Wisconsin and Minnesota have abundant supplies of the type of sand that oil and gas producers need. Geological conditions were right hundreds of millions of years ago to form sand hard enough to withstand the pressure thousands of feet underground, while also having round grains that leave space so the oil and gas can escape. Fracking sand can fetch around $50 a ton, depending on quality.In the print edition, this story takes up the entire page 3. It's a huge story.
Sand mines are popping up across the region. Wisconsin officials estimate that the number of mines in the state has doubled to more than 60 since just last fall. Those doing the mining range from Houston-based oil-and-gas producer EOG Resources Inc., which opened a mine in Wisconsin to supply its own production, to tiny operators that don't even process the sand.
CarpeDiem.com also linked the story.
Sand mined in the Midwest is used in places such as North Dakota and Pennsylvania to tap oil and gas reserves. The U.S. producers' demand for sand reached 28.7 million tons in 2011, up from six million tons in 2007.