Rainmaker Resources continues to pursue frac sand mine in Arkansas

Rainmaker Resources Ltd. recently completed lab testing on a frac sand drilling program for the Bray property in northcentral Arkansas.

Rainmaker has entered into a binding agreement with Arkansas Silica L.L.C. to acquire a purchase option for the 304-acre Bray property, which is located near highways and can access rail in Batesville.

"The Bray property is only 17 miles from a railway location that is connected to mainline rail for easier access to markets," said Rainmaker President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Patmore in a press release. "Further, the property is only one hour away from a barging site to transport the frac sand product down the Arkansas River to the Mississippi and onto locations such as Corpus Christi, a main staging port for frac sands."

Sand mined on the Bray property is among the highest quality sands available on the market, such as sand available in Wisconsin, he said. And weather is more favorable in Arkansas, Patmore added.

"You can mine year round, 24 hours a day versus Wisconsin, where cold weather plays a key role in limiting the ability to produce to an average of nine months a year," he said. "There are currently only two operating frac sand mines in Arkansas versus 120 in Wisconsin. Arkansas is very frac sand-friendly and has come to realize the economic benefits of the frac sand universe."