The expansion will increase the plant’s capacity to produce ISO/API-specification frac sand by more than 500,000 tons annually, according to the company. The largest capacity increase will be in the production of ISO/API spec 40/70, and the new facility will provide additional production capacity for ISO/API spec 20/40 frac sand and non-API spec 30/50 and 30/70 grades in the Ottawa White frac sand series, according to the company.

U.S. Silica expects the new facility to be completed in the third quarter of 2009. U.S. Silica’s Ottawa plant can ship frac sand directly via truck, three Class I railroads (CSXT, BNSF and NS) or barge from a barge terminal adjacent to the plant site, and is well-positioned to provide product to the Fayetteville, Haynesville, Barnett and Marcellus Shale natural gas-producing regions, according to U.S. Silica.

The U.S. Silica Ottawa plant has greater than 20 years of permitted reserves, and production can be further increased to serve the needs of the oil, gas and well service industries if market conditions require additional capacity, the company noted.

U.S. Silica is a supplier of industrial silica sand for the oil and gas (frac), glass, foundry, chemical, recreational and construction industries; ground silica for the textile fiberglass and other industries; fine ground silica and kaolin clay products for the paint, plastic and ceramic industries; and aplite for the glass industry. The company employs 675 people at its 13 facilities in North America.