Frac Sand Weekly News Digest
Nick Cook, Editor
Issue #527 | July 30, 2025
Big M&A news from different legs of the frac sand supply chain: Atlas Energy acquires PropFlow (read), and UP and Norfolk Southern announce intention to merge (read).
As July wraps up and we start peering into autumn’s frac sand events, we are pleased to announce Superior Belt Filters as an Event Sponsor for Canada, and also our Early Bird Conference registration promo expires in two weeks.
And now, the news…
This Week's News
Atlas Energy Solutions Announces Acquisition of PropFlow
Atlas Energy Solutions announced the acquisition of Propflow, a leading provider of patented on-wellsite proppant filtration technology.
Our Thoughts On Atlas’s Wellsite Screening Acquisition
More detailed industry insights into what the effects of this integration will mean for our industry.
A Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern combination would redraw the railroad map
Combining Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern into the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. would create a 52,215-mile colossus that could offer seamless service from coast to coast, bypassing longtime interchange choke points in Chicago and at gateways along the Mississippi River.
What Happened To Mines Last Time A Downcycle Hit This Hard?
For this piece, it's focused on the Permian since sand markets in other basins are holding up relatively better.
A Megamerger Creates America’s First Coast-to-Coast Rail Operator
With Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern deal, a single company would control coast-to-coast rail shipments for first time in history
Liberty Echos Halliburton’s Take On Frac Challenges, Trials Slurry…
Infill Thinking covers read-through and takeaways from the first earnings release of 2Q25 OFS earnings season…
The Peak Oil Myth is Back—and It’s Still a Myth
The shale story goes that the easy targets have all been drilled. But today’s easy targets were yesterday’s hard targets. The skeptics, as always, are blind to the roles of shale experience and technology.
Smart Sand Declares Special Dividend of $0.10 per Share
"We are excited to continue our strategy of returning value to our stockholders through this special dividend," said Charles Young.
Oilfield Fire In The Midland Basin Near A Simulfrac This Weekend
After the oilfield fire, here's some more details.
Federal judge orders former San Antonio businessman to remain in jail
He has been on parole since August 2022 when he got out of prison following his conviction on nine felony charges related to his involvement with FourWinds Logistics Inc., a company that purportedly bought and sold sand used in fracking.
7 Quick Hits In The Frac Supply Chain…
7 quick but notable datapoints with implications for the frac service market.
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