• Several speakers and attendees at a recent frac sand conference held in Denver discussed recent mergers in the frac sand industry and predicted the still-overbuilt industry was ripe for a consolidation.
• The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says it will not issue any citations against a Hi-Crush sand mine that released an estimated 10 million gal. of wastewater in order to rescue a worker trapped in a holding pond for more than two hours this spring.
• Select Sands Corp. will be halting its previously announced Independence expansion project due to a period of softer demand for Northern White silica/frac sand. The expansion project will be under regular review and progress will resume once demand reaches appropriate levels. The company will remain fully operational during the interim period, with a nameplate capacity of 600,000 tpy of premium Northern White silica.