$400m conveyer belt the width of Rhode Island opens in Texas to aid in fracking

A new, 42-mile conveyer belt which moves sand from Texas to New Mexico has become the biggest in the country after it was completed this month.

Construction on the site was finished on March 12th, 2025 by Texas-based oil field company, Atlas Energy, and officially named "The Dune Express".

The sand is needed for fracking, where liquid is pumped into the ground at high pressure to create holes that release oil. The sand is used to keep those holes open.

But moving that sand by truck is inefficient and dangerous so a new solution was created.

Environmentalists have major concerns about fracking, saying it disturbs local habitats, causes air pollution, and more oil spills.