Frac Sand Mining in Western Wisconsin: An Overview

In the past few years you could hardly go anywhere in U.S., especially Wisconsin, without hearing about fracing. The word sounds almost inappropriate, but I assure you, it isn't. More specifically it is called Hydraulic Fracturing, Hydrofracking for short, and it is a method used to extract resources, most notably natural gas. A well is drilled and explosives are detonated in the earth to create cavities. A mixture of water, sand, and chemicals are pumped down in the well under high pressures to keep the cracks maintained while the natural gas, or other resource is being removed (Figure A).

Figure A: Hydraulic Fracturing Illustrated
http://www.candcworldwide.com/ckfinder/userfiles/images/Fracking-diagram.jpg

This technique is nothing new, it has been in use for roughly sixty years; however, it has found its way into a new territories because of technological advancements. People want to drill for resources where they previously could not, an increase in hydrofracking means they're going to need more hyrdrofracking components, which is where Wisconsin comes in! Of course the best frac sand comes from the best of all 50 states, it's only natural. In 2014 Wisconsin was the leading producer of Frac Sand. This frac sand (quartz sand or silica sand, it's all the same) is so great for hydraulic fracturing because it is almost entirely quartz, very round, and uniformly sized (Figure B). This sand can be found in Cambrian Sandstone formations which are readily available in areas of western Wisconsin (Figure C). Mining of quartz sand in Wisconsin is found primary in the western portion including Monroe, Jackson, Burnett, Chippewa, and Trempealeau counties (Figure D). 

Figure B: Frac Sand on a penny
http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_images/sand2.JPG

Figure C: Red areas show the Cambrian Sandstone in Wisconsin
Full image: http://u6efc47qb7f1g5v06kf9kfdcn.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Where-the-best-sand-is-Brown-presentation.jpg

Figure D: Sand mines in Wisconsin
http://glaciersands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sandwi-large.png

There are seven steps in processing frac sand:

1. Overburden removal: Removal of everything unwanted above the sand at the site.
2. Excavation: Systematically dig a pit.
3. Blasting: Breaking apart the heavily cemented sandstone with dynamite.
4. Crushing: Larger pieces of sandstone moved and broken down into grains.
5. Processing: washing, drying, sorting, and storing of the grains to ensure sand is uniform and clean of contaminants.
6. Transporting: Sand is sent to hydraulic fracturing sites, by truck or by train.
7. Reclamation: Reclaiming the land after the sand has been removed. Including but not limited to: replacing soil, planting trees, making the land usable for farm or commercial use.

Sand mining uses many resources throughout the entire process including the burning of fossil fuels to power machinery and using groundwater to wash the grains and spray down the dirt and sand piles in order to reduce particulates in the air. Trucks moving sand will damage the roads and cause lots of noise, not nearly as much as the massive machinery and explosives though. The removal of millions of tons of earth will leave the landscape looking lack luster even after reclamation, and possibly leave lasting negative effects on the environment. On the bright side sand mines provide jobs, stimulate the local economy, and potentially lower the cost of natural gas. Throughout the rest of the semester we will use GIS to analyze sand mines and gain better understanding of how they operate. We also aim to add a level of sustainability to the known sand mines.

Sources:

Frac Sand Mining Fact Sheet
http://wcwrpc.org/frac-sand-factsheet.pdf

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (January 2012). Silica Sand Mining in Wisconsin
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/documents/SilicaSandMiningFinal.pdf

Thomas Content. Journel Sentinel. (May 2015). Wisconsin's frac sand industry booms

http://www.jsonline.com/business/wisconsins-frac-sand-industry-booms-b99509220z1-305394131.html