American Silica LLC on Target to Open in Black Rock

American Silica is building a sand processing plant on more than 200 acres northwest of Black Rock in Lawrence County.

When Dale Freeman was first elected Lawrence County Judge in 2010 his primary goal was to lure jobs to the area. His county suffered from consistent, double digit unemployment rates and wages were stagnant.

One of the first companies he tried to recruit was American Silica LLC of Brooksville, Florida, which hoped to build a sand processing plant somewhere in Arkansas.

The sand would be used in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a controversial process that uses sand, water and other chemicals to harvest natural gas from deep in the ground. A site near Portia was selected, but the deal fell through. Freeman didn’t give up, he told Arkansas Business.

The county judge found a large swath of land just outside of Black Rock, and company officials decided to build a processing plant there.

Natural gas is harvested throughout the country, including central Arkansas’ Fayetteville Shale Play. But energy prices, especially for natural gas and oil, have fluctuated wildly in recent months, leading to layoffs in the industry. In January, Southwestern Energy Co. of Houston announced it would lay off 1,100 employees, including 600 in the Fayetteville Shale, by the end of the first quarter 

But American Silica President Tommy Bronson said he’s not concerned.

“No, I don’t think the lower prices will hurt us … it hasn’t affected our plans,” Bronson said.

Searching for Sand

The company will employ at least 50 workers, mostly truck drivers who will bring the sand from mines in Sharp County to the plant, which is now under construction. A tentative opening is set for May, he said.

Natural gas is harvested in central Arkansas’ Fayetteville Shale Play, and St. Peter sandstone is a critical element in the fracking process, company officials said. That particular type of sand is primarily found in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but large deposits of it are believed to exist in Arkansas, according to The Associated Press.

Pockets of the sand have been located in Sharp and Izard counties. Bronson hopes more pockets will be found closer to the plant in Lawrence County.

The Black Rock plant will process the sand, then move it by train to the locations were it will be used, Bronson said.

Company officials hope they’ll be able to expand their employee base to 70 before the project is completed, Bronson said. There are also plans in the works to build a rock crusher, which would add more jobs.

“We’re really excited by this opportunity,” Bronson said.