More Layoffs Announced In Frac Sand Industry

Two more rounds of layoffs have been announced by Wisconsin frac sand mining companies.

Texas based Hi-Crush Proppants says it’s shutting down its plant in the city of Augusta near Eau Claire and laying off 27 workers. At the same time, Maryland-based U.S. Silica is extending layoffs and letting another 16 people go at its Sparta plant.

U.S. Silica had already fired almost half of its workforce at the Sparta plant earlier this year.

In letters to the Department of Workforce Development, both companies blamed low demand for frac sand on a drop in oil prices and reductions in hydraulic fracture drilling. They say they had hoped for the market to recover quickly, but now expect the downturn to continue for the foreseeable future.