Unbeknownst to many, Wisconsin has played a key role in driving down prices at the gas pump thanks to its abundance of “frac sand,” a specialized silica sand required for the fracking process. The ...

BLAIR, Wis. -- Tucked behind a hill in rural Trempealeau County, farmland undergoes an industrial transformation. Outside this city of 1,300, Preferred Sands turns Wisconsin's sandy soil into a hot ...

Jan. 7—EAU CLAIRE — After more than a decade of alternating boom-and-bust cycles, the regional frac sand industry appears to be stabilizing — at least for now. That's the assesssment of UW-Eau Claire ...

Frac sand production has increased seven-fold in the past decade, according to the United States Geological Survey. Thomas Dolley, a mineral commodity specialist at the USGS, said he can’t divulge ...

Despite new competition, Wisconsin’s frac sand industry has come roaring back from a slump that idled mines two years ago, fueled by a continued surge in domestic crude oil production.

In a clash of old and new industries, Wisconsin frac sand producers say their business is threatened by a handful of railroads operating under outdated regulations. Wisconsin produces about a third of ...

A professor and group of student researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire claim they found elevated particulate levels associated with frac-sand mining. Although their studies didn’t ...

Wisconsin’s frac sand mining industry isn’t going away, but industry experts say not all mines will survive as market forces change the business model.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Northern Frac Proppants, LLC (NFP) today announced the acquisition of land and frac sand reserves located on 1,600 acres near Black River Falls, Wisconsin. NFP has entered ...

Western Wisconsin counties bordering the Mississippi River have a unique geography: steep bluffs with layers and layers of silica sand. The sand is extremely valuable because it's strong enough to ...

A revised proposal looks to protect existing frac sand mines in Wisconsin from new regulations. The measure would prevent local governments from imposing any new air or water ordinances on those ...