Rainmaker Resources Reveals Lab Results

Rainmaker Resources Ltd. announced results of lab testing from its 20-hole sonic drill program on the Bray Property, Izard County, Ark. From the test work, all samples met or exceeded the standards for roundness, sphericity, acid solubility and crush resistance, according to the company.

Rainmaker has entered into a binding Letter Agreement with Arkansas Silica LLC to acquire an Option to Purchase the 304-acre Bray Frac Sand property.

The drill program was carried out by Terra Sonic International, of Aiken, S.C. The program was supervised by BRS Inc., an independent consulting engineering company from Riverton, Wyo. Laboratory testing was performed by Stim-Lab of Duncan, Okla.

All of the drill holes were collared in sandstone. The maximum depth of the sandstone encountered was 151 ft., with an average over the entire property of approximately 50 ft. (using a 20 ft. minimum). A total of 24 samples were shipped to Stim-Labs to be tested for suitability for use as a proppant in hydraulic fracturing operations.

The samples were dried, weighed and washed through a 200 mesh screen. The two composites were then tested for sphericity, roundness, acid solubility, bulk density, apparent density and crush resistance (K-value).

The Bray Frac Sand property reportedly has excellent access from state highways. The property is approximately 30 miles north of the city of Batesville, Ark. Rail access is available in Batesville, with several potential loading sites present. The currently operating Bluebird Sand LLC frac sand operation is located approximately five miles southwest of the Bray property.

The property is underlain by the St. Peter Sandstone, of Ordovician age, and is homogeneous pure quartz sand. The St. Peter sandstone (also known as the Ottawa sand in commercial operations) is considered to be a major source of frac sand within the United States, especially in Wisconsin. Bluebird Sand LLC produces frac sand from the same formation.

Rainmaker President and CEO Rick Patmore commented, “I am extremely pleased to finally announce our findings for a prolific field of frack sand we discovered in Izard County, north-central Arkansas. Rainmaker has signed an agreement to purchase 304 acres from a family farm that has been identified as a potentially large source of frac sand. As the test results clearly demonstrates there is a significant quantity of very high quality frack sand on the property. Arkansas, in my opinion, and others that attended the recent frac sand symposium in Houston, is a better location to mine due to many factors.

“The sands on this property are identified as the St Peter sandstone which is the host formation for the Wisconsin production, and which are some of the highest quality sands available on the market.

“Another factor is the weather – in Arkansas you can mine year round, 24 hours a day vs. Wisconsin where cold weather plays a key role in limiting the ability to produce to an average of nine months a year. There are currently only two operating frac sand mines in Arkansas vs. 120 in Wisconsin. The Arkansas state is very frac sand friendly and has come to realize the economic benefits of the frac sand universe.

“The frac sand industry’s future looks promising, while the oil producers may drill and complete fewer new wells during periods of lower prices, production will be maintained by maximizing the productivity of existing wells, which means that the amount of proppant sand used for well stimulation will not decline, and may well increase,” Patmore said.

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