A deposit of sand in north-central North Dakota could be a boon to the state’s oil industry, according to the Bismarck Tribune.
The sand – a variety specifically suited to the process of hydraulic fracturing – has been found in McHenry County, roughly 160 miles west of Grand Forks between the towns of Rugby and Minot. Another has been found in Mercer County, northwest of Bismarck.
Fred Anderson, a North Dakota Geological Survey geologist, said the sand could be a “game-changer” for the state. “The reduction in cost would be high,” Anderson said. “It’s a huge deal for the state of North Dakota.”
Asgard Resources, Williston, N.D., has received a permit to dig sand in McHenry County, the auditor’s office there confirmed. Asgard Resources also applied for a permit to excavate sand in Mercer County, the Mercer County auditor’s office said.
“We know it’s being developed and shipped, but we don’t know where it’s going,” Anderson said.