Unimin Corporation announced today plans to construct a sand processing plant in West Texas.

The new facility will be capable of producing up to 5 million tons of regional sand per year and will serve as another channel by which the Company will fully and efficiently service the evolving dynamics of the Oil and Gas industry.

"As the largest proppant supplier to the industry, we continuously strive to deliver increased value for our customers and this investment will allow them to source product closer to the wellhead," said Andrew Eich, Unimin's Chief Commercial Officer. "Additionally, we see regional sands playing an important role in complementing our industry-leading proppant supply capabilities, further enhancing our ability to serve the Permian Basin." Eich added that the Company will deploy the necessary resources to accelerate development and commissioning of the plant.

Unimin expects the plant to be operational by early 2018, and has received commitments from customers to support the investment. This project follows several other capacity expansions at key facilities which will be commissioned in 2017.

About Unimin Corporation:

Unimin is a diversified North American material solutions company and a leading producer of proppants for the oil and gas industry. A member of the privately held Sibelco Group, Unimin operates 49 mining and mineral processing facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, serving oil and gas and a broad range of industrial markets. Executive offices are located in New Canaan, CT, with technology, analytical and commercial centers strategically located throughout North America.