Frac sand layoffs happening in west Wisconsin

Frac sand industry slowing with low oil prices

A couple of frac sand companies have laid off workers in western Wisconsin.

Hi-Crush Services in Augusta and US Silica in Sparta have reported plans to the state to layoff workers.

Forty-three workers in all – 27 in August and 16 in Sparta.

The layoffs come as activity in the sand mining industry in the state slows to a crawl. Very low oil prices has led to a lack of demand for the sand, which is used to extract oil from shale using the process known as hydraulic fracturing.

Western Wisconsin is the center of the sand mining industry and home to dozens of sand mining or processing operations.