Turner Mining Group broke ground on a four-year, turnkey mining contract for an industrial sand producer in West Texas. This mining services agreement expands Turner’s client portfolio into diverse markets as the global demand for frac sand continues to rise.
Employing more than 80 miners to perform the services, Turner will manage and oversee all mining activities in a multi-site effort to streamline operations. The scope of work includes construction of mine haul roads; loading and hauling 55 million tons of sand; overburden removal; construction of tailings impoundments and freshwater ponds along with stockpile management and load-out.
Turner said the selection of the mine services contract was awarded based on Turner’s safety record, production capabilities, asset management plan and overall “value for dollar” along with an established and proven track record of delivering safe production and professionalism previously across several of the client’s other locations.
“We’ve built a strong relationship with this producer over the last several years and we look forward to the opportunity to expand upon our successful partnership that ensures ownership and accountability,” said Paul Moran, chief commercial officer.
With safety and efficiency at the forefront, Turner has invested in a significant fleet of new and low-hour equipment to maximize machine up-time and availability. Acquiring and deploying nearly $30 million dollars in equipment assets to ensure uptime and efficiency, the expansive fleet includes Volvo articulated haul trucks, Hitachi 1200-7B excavators, various utility excavators, wheel loaders and ancillary mining support equipment. Turner mobilized more than 50 pieces of equipment in less than two months to meet project timelines and production demands.
Of the substantial acquisition, Cade Smith, senior vice president of equipment, said, “The equipment we chose to utilize was based on the scope of work, length of haul, and site material characteristics. The fleet is equipped with telemetry technology to provide more detailed reporting, so that we can review hauled tonnages, machine speeds and efficiencies via the systems we have in place.”
Turner said the contract is “another exciting win” for the Turner team as it continues to broaden its mining capabilities and establish partnerships with clients across a multitude of material types throughout the United States.
“This recent Texas contract award is yet another stepping stone in our mission to make life better for the mining industry by creating dozens of local, high-paying jobs while also relocating traveling miners from all across the country to work in the beautiful Lone Star State,” said Keaton Turner, president and CEO. “I could not be more proud of our team for deploying a fleet of high-production assets, cutting-edge technology, and living out our values which allowed us to safely mine more than 1 million tons of material in our first 30 days on site. This is a testament to our team’s relentless dedication while working shoulder to shoulder with our clients to solve some of the industry’s greatest challenges,”