The market for sand—a key ingredient in fracking—is surging once again as U.S. oil production rebounds, and the rising price of the tiny grains threatens to cut into energy companies’ profits.
Now that crude oil is selling for just less than $50 a barrel, American shale companies have rushed back into the oil patch, and they are using more sand to help supersize their wells. Sand props open underground fissures, which allows oil and gas to escape to the surface.
