Preferred Sands has acquired substantially all the assets of Winn Bay Sand, including mining locations in Blair, Wisconsin and Hanson Lake, Saskatchewan, for an excess of $200 million. Preferred is now the largest frac sand producer in Canada and one of the top three in the U.S.Blair, WI, is 60 miles south of Chippewa Falls, WI. Chippewa Falls is 620 miles east of Williston, ND, the heart of the Bakken.
The acquisition will benefit Preferred Sands’ customers by allowing the company to increase its current capacity. Both the Blair and Hanson Lake locations are in close proximity to existing Preferred Sands operations. The access to rail in both locations will streamline and shorten the length of time for transport.
Hanson Lake, SASK, is 450 miles directly north of Williston.
As noted earlier, if the folks in Chippewa Falls don't appreciate their resource, the Williston Basin companies will simply look elsewhere (in this case, north to Canada). This is not rocket science (rail transportation is better east to west, but truck traffic north to south is just fine).
(I think Canada can ship sand across the border without State Department approval. Just saying.)
