Wayfinder Corp. started commissioning its new frac sand extraction and processing operation, which is now Alberta’s closest regional silica sand facility to the Duvernay, the company said. Strategically located 80 km southeast of Whitecourt on Hwy. 43, the facility is one of the largest frac sand facilities in Canada and expected to be in production by the end of April 2019.
“As regional sand gains industry acceptance, Wayfinder is set up and ready to supply the frac sand needed to meet demand. The facility’s close proximity to the Duvernay provides huge advantages for exploration and production companies operating in the region,” said Wayfinder President and CEO Chad Bremner.
Wayfinder began working on the development of the “Big Molly” regional frac sand facility in 2016. After an extensive permitting and approval process that included hundreds of individual meetings with land owners, municipal and provincial regulatory organizations, the facility is now operational.
“I want to personally thank the incredible land owners and their families, who welcomed me into their homes to learn about Wayfinder’s plans for our sand facility,” added Bremner. “While the process to receive necessary approvals was much more comprehensive and took longer than anticipated, the relationships built, and mutual understanding developed as a result of this undertaking has been invaluable.”
Wayfinder Corp. is a privately held, Alberta-based company that provides total proppant management for oil and gas E&P companies. The company operates two unit-train capable transload facilities – Gold Creek, with 50,000 metric tons of storage capacity; and Obed, which is also home to the company’s state-of-the-art resin coating plant, with 20,000 metric tons of storage capacity. Wayfinder recently added flowback and surface sand separation capability and now operates the closest regional sand facility to the Duvernay.