- Industries
- Uses
Silica has a wide range of uses and applications in a variety of sectors. One example is the energy sector, where increased oil and gas exploration and production has increased demand for silica during the last decade. It’s commonly employed as a proppant to keep hydraulic fracturing fractures open, allowing oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the well bore.
Frac sand is a crush-resistant quartz sand used in hydraulic fracturing to improve oil and natural gas extraction. A proppant is a tiny, granular substance used to prop open fractures in subsurface rock formations. Frac sand is a component of fracking, which is a mixture of water, chemicals, and sand injected into a crude oil or natural gas well to reduce friction pressure and cause fractures.