Alliance is really coming out of the ground now. The oil drilling sand manufacturing plant between Nicholson and Picayune is now in the major construction stages, and it’s huge. Officials said when the plant comes on-line, it will take 200 dumptruck loads of sand a day to supply the facility, which will produce drilling sand and ship it by rail and truck all over the U.S. The plant has initially hired 50 workers, but officials said there is also a phase two construction that will see more people hired. The plant will purchase large volumns of natural gas from the city, too.