10/17/2016
Rail News: Shippers
Halliburton Co. and U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. late last week announced they moved a record-breaking unit train of frac sand via BNSF Railway Co. from Ottawa, Ill., to Elmendorf, Texas.
The train, which carried nearly 19,000 tons of U.S. Silica’s sand, was the largest frac sand unit train to date in North America, officials from both companies said in a joint press release.
“Utilizing sand unit trains enables Halliburton to respond to customers’ needs on a shorter timeline and deliver cost efficient sand on location,” said Richard Gonzalez, Halliburton’s vice president of production enhancement.
The unit train originated at U.S. Silica’s largest facility in Ottawa and terminated at Halliburton’s Elmendorf sand plant, which can handle two 115-car unit trains simultaneously and store 40,000 tons in eight silos. The plant is located within the Alamo Junction Rail Park in Elmendorf.
“Unit train delivery, leveraging our combined logistical assets, is the most efficient and cost-effective way to deliver high volumes of sand in the time constraints required,” said Don Weinheimer, U.S. Silica’s senior vice president and president of oil and gas.