The Telegraph: Fracking drives demand for sand
The advent of hydraulic fracturing has already sparked a new gold-rush for shale gas and oil. Now the new mining technique, better known as fracking, is creating a rush for sand.
Developers in the shale-rich regions of South Dakota and Texas are racing to build new sand mines, after demand for the material – a key ingredient in the fracking process - surged.
Frackers are expected to use nearly 200m tonnes of sand this year, around a third more than in 2013, as they race to exploit as many shale sites as possible.