When it takes up to four million pounds of sand to frack a single well, it’s no wonder that demand is outpacing supply and frack sand producers are becoming the biggest behind-the-scenes beneficiaries of the oil and gas boom.

We could be on the verge of another major oil M&A boom like the historic one that brought Exxon and Mobil together. Mergers and acquisitions have the potential to shake up a market and send some stocks soaring, but the best industry plays aren’t all that obvious.

Cheap oil prices and the economic prosperity they bring can make politicians and investors look smarter than they are.

It's been dubbed "America's point of reckoning," and according to one forecast, it could slash the price of oil by over 30%. In other words: $60 oil.

According to Bloomberg News, the average estimate of resource potential was 6.6 times higher than the proved reserves reported to the SEC. "Proven" and "potential" should not be confused.

Horizontal drilling and fracking have opened new opportunities for investing in domestic energy, whether for pure-play explorers in developing shales, producers in mature areas, or service companies opening up the monster wells.