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Frac Sand Market to Increase 8.9 Percent Annually Through 2016 Preferred Sands CEO Named Award Winner Cleveland���based market analysts The Freedonia Group just released a new study, ���World Industrial Silica Sand��� that includes projections for the North American Frac Sand market. Michael G. O'Neill, founder and CEO of Pre��� ferred Sands, was named the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 ���Energy, Cleantech and Natural Re��� sources Category Award��� winner. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award is the country's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The study notes that ���Demand for silica sand in the hydraulic fractur��� ing market is expected to increase 8.9 percent annually through 2016 to 34.4 million metric tons, valued at $2.2 billion. This will be the fastest pace of increase of any major market segment and is indicative of projected ongoing gains in the U.S., as well as increasing global in��� terest in hydraulic fracturing techniques.��� In volume terms, the U.S. will continue to lead the world market, rep��� resenting over 75 percent of all hydraulic fracturing sand consumption in 2016, the study predicts. Canada will be the second largest con��� sumer of frac sand, accounting for eight percent of the market in that year. There are several other significant markets for hydraulic fractur��� ing, notably Russia and China, but these countries currently rely more heavily on ceramic products, thus limiting silica sand usage. The study also notes that ���prices of silica sand in the hydraulic fractur��� ing segment will exhibit healthy gains, driving up silica sand demand in value terms.��� While ceramic proppants are better able to meet the heightened performance requirements for proppants in deeper wells and in fracturing operations with greater pressure levels, raw frac sand will continue to dominate demand in volume terms, largely be��� cause raw sand proppants can be utilized at the fraction of the cost of ceramic proppants. The World Industrial Silica Sand study is 296 pages, and is available for $5,900 from The Freedonia Group, Inc., 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, OH 44143���2326. For further details, please contact Corinne Gangloff by phone 440���684���9600 or e���mail at pr@freedoniagroup.com. Infor��� mation may also be obtained through www.freedoniagroup.com. Rock Products Offers Frac Sand Insider Webinar Frac sand plants are currently being operated by everyone from giant corporations with extensive resources and high���tech equip��� ment, all the way down to wildcat producers with a small deposit and mobile equipment. Should you break into the frac sand market? Rock Products has released a free webinar that will give you infor��� mation that you need to make an informed decision. The magazine convened an all���star panel, moderated by Editor Mark S. Kuhar, which discusses permitting, the legal and regulatory climate, setting up a plant and making product in spec. To listen to the free webinar, go to www.rockproducts.com. 12 ROCKproducts ��� DECEMBER 2012 The award encourages entrepreneurial ac��� tivity and recognizes leaders and visionar��� ies who demonstrate innovation, financial success and personal commitment as they create and build world���class businesses. O'Neill's business strategy ��� combined with his team's collective core competen��� cies and expertise in engineering, finance and environmental compliance ��� cata��� pulted Preferred Sands first to market with innovative and environmentally sensitive clean fracturing sand. He was honored at the Entrepreneur Of The Year gala, the cul��� minating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, Calif. ���In an industry that is often scrutinized over environmental issues, O'Neill and his team have found a way to enter as market innovators, bringing many new develop��� ments into the supply of sands into this in��� dustry that is so important for our energy needs,��� said Bryan Pearce, Americas direc��� tor, Entrepreneur Of The Year, Ernst & Young LLP. ���O'Neill's leadership ability, as well as the investment he's made in his people and community, has allowed him to create a highly efficient and motivated team that is poised for continued future growth.��� In December 2007, during the onset of what has become one of the largest reces��� sions in our country's history, O'Neill led his team to create Preferred Sands, an owner���operated frac sand and proppant company, providing the widest array of proppants to the oil and gas industry. O'Neill's insight and vision has led Pre��� ferred Sands to dramatically increase its revenue in just over three years. www.rockproducts.com