September was a busy month for the North American proppants market, with three major suppliers announcing new production or capacity expansions, and a new source in Canada gaining approval for frac sand extraction.
The largest expansion was reported in Chippewa, Wisconsin, where Texas-based oil and natural gas company EOG Resources Inc. is due to start up a frac sand processing plant this month, according to local news sources.
The Chippewa Herald reported that the plant, which was formerly developed by Canadian Sand and Proppants, will process 1.7m. tpa frac sand following a $65m. investment from EOG.
“There are about 300 people on the site right now. We are setting up the conveyors, doing the wiring and installing the equipment,” EOG CEO Curt Parsons told the paper, adding that, as of early September, the plant was 95% complete.
Silica sand for the...