Hi-Crush Inc. has entered into an agreement with Pioneer Natural Resources to deploy Hi-Crush’s sixth OnCore mobile mining unit to supply frac sand for use in Pioneer’s well completions activity in the Midland Basin. This will be Hi-Crush’s second OnCore deployment with Pioneer following the successful commencement of operations at OnCore #4 in September 2022, and Hi-Crush’s fifth OnCore deployment within the Midland Basin.
“We are excited and honored to deepen our relationship with Pioneer, one of the most respected and innovative operators in the Permian Basin, and to continue to enhance our position as the clear industry leader in in-field mining and damp sand production and logistics,” said Dirk Hallen, chief executive officer of Hi-Crush. “We believe Pioneer’s desire to quickly move ahead with another OnCore unit is a testament to the end-to-end field execution they have experienced from both OnCore’s mining and Pronghorn’s logistics and wellsite teams, as well as the quantifiable savings in completions costs and emissions they have enjoyed. We look forward to continuing to build on our track record of success on behalf of Pioneer in order to improve efficiency, drive down costs and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through this expanded relationship in the Midland Basin,” said Hallen.
OnCore Processing LLC, or OnCore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hi-Crush, operates mobile mining units that exclusively produce damp sand for use in operators’ well completions. By moving the source of frac sand supply “in-field” to within unparalleled proximity of operators’ acreage and wellsites, and by eliminating the process and equipment necessary to fully dry the sand produced at each unit, OnCore drives a significant reduction in its clients’ well costs while delivering meaningful environmental and safety benefits.
Reducing the overall distance between the mine site and the wellsite and eliminating natural gas-fired dryers traditionally used to produce dry sand enables OnCore to reduce the transportation costs and number of trucks needed to supply each well, and to lower GHG emissions through fewer miles driven and less natural gas used during the production process.