When it comes to determining the health of the U.S. shale industry, follow the sand, Oilprice.com writes:
"When oil companies talk about constantly improving the efficiency of their wells, one common theme is increasing the amount of sand they pour into them. More sand makes for more oil, at no great cost increase.
"As energy analyst and industry veteran Robert Rapier notes in an article for Investing Daily, sand miners supplying shale boomers suffered badly when prices tanked. Now, however, they are experiencing a veritable renaissance as the outlook for oil is turning rosy, and a rising amount of rigs are being put back at work."
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