Smart Sand and Canadian Pacific have announced a long-term strategic partnership that includes supplying and shipping frac sand to oil and gas producing regions in North America and the construction of a new frac sand transload facility.

The partnership will supply and ship premium, Northern White frac sand to the unconventional oil and gas industry in key North America producing regions (including the Bakken and Eagle Ford formations, and the Utica and Marcellus Shales).

The two companies also announced the construction of a new frac sand transload facility, expected to be the region's largest, in Makoti, North Dakota that will serve the Bakken formation in the Williston Basin beginning in early 2013.

Smart Sand's primary facility, which opened in late June 2012 and is located on the Canadian Pacific rail line in Oakdale, Wisconsin, will supply premium Northern White frac sand in a broad range of mesh sizes to the new transload facility.

Rick George has resigned from the Canadian Pacific (CP) Board of Directors, while Hunter Harrison has been appointed president and CEO.

"Rick has made a strong contribution to the Board, providing valuable insight and guidance.  The Board wishes to thank him for his many contributions to the Company, particularly his leadership in the Board's search for a new CEO," said Paul Haggis, Chairman of the Board.

"Following a thorough CEO selection process, the Board of Directors has endorsed and appointed Hunter Harrison as CP's president & CEO," said Paul Haggis, CP's chairman of the Board of Directors. "The Board welcomes Harrison's experience and leadership to CP. We look forward to benefiting from his strong track record of service reliability, efficient asset utilization, and strategic capital expenditure."