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www.rockproducts.com Frac Sand Insider May 2015 | 45 Geology SILICA SANDSTONES WITH LIMITED POTENTIAL SUITABILITY FOR FRAC SAND Additional known silica sand sources have been examined by several investigators for their potential use in the proppant industry. Despite the fact that these include pure silica sands that have been mined for use in glass manufacturing, they do not meet all the ad- ditional specifcations for optimal frac sand under the API guidelines (Zdunczyk, 2007; Maslowski, 2012; Marshall and others, 2014). These units were mentioned in the literature as having been eval- uated for frac sand potential. The discussion of these units is from oldest to youngest within geographic regions beginning with the Appalachian region (Figure 13) (Plate 1). identifed as mapped from east to west as Antietam (dark brown), Chickies red) Formations; Clinch Sandstone (dark blue); Pottsville Group (lavender); undivided Buena Vista and Black Hand Sandstone Members (pale blue) of the Formation; Black Hand Sandstone Member (turquoise) appalachian region Antietam Formation The Lower Cambrian Antietam Formation (also Erwin Formation according to Sweet [1986]) is the uppermost formation within the Chilhowee Group in Pennsylvania (Hack, 1982; Ryder and others, 1992) (Figure 13) (Plate 1). Sandstone from the Antietam Formation has roundness and sphericity of nearly 6.0; however, because it could not meet the test for crush resistance, it is not considered a good potential source for frac sand (Zdunczyk, 2007). Chickies Formation The Lower Cambrian Chickies Formation (also "Chiques" Quartzite) is exposed at Chickies Rock on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (Walcott, 1896) (Figure 13) (Plate 1). Although metamorphosed, the Chickies Formation is an exam- ple of the widespread marine Cambrian-Ordovician quartz arenites derived from the North American Craton or Canadian Shield (Pet- tijohn, 1972) that were deposited as basal sands on the eroded Proterozoic surface (Walcott, 1896). The quartzite of the Chickies Formation is mined for silica sand (Zdunczyk, 2007). Clinch Sandstone The Clinch Sandstone is a mature quartz arenite or ortho- quartzite of Early Silurian age (also referred to as "Clinch Mountain Sandstone") that is recognized in northeastern Tennessee (Driese, 1988), eastern Kentucky (Englund and others, 1963), and south- western Virginia (Miller and Fuller, 1947) (Figure 13) (Plate 1). Ac- cording to Herron (2006), the Clinch Sandstone is stratigraphically equivalent to the Tuscarora Formation of the northern Appalachian Basin. Within the Clinch Mountain system of northeastern Tennes- see, the Clinch Sandstone is being mined for silica sand by Short Mountain Silica at Short Mountainnear Mooresburg in Hawkins County (Zdunczyk, 1992; Short Mountain Silica, 2014). Although the Clinch Sandstone generally does not meet the criteria for frac sand (Zdunczyk, 2007), the Short Mountain Silica Company states that a frac sand facility was installed at the Short Mountain location in 2012, where it produces 30/50 and 40/70 mesh sand used in the oil and gas industry (Short Mountain Silica, 2014). It is unclear whether the Short Mountain mine is the source for the frac sand or the sand is being brought into this facility from elsewhere for processing. Oriskany Sandstone/Group The U.S. Geological Survey recognizes the use of the name Oriskany as both a group and a formation of middle Early Devo- nian age. The Oriskany Group includes the Esopus Formation at the top and the Port Ewen Formation at the base, and where the undifferentiated deposits of Oriskany age are chiefy or wholly sand- stone, the term Oriskany Sandstone is applied (Wilmarth, 1938). In central Pennsylvania, western Maryland, northern West Virginia, and parts of Virginia, the Oriskany Group is divided into the Ridge- ley Sandstone (upper) and Shriver Chert (lower) (Wilmarth, 1938) (Figure 13) (Plate 1). Oriskany Group is mapped in Sussex County, northwestern New Jersey, where it is subdivided in ascending order into the Glenerie Formation, Shriver Chert, and Ridgeley Sandstone (Monteverde, 1992). The Ridgeley Sandstone in west-northwestern Virginia is as much as 300 ft. (90 m) thick and is high in silica, predominantly white to light tan to light gray, and in places has a calcareous matrix that has been leached along fractures causing the rock to become friable sandstone or loose sand, making it especially attractive as a potential source of frac sand (Sweet, 1986). Unimin Corporation near Gore, Frederick County, Virginia, quarries the Ridgeley (Oriska- ny) Sandstone for glass sand (Sweet, 1986).