The boom in drilling for natural gas trapped in layers of shale has been good news for a handful of Ohio companies that supply the type of sand needed for such drilling.
Rob Sidley's family-owned company in northeast Ohio processes sand that is perfect for the drilling process because it's nearly 100 percent quartz as well as round, hard and water resistant.
The Akron Beacon Journal reported Monday that companies like Sidley's have a valuable commodity since 6,000 to 8,000 tons of sand are needed to drill one well.
The process for releasing gas in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations blasts thousands of gallons of sand- and chemical-laced water into the shale, a process known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking.