Preferred Sands to open another frac sand plant

Preferred Sands late last week announced plans to open an additional Northern White frac sand plant, which will expand its annual production capabilities by more than 4 billion pounds. The company didn't identify the location for the new plant.

Preferred Sands currently produces more than 3 billion pounds of Northern White frac sand annually. Anticipated to open in 2015, the new plant will increase annual production capacity to more than 7 billion pounds.

The company expects to begin fulfilling frac sand deliveries in second- or third-quarter 2015.

"Our expansion within the Northern White market is a direct response to an increased customer demand for [our] frac sand products," said Preferred Sands President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Neill in a press release. "[The new plant] will not only increase our Northern White production, but extend our current geographic reach to service every major basin in North America."

Preferred Sands operates rail-served frac sand plants in Arizona, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Manitoba, Canada.