Oglebay Norton Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Petition

WILMINGTON, Del. - Oglebay Norton, a defendant named in thousands of silica and asbestos claims, announced this morning that it has filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In Re: Oglebay Norton Company, No. 04-10559 (D. Del., Bankr.).

The petition was to be filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and includes several of the company's subsidiaries, including Erie Sand & Gravel, which Oglebay purchased in January 2003. In connection with the Chapter 11 filing, the company also announced that it is seeking immediate interim bankruptcy court approval for …