Shakopee Rail Gives Local Frac Sand Producers an Edge

Shakopee residents may not always be happy with the trains running through their city, but rail lines are giving local hydraulic fracturing sand producers a competitive edge, Environment & Energy Publishing reported.

So-called “frac sand” is in great demand because it keeps oil flowing smoothly during the hydraulic fracturing process. But the lack of easy, cost-efficient transportation has limited the ability to move it from Midwestern mines to drilling areas.

Environment and Energy publishing quoted Thomas Woletz, senior manager at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as saying:

"Rail is really integral to the whole [frac sand] industry. If there is a bottleneck right now, it's from the transport infrastructure, not the lack of sand or mines. It's the lack of ability to get it out."

Some mines have had to resort to driving sand to rail and barge terminals, but cities that already have rail acces can save producers as much as $10 per ton. The article singled out Shakopee as one of the cities where producers see a competitive advantage.

Click here to read the full article.