Mo. plays role in fracking boom with silica sand

Associated Press — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:51:53 +0000

Missouri doesn't have enough natural gas deposits for the state to get much benefit from the hydraulic fracturing movement that has produced a glut of natural gas nationwide.

But it does have something that's very important to energy producers who engage in fracking — sand.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Missouri has vast quantities of nearly pure silica sand. The sand is in high demand among drillers who use the tiny granules to prop open cracks in shale rock and allow oil and natural gas to escape.

TransCanada restarts Keystone pipeline

Associated Press — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:46:49 +0000

TransCanada has restarted the Keystone oil pipeline that carries about 590,000 barrels of crude oil each day from Canada to facilities in the Midwest.

Oil began flowing again Monday afternoon. Company spokesman Shawn Howard says the system will be operated at a slightly reduced pressure for about 24 hours. Contractual delivery levels will resume in November.

TransCanada had shut down the pipeline Wednesday after tests showed possible safety issues.