Frac Sand Mining

Frac Sanding in Wisconsin

By: Joseph Mandelko

 

            For over 60 years a method of oil and natural gas extraction has been used called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process uses a mixture of pure quartz sand and water under extreme amounts of pressure to open fissures far below the surface of the earth allowing for natural gas and oil to be accessed easier than before. Recently there has been a development in the discipline of fracking that has resulted in even more resources being able to be extracted. This advancement is the idea of horizontal drilling. Now, with just one well drilling, the extraction company can send out frack lines horizontally from the initial drill point allowing for resources in the vicinity of the drill point to be accessed.

            In the state of Wisconsin, as with many other states with similar geologic formations, the increase in popularity of frac sanding has begun to be noticeable. Figure 1 below shows the location of frac sand mines and processing plants in Wisconsin as of 2013. The most important segment of the map however is the sandstone formations shown, this is a huge indicator of the future of fracking in the state. The western side of the state shows a huge potential to be mined not just for oil and natural gas but more importantly for the pure quartz sand needed in frac mining. The geologic feature of such a stable and constant sandstone layer has drawn attention by mining companies and the effects are all across the board.

            Because of the proximity and ease of use of the railroad systems in Wisconsin the state has easier accessibility and transportation of mined sand than even neighboring Minnesota. On one hand this has been good for Wisconsin by creating jobs and pumping money into the state’s economy. On the other hand the heavy use of mining equipment has begun to have effects on the environment and populations near mining operations. The proximity of the mines to communities has resulted in increased lung cancer, and other illness associated with dirty air. There is also the fact that trucks, in many cases run constantly all day and night in and out of mines to remove the sand mined from the mine. This has caused overall quality of life to decline dramatically and communities are facing hard decisions on allowing or banning frac mining in their townships.

            Geographic information systems can be, and are, used heavily in the area of mining and it is no different for frac mining. Data from the USGS and local county level data can be combined to display anything from current mining areas and effected communities. The issue of sand transportation can also be displayed to show where heavily traveled roads are and what the effect of the traffic is on local communities. GIS can also be used to discover where better, less intrusive, routes are located to help reduce issues with health and the community. In this class we will use GIS to analyses the department of transportation data on Trempealeau County to look at the impacts of mining on the roads and communities there.   

 

 

(Figure 1: Location of sandstone formations and frac sand mines and processing plants. Wisconsin Geologic and Natural History Survey)

 

Sources:

Hart, Maria, Teresa Adams, and Andrew Schwartz. "Transportation Impacts C Sand Mining in the MAFC Region." National Center for Freight & Infrastructure Research & Education (2013): n. pag. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Parsen, Mike, and Jay Zambito. "Mining: Frac Sand." Wisconsin Geological Natural History Survey. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.

Younger, By Sally. "Sand Rush: Fracking Boom Spurs Rush on Wisconsin Silica." <i>National Geographic</i>. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.