Oklahoma is getting yet another frac sand plant. Alpine Silica announced this week it intends to start construction on a plant near the small community of Fay located along State highway 33 in southeastern Dewey County.
The company said it has secured nearly 51 million tons of reserves for the Oklahoma initiative. It estimates the plant will produce more than three million tons of what it described as “premium frac sand” per year.
Ground is expected to be broken in the next 30 days with construction lasting six months by an affiliated construction group.
The site at Fay is close to Blaine County, one of the three major counties that make up the STACK play. Fay is also just west of Watonga, the county seat of Blaine County.
Alpine, a firm with a frac sand plant already in operation in the Permian Basin intends to construct another plant in Van Horn, Texas which will produce about three million tons a year. Groundbreaking is set for the coming months and construction will take about seven months. The Oklahoma frac plant will be the larger of the two new operations.
“We are excited to announce the expansion of our business and development of two new plants in this region of the U.S.,” said Ronald Jordan, General Manager of Alpine Silica. “This is an exciting time for our industry, and we are at the forefront of lowering costs and increasing production to benefit our partners at major oil and gas companies.”
Earlier this year, a company announced it would create a frac sand mine near Oakwood, Oklahoma. Preferred Sands, headquartered in Pennsylvania broke ground at the site located midway between Watonga and Woodward. OK Energy Today reported on the project in April.