Marcellus Shale Fracking – Transloading Bulk Materials for Marcellus Shale Drilling

Archive for the ‘transloading’ Category

The process of transloading is an essential part of the transportation of bulk goods from their place of origin to their final destination.  This is just part of the normal business process due to the lower cost of transporting large amounts of bulk material by rail.

The stations that offer the service of transloading are strategically located throughout the country. The numbers and placement of these stations are determined by the needs of the industry in the different regions of America.

An example of filling the needs of a particular sector of the country can be found in the Marcellus shale deposit region.  There are trans loading stations in both the state of New York and Pennsylvania. This is cost efficient for the different oil and natural gas well developers exploring the possibilities of the shale energy reserves.

The closer the trans loading stations are to the final destination, the lower the cost for the transportation of the bulk material by tractor trailer. This is because of the fuel and labor cost. For each rail car of frac sand, it takes 5 tractor trailers to hold the same volume.

While not all bulk material is transported in this fashion, most of it is. When there is a plentiful supply of a material in every region of the country, like water, it does not need the use of rail cars in most cases. For nearly everything else that is needed in large quantities, the use of rail cars and then the transfer of the material at transloading stations are just part of doing business.

CLICK HERE: TRAN-Z to see what services are available for your needs.

The location of transloading for Marcellus shale drilling occurs in every region and state where there are exploratory wells for natural gas and oil, in this vast deposit of energy. The reason for this is simple, the closer the transloading stations are to the bulk supplies’ final destination, the lower the cost for the energy industry.

There are many different materials that are required by the drillers in the Marcellus shale region. The one that is used in the largest quantities and frequency is frac sand. Because of this, the transloading stations have become very proficient in the transfer of sand from the rail cars to the waiting tractor trailers.

On average, a well equipped transloading station can offload a rail car full of frac sand into 5 waiting trailers in just over an hour. This transfer is done with designated conveyors that are specifically designed for the handling of small granular material.

By having designated mobile conveyors for this transfer, the chances of contamination occurring during the transfer are significantly reduced. The mobility of these conveyors contributed to the speed at which a line of rail cars can be offloaded, so the frac sand can be on its way to the wells in the Marcellus region.

The Marcellus region uses the frac sand in larger quantities than other energy wells located in other parts of the nation due to the makeup of the rock bed where the natural gas and oil are located. This is the shale rock bed.

The hydrofracking procedure that uses the frac sand to crack the bed rock is the main mechanism to extracting the maximum amount of oil and natural gas from below the surface so it can be recovered. The transloading for Marcellus shale drilling of frac sand plays an important role in this process.

The facilities that are involved in transloading silica sand are called transloading stations. These are purpose-built facilities that specialize in the transfer of mainly bulk material from railcars to tractor trailers.

This process might sound rather simple, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Mobile conveyors that are designed to only be used in the transfer of frac sand are necessary. This reduced the possibility of the frac sand from becoming contaminated with any foreign material or objects.

This is important since frac sand is purchased by the oil and natural gas explorers by a particular size. Each region and geographical formation uses a different kind and size of frac sand. If this becomes contaminated with foreign objects, it could cause problems in the wells where the hydrofracking will occur.

If the foreign material is water soluble, its visual appearance will not be present but the chemical makeup could cause an unwanted reaction in the solution.

Moving on to the actual transfer of the frac sand from rail car to tractor trailer, there is the time component that must be considered. A few of the important factors, besides the possibility of contaminating the silica sand, is the speed at which it can be accomplished.

People are able to increase the speed and efficiency of performing a specific task the more they do such a task. The same is with the transfer of bulk frac sand. The facilities that specialize in this field of handling non-food items know what works and how to perform the task at hand safely, along with being efficient with their time.

The average time it takes to off load one railcar of frac sand is generally around an hour. Knowing this, you can calculate how long it would take to off load your shipment by knowing how many designated conveyors are available at the transloading station. This will allow the calculation of the demurrage so cost can be kept at a minimum.

There is a lot more involved with transloading silica sand than just playing in the sand box.

The process of transloading rail cars is done by professionals at transloading stations. This type of specialty work came into being to fill a specific need.

Before these stations, there was no means to unload a railcar by independent transporters. While there were many facilities located at manufacturing centers, they were privately owned by business. The renting of these facilities was possible along with their equipment, but the costs were high and the unloading of the business goods that owned the facility were prioritized over any 3rd party shipment.

These delays sometimes lead to large demurrage fees which ate up the profits of the business contracted to unload the railcars. A solution had to be found.

The establishing of independent transloading stations then came into being. These stations could now serve the businesses that needed the transportation of bulk cargo by rail then truck that did not have access to the railroad at their plant or site of business.

Many businesses find using an independent transloading station very useful and cost efficient like the natural gas and oil producers. It is not economically prudent to run a rail line to each well they are drilling, but these sites still need to be supplied with bulk material like frac sand, water and drilling equipment.

These new independent transloading stations are willing to assist any business with their needs of loading or offloading of material from truck to railcar or vice versa. They have the equipment to transfer bulk goods like frac sand via mobile conveyor belts and hoses with pumps to transload liquid bulk material.

Transloading rail cars are now being done by independent contractors at established transloading stations 24/7 across America. If you need bulk material transloaded, they are ready and willing to assist you with your needs.

Contact the sponsor of this blog for your trans loading needs: Tran-Z

For an earlier article about Transloading click this link

The kind of transloading equipment that is needed for handling the different type of bulk supplies industry needs to keep their production going are specific in nature. Some of the different types of equipment are commonly used in other places, but having them all assembled in one place so any type of rail car can be unloaded in an efficient manner is what makes the difference.

The purpose of this equipment is to transfer large volumes of bulk material from rail cars to tractor trailers or vise verse in an efficient manner that is safe for the workers and does not damage the merchandise in any measurable degree.

To do this the first piece of equipment that is needed is the transloading station. This is a facility that is purpose built to transfer goods and commodities between rail to road. This facility has to have a rail line running to it along with access to main roads in the community where it is located.

To off load bulk commodities from hopper rail cars, mobile conveyors are necessary. They need to be mobile since it is easier and more efficient to move them than the entire line of railcars. There are also mobile cranes that are used to lift the containers off the rail cars and load them onto waiting flatbed trucks.

The use of pumps and pneumatics are also necessary to transfer liquid goods from one location to another. Forklifts and small trucks are used to offload goods that are being transported by pallets.

All of these things are common in the world of business, but only brought together at a transloading station. By using transloading equipment in an efficient manner your products can be safely transported to their final destination at a lower cost more efficiently.

The purpose of a sand transload facility is to provide a safe and effective manner in which to transfer the bulk commodity of frac sand from rail cars to over the road tractor trailers. This is so the frac sand can be delivered to the natural gas and oil wells where they will be used in the hydrofracking procedure.

Since all rail cars have a demurrage associated with them once they reach their destination. A fast and efficient means of offloading the bulk commodities that are transported by railcars is needed. This is done at a facility that has the proper equipment to do the job.

This equipment has to include several portable conveyers that can take to frac sand from the railcars and move it in a safe and efficient manner to an awaiting tractor trailer. By having designated equipment just for this purpose, the chances of accidental contamination is also greater reduced.

To have a facility like this, there must be access to the rail lines and major roads in areas where the material that is being transported will be used. These facilities are purpose built for just this reason. They are also manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week because the need to offload the railcars could occur at any time.

In a facility like what has been described, the offloading of a rail car can occur within less than 1 hour. The more conveyers they have on site, the less time it will take to offload the shipment of frac sand so it can continue its journey to its final destination.

If you are in need of the services a frac sand transload facility has to offer, then look in the vicinity of your wellbore. There is a third party provider of this service in most areas where exploration of natural gas and oil is being conducted.

For more information click on the link to Tran-Z

It might be possible for bulk material transfer to occur without the proper equipment, but the costs and time will be greatly affected. For this reason alone, most companies in many industries use specialists when this need arises in their business.

The easiest and most efficient way to transport bulk material is by doing so in large quantities. The greatest quantities can be transported by ships and barges. Since most factories and industrial sites are not near or on a waterway, there must be an efficient means by which the bulk material can be transported overland.

The choices for this task are limited to only two possibilities, and they are railcar and truck. In the past, our forefathers only had the rail lines at their disposal. Because of this, there are railroad lines located near almost every major waterway across America. The necessary equipment to conduct the transfer of bulk material is present at these locations to make this transfer not only possible, but done in an efficient manner.

Many manufacturers have private rail lines running to their facilities, but not in every case. To service the factories that do not have rail lines, and other temporary facilities like natural gas and oil wells that need bulk supplies of materials over the road, trucks are used.

To fill the need of bulk transfer from rail cars to trucks, the transloading facilities were built. These facilities are located on the major rail lines that are situated near major roads so easy access to both modes of transportation can be accomplished.

At transloading facilities, the bulk transfer can occur in an efficient manner in both cost and time. This is possible because the proper equipment and know how to accomplish this task are present by these industrial professionals.

This is the current path for the lowest cost and shortest time span for bulk material transfer to occur, and assist the American industrial machine so it can keep moving.

To be able to handle bulk sand railcar unloading, the right equipment must be on hand. This is unless you have a facility that allows for a truck to be placed under a hopper car. This is impractical in most cases, so the next best way is for a conveyor system to be used.

A portable conveyor is the practical way of offloading a hopper railcar in the safest and most efficient manner. The reason being is that a mobile conveyor assembly can be easily moved from hopper car to hopper car in a matter of minutes. This type of system is easily operated by just one person.

This type of device works by placing an open chute below the hopper car’s discharge opening located at the center bottom of the railcar. The conveyor belt is then extended at a 45-degree angle up, which discharges over the opening of a hopper trailer that is pulled by a semi truck.

This type of offloading is fast and secure. Since there is no intermediate transfer point, the chances of contamination are greatly reduced.

The speed at which one of these mobile conveyors can load a tractor trailer with 20 tons of sand is approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Since a railcar holds up to 100 tons, this means a single car can be unloaded nearly every hour with just one mobile conveyor. The more conveyors a transloading station has, the faster the train can be unloaded.

There are some stations that employ 3 such mobile devices and can handle 300 tons of sand an hour. This is equivalent to 15 tractor trailers ready for delivery of the bulk sand.

This process of bulk sand railcar unloading is done most efficiently in time and cost at a transloading station that employs a mobile conveyor belt.

The term trans-loading is a simple one. This is when a product is transferred from one mode of transportation to another so it can arrive at its destination. This is usually done with bulk products like oil, natural gas, sand, and coal.

For domestic products, the most common form of transloading is from rail car to truck. For foreign products, the most common is to transfer the products from ship, to rail cars, to trucks. When a faster mode of transport is needed, the process can include truck, to airplane, to truck again is sometimes used.

The reason this transferring of a product from one type of transport to another is of concern is due to the costs that are associated with it, along with the inherent possibilities of damage occurring to the product.

To minimize the cost associated with this transferring of goods, special transloading stations are   established. These are specialized places that only handle this specific type of work. Because they specialize, they have become experts in this field. This has helped these companies reduce the amount of time it takes to perform this task, along with knowing the best way to minimize the handling of the product.

The use of mobile conveyors is the most partial way of transloading dry bulk material like sand and grains. This can be accomplished by placing the end of the conveyor under the rail car with the other end over an awaiting truck. When done in an efficient manner, 20 tons of dry goods can be off-loaded from a rail car to a truck in 10 to 15 minutes.

Trans-loading does not get much fanfare and is generally unknown to the public because it is done in the middle of the transport cycle. Even though it is unseen by most, it is still a very important part of the transportation system of supplying goods to consumers.

The sponsor of this blog is the TranZ company and if your business or industry is connected with the Marcellus Shale hydro-fracking business you already know them well.  TranZ provides materials and rail car to trucking facilities to service this natural gas and oil drilling enterprise.

When you need transloading services for your material, you will require a company that has experience and the necessary skills required to do this job right the first time.

Bulk transloading takes special equipment to make this transfer from train to truck, time and cost efficient. This can only be done with a dedicated transfer station that is manned by experienced personnel.

Working with train and rail services that have long term leases on the rail they use is another important factor on having your product delivered on time, every time. Along with engines, the right type of rail cars that are staffed by trusted employees that are well trained is another key component.

Due to scheduling and demand of train and freight services, more than one is needed to help keep the shipments moving smoothly to their destinations. This is unlike calling a trucking firm that can respond at a moment’s notice and arrive on public roads. The trains have to lease their rails or get permission to travel on rails they do not own. This can cause delays in the delivery of the goods they are transporting.

Working with a transloading service company that has their own station and is partnered with several different train companies is the best way to ensure your product is delivered on time every time.

This is what TranZ Bulk Material Transfer has to offer the energy sector for their transport needs. They have affiliations with multiple rail services that have the rail cars that are made for the quick transfer of the sand that is vital for the hydraulic fracturing process in the natural gas and oil industry. Their station is manned 24/7 by long term employees who are trained in the safest and quickest means to get the materials they work with to their destination the fastest.

When it comes to transloading services in Pennsylvania and New York the leader in the industry is TranZ.