Wisconsin Frac Mining

Frac Sand mining has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years as new petroleum extraction methods have been developed. All over the United States companies have begun to extract a very special kind of sand and sell it to the big oil companies for a huge profit.  It just so happens that Wisconsin has become the leading producer of this sand,and the industry is continuing to grow at an astonishing rate. What is so special about Wisconsin? Well, we have the largest deposits of this frac sand anywhere in the United States, and it is not very far below the surface making Wisconsin an ideal place to extract this resource.

            How does frac sand tie into petroleum companies? Petroleum companies use this sand to do a method of petroleum extraction called hydraulic fracturing. The sand is pumped down in to the earth in a mixture of water. This mixture gets into the cracks where oil and natural gas are located under the earth’s surface. The water is then pumped back out if the ground leaving the sand to dry in those cracks which expands them making it easier to get at the resources. In order for this to work the sand has to be very hard round grains of quartz with very few impurities in it.     The majority of the mining in Wisconsin is taking place in west central Wisconsin where there are huge deposits of this almost pure quartz sand. There are also mines to the south and east but that sand is not nearly as pure making it more expensive to produce. The sand is taken out of the ground and then washed, purified, dried and shipped, usually by rail, to big oil companies.

            Frac mining has created a lot of jobs and brought an unbelievable amount of money to the communities where these mines are going up, but not everyone is happy. There are many concerns that have been voiced about this industry. These mines destroy the landscape that is on top of them which disturbs the wildlife in the area. In many people’s opinions this creates an eye sore in the community. Another concern that has been voiced by people in the past is the reduction of air quality around these mines. By the plants themselves when the sand has been cleaned and dried and is being put into storage piles very fine dust particles are released into the air around the plant. Along railroad tracks the same thing is happening. The wind from the train moving stirs up the sand dust and puts it into the air. Water and stream pollution is another concern that has been brought up. The runoff from the massive strip mines and processing plants can end up in nearby creeks and rivers making the water murky on occasion.

            How is GIS connected to this industry? GIS can be used in many ways for the good of this industry as well as for those who may oppose these frac mines. When you apply for a permit to do this mining on your property or any piece of property there are zoning issues and land use restrictions. Through GIS you can determine if the land you are interested in is an area where mining is an allowable land use. Once the companies have large pieces of land purchased they can keep track of property boundaries and mining progress though GIS. Planning the most effective and efficient trucking and rail routes is also a part of GIS that can and is exploited by the mining companies. For people who are opposed to frac mining and may be concerned about air quality and water quality they can use GIS to support their concerns. For example they can create maps to track water runoff from the plants or show how far the diminished air quality ratings reach from the plants and rail lines where the sand is being moved.

People wonder whether Frac sand mining is a good industry or practice and I can see both sides of the argument. I can’t say if it is good or not but this argument will continue to produce many opportunities to use GIS both in the industry and outside of it. This industry creates so many jobs and opportunities which are good for the economy, but it also leaves its mark on the world. Finding a way for the industry to exist and limit the effect on the earth is the ideal situation and I think that GIS can play a big role in finding that happy medium.

Source: U.S. Geological Survery Silica Yearbooks

Works Cited

"Industrial Sand Mining." Wisconsin Department of Natural Rescources. N.p., 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/mines/silica.html>.

Robertson, James M. "Frac Sand in Wisconsin." Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (2012): n. pag. 2012. Web. 06 Sept. 2014. <http://wcwrpc.org/frac-sand-factsheet.pdf>.

"Town of Colfax Residents Concerned about Proposed Mine's Proximity : Dunn County News." The Dunn County News. Ed. Barbara Lyon. The Chippewa Herald, 03 June 2014. Web. 06 Oct.                 2014.<http://chippewa.com/dunnconnect/news/local/town-of-colfax-residents-concerned-about-proposed-mine-s-proximity/article_c4bc5f44-e279-57c0-b743-fb12022648d7.html>.