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U.S. Silica to Open Sand Storage Facility U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. an‐ nounced an agreement with S.H. Bell Co. to open a new silica sand storage facility to support grow‐ ing demand from oil and gas cus‐ tomers in the Utica and Marcellus Shales. U.S. Silica will ship barges and railcars of premium Northern White frac sand to the new transload facility in East Liver‐ pool, Ohio, from its network of sand plants. "We are excited to have S.H. Bell as a strategic service provider as we further expand our supply chain reach," said Bryan Shinn, chief executive officer of U.S. Sil‐ ica. "This is a prime location for a new facility and is another exam‐ ple of how U.S. Silica is leveraging our flexible logistics to bring high‐ quality products closer to market. We have opened nine strategic frac sand transload facilities this year and continue to move our point of sale closer to the shale basins, providing convenience and flexibility for our customers." "We are looking forward to our new relationship with U.S. Silica," said John Bell, president of S.H. Bell Co. "This is an ideal location for distrib- uting frac sand into the Utica and Marcellus Shale areas. S.H. Bell Co. will continue to be an active participant in the oil and gas industry and a strong supporter of job creation and growth of the local economy." 18 ROCKproducts • OCTOBER 2012 ASTM Focuses on Frac Sand Standards A newly formed ASTM International subcommittee will address the growing need for consensus standards in the field of hydraulic frac- turing. Subcommittee D18.26 on Hydraulic Fracturing, which is part of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Rock, will bring together a diverse range of stakeholders to collaborate on the development of stan- dards that promote best practices in hydraulic fracturing operations and serve as a steward of environmental resources. With the boom in hydraulic fracturing operations comes increasing concerns in the public and private sector for safety in site infrastruc- ture and well construction, as well as the potential downstream im- pact on water, land and air resources. To provide best practices for hydraulic fracturing, diverse stakehold- ers are coming together to develop standards that will cover: ■ Background site investigation and permitting. ■ Well installation and borehole integrity testing. ■ Engineering and drilling techniques. ■ Management and disposal of drilling fluids. ■ Groundwater monitoring and remediation. ■ Reinjection of produced well fluids. ■ Permanent well abandonment and data reporting. "As the oil and gas industry looks to tap into the vast energy re- sources in shale formations across the U.S., the surge in hydraulic fracturing activity is expected to continue for years to come," said Kenneth R. Bell, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, corporate manager of geotechnical and hydraulic engineering services at Bechtel Corp., and vice chair- man of ASTM Committee D18. "New standards developed by D18.26 will help direct the work of the industry so that these operations can be performed to accepted best practices and oil and gas can be re- covered in a safe and secure manner." The efforts of Subcommittee D18.26 will be undertaken by the broad cross-section of stakeholders who are joining forces in the open and consensus-driven ASTM process to collaborate on the development of critical standards and achieve mutually beneficial goals. D18.26 will draw its membership from all sides and points of view relative to the hydraulic fracturing issue, including representatives from the oil and gas industry, environmental groups, engineering firms, federal regu- lators, state and local governments, permitting bodies and academia. "ASTM is the ideal forum for this effort, a true neutral ground where all interested parties can have their voice heard and shape the direc- tion of future standards for hydraulic fracturing," said Dr. John T. Ger- maine, Ph.D. of the department of civil and environmental engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, vice chairman of Committee D18, and the leader of the task group that formed D18.26. "By participating on this subcommittee, stakeholders can freely air out issues and collaborate on standards that are fair and reasonable, provide guidance for all involved, and serve as the watch- dog for the needs of the environment." www.rockproducts.com