Railcars of sand leaving Badger Mining Corp. (BMC) are headed to a different destination for the first time – BMC’s newest transload facility in Bill, Wyo. For Badger Mining, a supplier of Premium Northern-White industrial raw and coated sand, this new location will better serve current and future customers in the Powder River Basin.
For several decades, Badger Mining has been a sand supplier to operators and service companies in this region, but the new Bill site adds two new dynamics currently missing from BMC’s transloads in the region – its unit train capability as well as its unique location on both the BN and UP railroads.
“Being on both rail lines gives us greater flexibility, which in the end will help us give our customers the best service and prices in the region,” said Adam Katz, vice president of sales and marketing.
Expanding its distribution network with more transload locations also takes into account safety, which is one of Badger Mining’s four corporate values, the company said. With the sand closer to the wells, the need for trucks to transport that sand long distances diminishes. From a safety perceptive, fewer trucks on the road can easily be seen as a benefit.
The new facility will join Badger Mining’s 27 existing transload locations throughout the United States and Canada.
“Adding additional transload sites to our distribution network continues to remain a focus of Badger Mining Corp.,” said Randy Hess, transportation and logistics team leader. “Because of the important role transportation plays in our industry, a lot of effort and consideration goes into finding the best locations for our transload facilities. We believe Bill, Wyo., puts us in a great spot in this region.”
BMC will have material on-site and ready for customers by March 1.
“We are very excited about opening this site, as it will undoubtedly help us bring the quality sand our customers have come to expect and deserve from Badger even closer to their operations,” said Katz.