Starting near the end of the year, two autonomous trucks delivered 100 loads of proppant in support of field support operations in the Delaware Basin, Atlas Energy Solutions and Kodiak Robotics said Jan. 24.

It’s the first time that a customer has taken ownership of one of Kodiak’s RoboTrucks for commercial work, and Atlas plans to scale-up the program, according to a press release.

“Incorporating these driverless RoboTrucks into our operations is a significant advancement in the automation of our business, enhancing our ability to maintain a fundamentally safe and reliable service at the best price for our customers,” said John Turner, Atlas CEO.

Proppant is a material, such as sand, used to keep fractures open in oil and gas wells.

Kodiak and Atlas announced the agreement to implement an automated truck program in July 2024. Driverless operations began in December, with the RoboTrucks delivering sand on a 21-mile, off-road route in the Permian Basin.

RoboTrucks Arrive in Permian Basin, Haul Proppant for Atlas Energy
A Kodiak Robotics driverless vehicle. (Source: Kodiak Robotics)

Atlas plans to integrate the automated trucks with the Dune Express, a 42-mile conveyor system that moves sand from Kermit, Texas, to a loading facility in eastern New Mexico. The conveyor system went online Jan. 12. The RoboTrucks are expected to deliver sand from the loading area to Atlas customers in the Delaware Basin.

Don Burnette, Kodiak’s founder and CEO, said the Permian can support a large-scale commercialization of automated technology. The company has opened an office in Odessa, Texas, to further support Atlas’ operations.

“Kodiak is the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business, and this is a major step towards profitability for our company,” Burnette said.

The robotics company plans to test and extend its truck services to highways for long-haul customers.

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