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ANOTHER GREAT FRISCO RAFFLE!

Halliburton Corporation - 2-Bay, 1,958 Cu Ft Covered Hoppers

Discussion in 'Freight Operations' started by FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018), Mar 12, 2012.

  1. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Intermountain hast announced production of the iconic 2 bay 1958 cu. ft. Covered Hopper that could be seen roaming the Frisco system for years.

    The specifics are covered in this thread:

    https://www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/html/48637.htm

    Having said that I for one would like to start a discussion of this company, the services that it offered, and the specific commodity these cars hauled.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018), Mar 12, 2012
    #1
  2. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Others in frisco.org know much more about Halliburton Company (HAL on the NYSE) that I do, but I'll make a few comments to get things started.

    HAL is the leading USA provider of oil field services and systems used to increase efficiencies and recoveries in the production of crude oil, natural gas and gas liquids. They work hand-in-hand with the oil drillers and oil refiners.

    They are a leader in the new hydrofracking (fracking) technology that is being used widely now to dramatically increase USA oil and gas production. Their two main competitors are Baker-Hughes and Schlumberger, the global leader in this business, but not the USA leader.

    Much of what they do is proprietary, so I don't really know what they would be shipping in those covered hopper cars. We used to sell them some products - mainly complex polyphosphates and surfactants as I recall.

    Caroline has some HAL stock. Maybe I can get her one of the IM Halliburton LO's for her birthday - think that would go over OK?

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    meteor910, Mar 12, 2012
    #2
  3. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken,

    Do you think that the hoppers might have carried the powder, that when mixed with water, produces the drilling "mud"?

    One of the most common is bentonite clay and may include potassium formate.

    Also there are various products used for cementing, or sealing, the well casing linings that may have been hauled; primarily Portland cement.

    In either case, the materials would have been fairly dense.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    klrwhizkid, Mar 12, 2012
    #3
  4. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Keith,

    Yes.

    One of the uses the industry had for one of our products was sodium acid pyrophosphate for viscosity and density control of drilling mud systems.

    We sold them all a lot of that in our bulk hoppers. Our product was/is called SAPP-X.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    meteor910, Mar 12, 2012
    #4
  5. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    I'm sure that Karl will add much to this discussion, however, I will add a small amount.

    In the small oil patch that I grew up in, HAL (nyse) provided the cement that was pumped into the well between the casing pipe and the wall of the newly drilled well. I remember late 40's and on - they had some of the largest oil field trucks that I had ever seen. These were FWD monsters with monster 6-7 foot tires for rough off road and swampy conditions. They showed up on site with at least three trucks. One for mixing and pumping, one for transporting cement, and one with a very large wench/wrecking truck in order to pull out the other two - if needed.

    I want to say that they also provided the drilling mud that was pumped down the drill stem to lubricate the drill bit on the bottom and to prevent sidewall cave-ins and blowouts if gas pressure was present. Picking up a bucket of drilling mud is akin to a bucket of wet cement or greater.

    I remember seeing some of these cars, but the one's I saw were slightly different two tone - red bottom and grey top in a straight line around the car. The HAL logo was in the upper right.

    I stand corrected - The logo must have been as shown here:
    http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/photos/otherrail/private/hwcx/hwcx040966a_brian_ehni.jpg

    After the casing had "set" - Schlumberger would come in and "shoot the casing" full of bullet holes in the production seam to enable the oil/gas to flow into the casing where it could be pumped out of the well.

    Not sure, but I think now, that HAL and Schlumberger can do both.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    Sirfoldalot, Mar 12, 2012
    #5
  6. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken,

    Do you know where the sodium acid pyrophosphate came from or what were its major constituents?

    Was soda ash fundamental?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    klrwhizkid, Mar 12, 2012
    #6
  7. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Now that this has been mentioned, the cars and trucks that I remember seeing in the late 60's/early 70's had the paint job and logo described above. The Intermountain cars may have indeed an earlier paint scheme.

    Also, if I remember correctly someone else may have made a Halliburton car before.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018), Mar 12, 2012
    #7
  8. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 26, 2015
    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018), Mar 12, 2012
    #8
  9. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Keith,

    Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (SAPP, Na2H2P2O7) is manufactured by first reacting phosphoric acid (H3PO4) with sodium carbonate (soda ash, Na2CO3) to make a saturated water solution of monosodium phosphate (MSP, NaH2PO4).

    That liquor is dried to make solid MSP granules. The MSP granules are then calcined in rotary kiln to condense the MSP, which is an orthophosphate, into sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP). SAPP, which is a polyphosphate, is also a granule or a powder.

    In addition to its oil field uses, SAPP-X is used in acid metal cleaners.

    There also is a food grade SAPP, which has broad use in bakery leavening agents, makes the dough rise, dental products, toothpaste, potato blanching, makes those fries golden brown, and in fish and meat products as a preservative.

    For this product, you need to use food grade phosphoric acid, and either a clean grade of soda ash or, in some cases, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), for the sodium source. Read the ingredient labels for the food products you buy - you will often see SAPP listed, as well as many other phosphates.

    SAPP is sold in T/L's and C/L's of bags (50 lbs), in SuperSacks (2000 lbs), and for large users, in bulk hopper cars.

    We were a major basic producer of phosphoric acid, a huge product, and purchased the sodium sources in bulk hopper cars for soda ash, tank cars for caustic soda.

    We made over 900 different phosphate salt products (SKU's) in this business.

    How's that for a chemistry lesson?

    Without chemicals, life itself is impossible!

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    meteor910, Mar 12, 2012
    #9
  10. wmrx

    wmrx MP Trainmaster

    Thanks, Ken.

    I always enjoy reading one of your dissertations concerning the chemical industry.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2023
    wmrx, Mar 19, 2012
    #10
  11. okrlroads

    okrlroads Member

    okrlroads, Jun 25, 2015
    #11

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