Is Argentine frac sand API 19C certified?
Is Argentine frac sand API 19C certified?
Key Facts
- API RP 19C: American Petroleum Institute recommended practice for measuring proppant properties.
- ISO 13503-2: International Organization for Standardization equivalent, widely referenced in Argentine procurement.
- Tests covered: sphericity, roundness, crush resistance (K-value), turbidity, acid solubility, grain size distribution, bulk density.
- Mesh sizes: most common frac meshes are 40/70 and 100-mesh for unconventional shale.
- In-Basin Sand: API 19C and ISO 13503-2 tested (crush resistance, sphericity, roundness, turbidity), validated by SGS Minerals (Chile). Does not pass the strict HCl-HF acid-solubility fraction.
- Deposit size: 3.2M tons cubicated (the firm, lead figure), 60M+ tons inferred / exploration upside, about 18-year Phase 1 mine life at 15,000 t/month.
- Plant: US$1.4M second-hand 50 t/hr wash plant (Phase 1).
Detailed Explanation
API RP 19C (first published 2008, aligned with ISO 13503-2) is the industry-standard protocol for qualifying proppant, the granular material pumped into fracture networks to hold them open after pressure release. A proppant sample passes or fails on measured metrics: minimum sphericity and roundness (0.6 Krumbein), crush resistance at defined stress (typically 4,000 psi for 40/70 mesh), maximum turbidity (<250 NTU), maximum acid solubility (<2.0% for 40/70).
Certification is not a one-time event: it is deposit-specific and often lot-specific. A mine may hold API 19C qualification for one seam and not another. Serious Vaca Muerta operators (YPF, Vista, Tecpetrol, Shell, Pan American) run their own acceptance tests on incoming lots and reject sand that drifts outside spec, this is routine and expected.
In-Basin Sand's Malargüe deposit has been tested against API 19C / ISO 13503-2 with an independent SGS Minerals (Chile) report on attrition and granulometry specifically for hydraulic fracturing service. It passes crush resistance, sphericity, roundness and turbidity, the parameters that gate 85%+ of Vaca Muerta land operations. It does not pass the strict HCl-HF acid-solubility fraction; the full lab reports sit in the data room under NDA. That technical profile, combined with the 35 km distance to the Vaca Muerta wellhead, is what makes the asset commercially relevant, and what allowed the historical operator take-or-pay proposal (10,000 t/month) to exist in the first place.
Comparative Context
| Parameter | API 19C minimum | In-Basin Sand (reported) |
|---|---|---|
| Sphericity / Roundness | 0.6 / 0.6 | Passes |
| Crush resistance (40/70 @ 4,000 psi) | <10% fines | Passes |
| Turbidity | <250 NTU | Passes |
| Acid solubility (HCl-HF, 40/70) | <2.0% | Does not pass strict fraction |
| Independent validator | SGS Minerals (Chile) | Crush, sphericity, roundness, turbidity |
Sources & Evidence
API RP 19C (American Petroleum Institute, 2008) and ISO 13503-2 (ISO, 2006, with subsequent amendments) are the governing documents. SGS Minerals is the international standard for independent mineral testing. In-Basin Sand's validation report is shared with qualified investors under NDA.
Related Questions
- What is in-basin sand?
- Malargüe silica deposit geology
- In-basin sand vs Ibicuy sand
- Who supplies frac sand to Vaca Muerta?
- Why invest in Argentine frac sand?
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