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46 | Frac Sand Insider May 2015 www.rockproducts.com Geology Elsewhere in Virginia, the high silica sandstone formation, re- ferred to as the Oriskany Sandstone, has been described by Schol- le (1979) as having quartz grains that are well rounded and show no euhedral overgrowths; however, they have irregular line contacts with adjacent minerals, and many quartz grains have strain shad- ows and Boehm lamellae suggesting signifcant deformation that would compromise their capacity to withstand high crush pressures (Scholle, 1979). For the past century, U.S. Silica has been mining the 99.9 percent pure silica sand from Devonian Oriskany outcrops along the Warm Springs Ridge in northeastern West Virginia for use in non-proppant industries (U.S. Silica, 2014a). Sylvania Sandstone The Middle Devonian Sylvania Sandstone is the lowermost for- mation within the Detroit River Group. It is exposed in northwestern Ohio (Figure 13) (Plate 1) where it unconformably overlies rocks of the Silurian Salina Group (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, 1990 [rev. 2000, 2004]; Wolfe, 2013). The Sylvania Sandstone ranges in thickness from 0 to 95 ft. (0 to 29 m) and is described as a white, fri- able sandstone with well-rounded quartz grains; may contain scat- tered masses of calcite, celestite, and dolomite; and is interbedded with arenaceous dolomite with bands of chert (Wolfe, 2013). The sandstone is exposed in a quarry in Lucas County, Ohio, where it was historically used in the Toledo glass industry; and on the south bank of the Maumee River in Wood County (Heinrich, 2001). Wolfe (2013) names the Sylvania Sandstone among potential future sources for frac sand in Ohio. The Sylvania Sandstone extends into Michigan, where it has characteristics typical of aeolian reworked near-shore marine sands that were likely sourced during Devonian time from outcrops of the Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone (Grabau and Sherzer, 1910; Hein- rich, 2001). The Sylvania Sandstone is mapped in the subsurface of the Michigan Basin where its thickness increases northwestward reaching a maximum of nearly 400 ft. (120 m) (Heinrich, 2001). The unit has been mined for glass sand in Rockwood, Wayne County, southeastern Michigan, by the Ottawa Silica Company (Heinrich, 2001). U.S. Silica mines this unit at Rockwood for use in non-prop- pant industries (U.S. Silica, 2014c). Berea Sandstone In Ohio, the Upper Devonian Berea Sandstone (Figure 13) (Plate 1) is overlain by the Lower Mississippian Sunbury Shale (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, 1990 [rev. 2000, 2004]). The Berea Sandstone is light brown, medium to coarse grained with sub-rounded quartz grains, with a silica content of generally greater than 91 percent, aluminum oxide about 4 percent, and iron oxide less than 1 percent (Wolfe, 2013). Buena Vista Sandstone Member The Lower Mississippian Buena Vista Sandstone Member of the Cuyahoga Formation (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, 1990 [rev. 2000, 2004]) (Figure 13) (Plate 1) is a thin-bedded, fne- to medium-grained, sub-rounded quartz sandstone that is exposed in south-central Ohio and has been historically mined as a building stone (Wolfe, 2013). Black Hand Sandstone Member The Lower Mississippian Black Hand Sandstone Member of the Cuyahoga Formation (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, 1990 [rev. 2000, 2004]) (Figure 13) (Plate 1) contains silty and conglom- eratic facies; however, it also occurs as a massive, coarse grained, 98 percent silica sandstone up to 100 ft. (30 m) thick that is mined as frac sand, as well as industrial sand in Knox County, Ohio (Wolfe, 2013). Sharon Sandstone The Pennsylvanian Sharon sandstone is the basal informal unit of the Pottsville Group in Ohio, where it unconformably over- lies Mississippian strata (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, 1990 [rev. 2000, 2004]; Wolfe, 2013) (Figure 13) (Plate 1). Elsewhere, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other parts of Ohio, the unit is recog- nized as the Sharon Conglomerate Member of the Pottsville Forma- tion (Rice and others, 1994). The Sharon Conglomerate Member crops out in Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio (Fuller, 1955). In Ohio, the unit referred to here as the informal Sharon sandstone is mined for glass, industrial, and frac sand use where it is described as a massive, fne- to coarse-grained, high-silica sandstone and pebble conglomerate with a thickness range from 10 to 60 ft. (3 to 18 m) as exposed in quarries (Wolfe, 2013). Parameters that support its consideration for use as a frac sand include these: silica content that can exceed 99 percent, roundness/sphericity of 0.6– 0.7, solubility of 2.9 percent, turbidity of 19, crush resistance of up to 6,000 psi, and an acceptable size distribution (Wolfe, 2013). The unusually high silica content of this unit is attributed by Fuller (1955) to the multi-cycling and transport of sediments long removed from the older igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary source rock by streams of considerable competency and eventually deposited as a delta in a shallow basin overlying the Mississippian unconformity. The Sharon sandstone is mapped with many other units within the Pottsville Group and is therefore overrepresented on Figure 13 and Plate 1. Massillon Sandstone The Pennsylvanian Massillon sandstone is an informal unit within the Pottsville Group in Ohio (Ohio Division of Geological Sur- vey, 1990 [rev. 2000, 2004]; Wolfe, 2013) (Figure 13) (Plate 1). The unit is described as a light brown to white, fne- to medium-grained, high-silica sandstone with a maximum thickness of 100 ft. (30 ft) in east-central and northeastern Ohio. Although currently mined for industrial sand and building stone, it may be considered for future use in fracking because of its roundness/sphericity of 0.5–0.6, acid solubility of 1.9 percent, and turbidity of 78 (Wolfe, 2013). Massillon is mapped with many other units within the Pottsville Group and is, therefore, overrepresented on Plate 1.