Drillers Using More Sand, Water for W.Va. Wells

Energy companies are using more water and sand to extract natural gas from the Marcellus shale in Marshall and Ohio counties.

A new report by research firm Wood Mackenzie says companies working in what’s called the “wet gas window” of the two counties are using up to 10 million gallons of water for each project. They’re also using 13 million pounds of sand.

That’s up from about 4 million gallons of water and 1 million pounds of sand a few years ago.

West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association executive director Corky Demarco says companies are extending horizontal lateral drilling farther into the Marcellus shale. He tells The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register that this calls for more sand and water.