Arizona frac sand plant for sale

A potential buyer contacted us last week looking for more information about the Preferred Sands operation at the Cheto mine east of Sanders on the Navajo Reservation in northeast Arizona that is for sale as turnkey operation. The sales brochure from agent Hilco Industrial says the facility has an estimated reserve of 130 million tons of premium coarse grained sand for use in hydraulic fracturing of shale oil deposits.    

The nationwide boom in shale gas and shale oil development has created a huge demand for frac sands to use as proppants in the reservoirs to hold open the fractures so oil and gas can flow to the wellbore.  Different producing horizons may require sands of different grain size, shapes, and strengths.  The Arizona frac sands are shipped out of state.

Nyal Niemuth, Chief of the AZGS Economic Geology Section in Phoenix, shared some other relevant resources about frac sands in Arizona.

Englehard, the former desiccant clay mine operator, apparently starting investing in a plant to expand frac sand recovery in 2006.

 

Trabits group explored the sand area east of Sanders 2005 - 2007

http://www.trabitsgroup.com/afsmd.html

Azfab is located in Tuscon on Grant Road and constructs sand plants. See their frac sand plants here http://www.azfab.com/portfolio/

Proppant Selection slide presentation by Kullman 2011

http://images.sdsmt.edu/learn/speakerpresentations/Kullman.pdf

A frac sand conference agenda from summer 2013 lists papers from a few specialists in the field http://www.fracsandinsider.com/index.php?c=3500&d=5022&e=5023&w=9&r=Y

Digital geologic map of Tonto National Monument released by Park Service

Our friend Bruce Heise with the National Park Service's Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) Team sent us a Christmas present today, announcing the completion and availability of digital geologic map coverage for Tonto National Monument (TONT).   Bruce provided the following details:

Providing parks with digital geologic maps meets the geologic inventory goal defined and funded by the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program.  This map includes a compiled 1:24,000 version and is provided in full GIS coverage which can be found at:

GRI Digital Geologic Map of Tonto National Monument and Vicinity, Arizona (GRI MapCode TONT)   https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2205993

Also included is a surficial geologic map:

GRI Digital Surficial Geologic Map of Tonto National Monument and Vicinity, Arizona (GRI MapCode TSUR)   https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2205994

Both of these maps are also linked to the GRI TONT IRMA project record,

https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2194438

The source data used is listed below. More detailed information on source maps can be found in the abstract and metadata sites at the above listed URLs.  The GIS data is in the NPS  2.1 geodatabase data model, and is available in ESRI 10.0 file geodatabase and ESRI 10.0 shapefile format data is available upon request.  Both maps are also available as a Google Earth product [above].

With the completion of TONT, all 76 parks in the NPS Intermountain Region (and 11 parks in the Sonoran Desert Network) have received a digital geologic map and GIS product through the GRI.  In addition to the digital geologic maps, the GRI program also produces geologic reports that tie the digital geologic map to the geologic features, issues, and processes relevant to geologic resource management.  The report for TONT is forthcoming. 

These GIS products are the result of close collaboration between the Geologic Resources Division GRI team and Research Associates at the Colorado State University.  We want to extend a special thanks to staff at the Arizona Geological Survey for their assistance. CSU GRI team member Jim Chappell managed and finalized this product, with assistance from Ron Karpilo, Stephanie O’Meara, Derek Witt, Kari Lanphier, Rachel Yoder, and James Winter. 

References: 

Spencer, J.E., Richard, S.M., Ferguson, C.A., and Gilbert, W.G., 1999, Preliminary Bedrock Geologic Map and Cross Sections of the Windy Hill 7.5' Quadrangle, Gila County, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Open-File Report OFR 99-12, 1:24,000 scale. (GRI Source Map ID 74430).

Spencer, J.E., and Richard, S.M., 1999, Geologic Map and Report for the Theodore Roosevelt Dam Area, Gila and Maricopa Counties, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Open-File Report OFR 99-06, 1:24,000 scale. (GRI Source Map ID 7493).

Anderson, L.W., Piety, L.A., and LaForge, R.C., 1987, Seismotectonic Investigation, Theodore Roosevelt Dam, Salt River Project (Plate 1, Surficial Geologic Map of the Tonto Basin), Arizona, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Seismotectonic Report No. 87-5, 1:48,000 scale. (GRI Source Map ID 39467).

Resolution Copper's mine plan of operations publicly released

We've been so busy with projects that we missed the notice that Resolution Copper released their  Mine Plan of Operations (MPO) also referred to as the General Plan of Operations (GPO) for public review on November 15.  The company says a  more searchable and user friendly version will be available in January 2014.

The transmittal of the plan to the US Forest Service notes that it was "prepared pursuant to 36 CFR 228 and describes our plan for construction, operation,and closure of the Resolution Copper Mine Project, located near Superior, Arizona. The project includes an underground mine, ore processing facility, tailings disposal facilities,access roads, and supporting infrastructure."

 

The company notes that portions of the project will be located on lands managed by the Tonto National Forest near the town of Superior, and "the next step is for the US Forest Service to conduct a completeness review of the documents.    Resolution Copper pointed out that "there are some portions of the document that are preliminary (such as the Reclamation and Closure Plan); we recognize that these portions will be further developed during the completeness review in order to respond to US Forest Service requirements. In addition, we have a significant amount of environmental baseline data and analysis that is referenced in the GPO that is available to support the US Forest Service review."

 

Forest Service approves Rosemont Copper mine proposal

We just saw an email from Rosemont Copper, saying the U.S. Forest Service released the draft Record of Decision (ROD), approving the Rosemont Copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson.    [Right, photo of ROD cover]  In the draft ROD, the Coronado Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch states:

“With these factors in mind I did not take this decision lightly.  My decision to approve the proposal is guided by Federal law.

“My decision allows Rosemont Copper to develop its mineral resource while requiring a wide array of mitigation and monitoring steps that will minimize or avoid impacts on National Forest Service lands to the extent practicable.  Importantly, my decision implements an alternative that will allow Rosemont Copper to comply with applicable Federal laws and regulations.”

Rod Pace with Rosemont said that "All that remains is the final permit, the 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the final adjustments to the Rosemont Mine Plan of Operations to comply with the conditions included in the Final Record of Decision for the 404 permit and for the Forest Service."