. Don’t neglect your truck; schedule a service appointment now with Smith Springs: 800-619-4652.

Source: SRBC June 12, 2008 Elmira, New York presentation PDF, www.fractracker.org, www.calfrac.com, www.arkansasfracking.org.