Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	NOTE A—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (the “Financial Statements”) of U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings,” and together with its subsidiaries “we,” “us” or the “Company”) included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). They do not contain certain information included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015; therefore, the interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Financial Statements have been included. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. We have reclassified certain immaterial amounts in the prior years’ operating activities section of the consolidated statement of cash flows to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net cash flows from operations. In order to make this report easier to read, we refer throughout to (i) our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as our “Balance Sheets,” (ii) our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations as our “Income Statements,” and (iii) our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as our “Cash Flows.” Unaudited Interim Financial Statements The accompanying Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016; the Income Statements, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015; the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the three months ended March 31, 2016; and other information disclosed in the related notes are unaudited. The Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2015 was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements as included in our 2015 Annual Report. Use of Estimates and Assumptions The preparation of the Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The more significant areas requiring the use of management estimates and assumptions relate to mineral reserves that are the basis for future cash flow estimates utilized in impairment calculations and units-of-production amortization calculations; environmental, reclamation and closure obligations; estimates of recoverable minerals; estimates of allowance for doubtful accounts; estimates of fair value for certain reporting units and asset impairments (including impairments of goodwill and other long-lived assets); write-downs of inventory to net realizable value; equity-based compensation expense; post-employment, post-retirement and other employee benefit liabilities; valuation allowances for deferred tax assets; reserves for contingencies and litigation; and the fair value and accounting treatment of financial instruments including derivative instruments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Accordingly, actual results may differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an Accounting Standards Update, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the income tax consequences, accounting for forfeitures and classification on the Statements of Cash Flows. This Update is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the new guidance will have on our financial statements and related disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update, Leases, which supersedes the existing lease guidance and requires all leases with a term greater than 12 months to be recognized on the balance sheet as assets and obligations. This Update is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early application is permitted. This standard mandates a modified retrospective transition method. We are currently evaluating the effect that the new guidance will have on our financial statements and related disclosures. On July 22, 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. The new standard requires an entity to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The new standard will not apply to inventories that are measured using either the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method or the retail inventory method. This Update is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early application is permitted. We have elected to adopt the standard early effective January 1, 2016 prospectively and have measured our inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value on our Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016.

NOTE A—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (the “Financial Statements”) of U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings,” and together with its subsidiaries “we,” “us” or the “Company”) included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). They do not contain certain information included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015; therefore, the interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Financial Statements have been included. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. We have reclassified certain immaterial amounts in the prior years’ operating activities section of the consolidated statement of cash flows to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net cash flows from operations.

In order to make this report easier to read, we refer throughout to (i) our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as our “Balance Sheets,” (ii) our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations as our “Income Statements,” and (iii) our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as our “Cash Flows.”

Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016; the Income Statements, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015; the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the three months ended March 31, 2016; and other information disclosed in the related notes are unaudited. The Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2015 was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements as included in our 2015 Annual Report.

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of the Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The more significant areas requiring the use of management estimates and assumptions relate to mineral reserves that are the basis for future cash flow estimates utilized in impairment calculations and units-of-production amortization calculations; environmental, reclamation and closure obligations; estimates of recoverable minerals; estimates of allowance for doubtful accounts; estimates of fair value for certain reporting units and asset impairments (including impairments of goodwill and other long-lived assets); write-downs of inventory to net realizable value; equity-based compensation expense; post-employment, post-retirement and other employee benefit liabilities; valuation allowances for deferred tax assets; reserves for contingencies and litigation; and the fair value and accounting treatment of financial instruments including derivative instruments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Accordingly, actual results may differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an Accounting Standards Update, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the income tax consequences, accounting for forfeitures and classification on the Statements of Cash Flows. This Update is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the new guidance will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update, Leases, which supersedes the existing lease guidance and requires all leases with a term greater than 12 months to be recognized on the balance sheet as assets and obligations. This Update is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early application is permitted. This standard mandates a modified retrospective transition method. We are currently evaluating the effect that the new guidance will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

On July 22, 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. The new standard requires an entity to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The new standard will not apply to inventories that are measured using either the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method or the retail inventory method. This Update is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early application is permitted. We have elected to adopt the standard early effective January 1, 2016 prospectively and have measured our inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value on our Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016.