Frac Sand Weekly News Digest
Nick Cook, Editor
Issue #549 | January 21, 2026
Top headlines for your Wednesday!
- Mitsubishi is ALL IN on the Haynesville in their biggest deal ever as a company.
- Next week, we’ll see what the impact of this weekend’s big winter storm hitting the central and eastern US (facilities and operations not accustomed to handling this level of cold regularly).
- Geothermal continues to pop up flashy on our radar, but will we see this ever come to meaningful scale for EGS? Read more about it.
Timpte Trailers is our most recent Notebook sponsor for the 11th Frac Sand Update this March 24th in Houston! General registration is open now too, and we’re working on building a relevant agenda (got any particular suggestions?)
And now, the news…
This Week's News
The 1Q Weather Wildcard Is Here…
The forecast now calls for a winter storm (could be nasty) this coming Friday and Saturday, but read about how that could affect some of the US's most prolific basins.
Fracking for Oil and Gas Goes Global
Australia and Saudi Arabia are two countries starting to invest more and more into fracking.
10 Potential 2026 Frac Surprises
Infill Thinking tries to spoil any surprises before they happen.
The Next Chapter in Autonomous Trucks Hauling Frac Sand
Now, with Aurora and Detmar Logistics preparing to deploy 30 autonomous trucks on public roads, the Permian is becoming the place where autonomous freight finally stops being experimental and starts becoming infrastructure.
OFS Context For The Latest E&P M&A Rumor…
With another serious merger potentially on the horizon, read more about what that impact could look like.
Mitsubishi Corporation Announces Acquisition of Haynesville Shale Gas Business in Louisiana and Texas
Building on MC’s established North American energy platform—which includes upstream shale gas development with Ovintiv in British Columbia, midstream marketing and logistics through CIMA Energy in Houston, LNG exports via LNG Canada and Cameron LNG, and power generation through Diamond Generating Corporation—this acquisition further strengthens MC’s integrated energy and power business.
Midland Basin Leads the Super-Long Lateral Boom
The most interesting basin in the US from a lateral length perspective is the Midland Basin, but how does it differ from the Delaware and the rest of the US?
Geothermal Wildcatter Zanskar, Which Uses AI to Find Heat, Raises $115 Million
The startup uses AI to find overlooked geothermal fields and says its discoveries can help sate the U.S.’s thirst for electricity
The 1st Datapoints About The 1Q Rebound Are Pointing In The Right Direction
We're all waiting for a rebound, but what are the signals?
LinkedIn Post: ExxonMobil
They're now producing more than 600,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the Delaware Basin (a 60% increase YOY).
7 Key Points To Listen For As Oilfield Earnings Season Starts
Read more about some of the key themes to pay attention to in the upcoming earnings calls.
Fervo Energy Leads Next-Gen Geothermal Power
Read more about how critical proppant is for these EGS projects.
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