Drilling and completions practices have driven demand for frac sand to new highs and threaten shortages in some prime shale regions. But what qualities make a sand suitable for fracking, and where is the industry looking for solutions to supply chain challenges.
The US fracking boom is pushing the demand of quartz sand to new highs . The sand , or proppant , is integral to the fracking process . Normally , this means quartz sand held in chemical solutions , which is then pumped into the hydraulic system to keep it open . Credit Suisse officials predict demand will rise to 73 million tons this year , an increase 30 % from 2014 's peak demand .