Shale drillers combine sand with water and chemicals, then inject the mixture into wells during the hydraulic fracturing process. The mixture creates fissures that allows natural gas to escape.

This sand is transported to drilling sites by rail and by barge. According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource, frack sand shipments by barge have greatly increased over the past 18 months.

Across the country, there has been a shortage of small cube-covered hoppers to ship frack sand recently. However, due to low oil prices, these shortages have eased up. Near the end of 2014, analysts predicted that these hopper shortages would last through 2015 and maybe until 2017. Now, a predicted 14 percent decline in frack sand demand could create an oversupply of hoppers.

Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource > Companies that store and move frack sand are in demand

Related

• Fracking sand volume increases Feb. 27, 2015
• Fracking sand could cause health problems Oct. 9, 2014
• Investors turn to fracking sand for profit Sept. 21, 2014