Texas Frac Sand Operator Outreach Playbook
XTANK.co · Sales Outreach Document · 2026 Edition
FRAC SAND
A frac sand plant is a water plant that makes a dry product. The value is not in the liquid. The value is in the sand grain. Water is the tool that cleans the grain, and dirty water makes a grain that fails the specification.
That is your opening. You are not selling oil recovery here. You are selling clean process water, fewer pond cleanouts and fewer tank entries. Use the process language in Section 1 and the templates in Section 4.
Frac sand is a proppant. A pressure pumping crew pumps it into a well with water. The sand holds the fracture open after the pressure is released. The grain must be strong, round and clean.
Texas supplies most of its own sand today. The sand is called in-basin brown sand. It comes from wind blown dune fields in the Permian Basin. The main counties are Winkler, Ward, Crane, Ector and Dawson. A second source is the Brady brown sand in McCulloch County and the Hood County sand near Fort Worth. Northern White sand is railed in from Wisconsin and Illinois to Texas terminals.
A modern frac sand plant recovers about 90 percent of its process water and uses it again. In West Texas the plant has no choice. Water is scarce and it is expensive to haul. The water circuit is therefore the most important support system on the site.
Read this page twice. Almost every Freedom Tool application in this playbook sits on this page.
| Test | What it measures | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | Cleanliness of the wash. Reported in FTU or NTU | Your test. The limit is 250 FTU or less. Dirty recycle water raises this number. A failed turbidity result is a rejected load. |
| Sieve distribution | Percent of grains inside the named mesh range | Set by the classifier in the wet plant and by the dry screens. Not your test. |
| Sphericity and roundness | Grain shape, scored 0 to 1 | A value of 0.6 or higher is required for both. Set by geology, not by the plant. |
| Crush resistance | Percent fines made under load, tested to 4K psi and up | Grain strength. In-basin brown sand is rated lower than Northern White. |
| Acid solubility | Percent lost in hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid | Measures carbonate, clay and iron contamination on the grain. |
| Vessel | What is inside | What collects at the surface | Freedom Tool fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed slurry sump and cyclone feed tank | Raw sand slurry from the mine | Hydraulic oil, diesel film, grease, floating trash, froth | STRONG First point after the pit |
| Attrition cell and classifier feed tanks | Dense scrubbed slurry, 65 to 70 percent solids | Froth from the impellers, liberated organic film, oil | GOOD Confirm access and level swing |
| Flocculant make-down and aging tanks | Anionic polymer solution | Undissolved gel lumps, surface skin, dry powder crust | STRONG Stop the lumps reaching the dosing pump |
| Thickener or clarifier | Flocculated fines settling out of the water | Scum blanket, floating flocs and oil in the overflow launder | STRONG Skim the launder. Check the existing rake first |
| Process water and recycle water tanks | Recovered clean water going back to the wet plant | Oil sheen, algae, foam, floating fines, scale at the water line | STRONG This water touches the product |
| Settling and tailings ponds | Thickener underflow. Open to air | Surface crust, algae mats, wind blown dust, oil sheen | STRONG Break the crust. Dose below the surface |
| Fresh and brackish water storage | Make-up water from wells or from a supplier | Algae, biofilm, iron floc, dust | STRONG Protect the whole plant at one point |
| Treated produced water tanks | Midstream water taken as make-up, where used | Free oil, emulsion, solids, scale | STRONG This is the core XTANK use case |
| Wet scrubber recirculation tanks | Water that has washed silica dust from the dryer | Fines, foam, scale, film | GOOD Small tank. Good first trial candidate |
| Dust suppression water tanks | Road and conveyor spray water, often with surfactant | Algae, film, debris that plugs the nozzles | GOOD Easy access. Low risk to the process |
| Diesel and fuel tanks | Diesel for the haul fleet and the mine equipment | Water bottoms, sludge, vapour in the head space | GOOD Static grounding at the flash zone |
| Lube oil and used oil tanks | New oil and shop waste oil | Water, sludge, emulsion layer | GOOD Cut the disposal volume |
| Product silos and dry storage | Dried, screened sand | Not applicable. No liquid | NONE Do not offer anything here |
The Freedom Tool is patented and is built in 316 stainless steel. It is in service in produced water tanks in Texas. Named customers include WaterBridge, Select Water Services, Pilot Water, Summit, Reclaim, Triple Crown, Judah Oil, Apache and ConocoPhillips.
Video of the tool in service is on xtank.co. Send the link after the first reply, not with the first email.
No frac sand installation exists. No third party test data exists for a thickener launder, a flocculant tank, a scrubber recirculation tank or a tailings pond.
Turn this into the ask. The first sand producer gets a no cost trial and gets named as the reference site. Engineers respond well to being first when the risk is zero.
| Rank | Job title | What this person owns | Best opening angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plant Manager | The wet plant and the dry plant. Approves new equipment | Cost per ton and uptime |
| 2 | Process Engineer / Plant Engineer | Wet plant performance, water balance, flocculant dose | Recycle water quality and turbidity |
| 3 | Quality Manager / Lab Manager | API RP 19C testing and the certificate of analysis | Turbidity failures and their cause |
| 4 | Maintenance Manager / Reliability Lead | Pumps, cleanouts, shutdown work, vacuum truck spend | No moving parts, no power, no entry |
| 5 | Environmental / Water Manager | Water permits, pond management, discharge and reuse | Pond crust, algae and water loss |
| 6 | Operations Manager / Director of Operations | Daily production across one or more plants | Fewer cleanouts, fewer truck runs |
| 7 | HSE / Safety Manager | Silica exposure, confined space entry, fire risk | Fewer tank entries, static grounding |
| 8 | Mine Manager / Pit Superintendent | Mining fleet, pit water, feed to the plant | Loader and dozer oil in the feed |
| 9 | Projects / Capital Engineering Manager | New plant builds and plant expansions | Design stage specification |
| 10 | Fleet / Fuel Coordinator | Bulk diesel, lube oil and waste oil | Water bottoms and disposal cost |
| 11 | Procurement / Supply Chain Lead | The purchase order and the vendor terms | Trial terms and vendor onboarding |
| 12 | VP Operations / COO | A rollout across every plant | Fleet economics after the first win |
Titles: Plant Manager, Process Engineer, Maintenance Manager, Environmental
Location: Texas
Keywords: Kermit, Monahans, frac sand, proppant
Titles: Plant Manager, Process Engineer, Quality Manager, Operations
Location: Texas
Keywords: Kermit, Monahans, Lamesa, in-basin sand
| Company | Texas counties | Tier | Priority for XTANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Energy Solutions | Winkler, Ward (Kermit, Monahans) | TIER 1 | Highest. Largest proppant producer in North America. Full company page 13. |
| Alpine Silica (ProFrac) | Winkler, Ward, Dawson (Kermit, Monahans, Lamesa) | TIER 1 | Highest. Largest in-basin capacity. Parent also runs frac fleets. Page 14. |
| U.S. Silica | Crane, Dawson, Limestone | TIER 1 | High. Two large automated Permian plants. Apollo owned. Page 15. |
| Black Mountain Sand | Winkler, Ward | TIER 2 | High. Large in-basin capacity. Private and easier to reach. Add next. |
| Vista Minerals | Winkler, Hood | TIER 2 | Medium. Several mines plus rail terminals. Mixed in-basin and regional sand. |
| High Roller Sand | Ward, Ector (Penwell area) | TIER 2 | Medium. Smaller plants. Short decision chain. |
| Covia / Sibelco | Multiple, plus terminals | TIER 2 | Medium. Large operator group. Confirm which Texas plants are running. |
| Smart Sand | Texas terminals | TIER 3 | Low first. Northern White supplier. Wet plants are outside Texas. |
| Brady area producers | McCulloch (Voca, Brady) | TIER 3 | Low first. Hard rock sandstone, so crushing and washing both apply. |
| Van Horn area producers | Culberson | TIER 3 | Low first. Newer plants. Confirm status before a call. |
1. The volume sits in four counties. Winkler, Ward, Crane and Dawson hold most of the Texas in-basin capacity. A single trip can reach several plants.
2. Two of your three targets are oilfield companies, not only sand companies. Atlas also sells logistics and distributed power. ProFrac also runs pressure pumping fleets. That doubles the number of tanks behind one relationship.
3. Texas has about 32 operating frac sand plants. This version covers three of them in full. Prove the message on these three, then add the Tier 2 companies.
| Asset | County | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kermit facilities | Winkler | In-basin dune sand mine and plant | Operating. The origin point of the Dune Express. |
| Monahans facility | Ward | In-basin dune sand mine and plant | Operating. |
| Former Hi-Crush Kermit plant | Winkler | In-basin sand plant | Operating. Acquired with Hi-Crush in 2024. |
| OnCore distributed mining | Several | Small modular sand units near the pad | Deployed. Acquired with Hi-Crush. |
| Dune Express | Winkler to Lea, NM | 42 mile electric overland conveyor | In service since January 2025. |
3. “Maintenance Manager” OR “Reliability” + Atlas Energy Solutions • 4. “Environmental” OR “Water” + Atlas Energy Solutions • 5. Kermit OR Monahans + frac sand (keyword only)
| Asset | County | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kermit mine and plant | Winkler | In-basin dune sand | Operating. |
| Monahans mine and plant | Ward | In-basin dune sand | Operating. Bought as SP Silica in 2022. About 3 million tons per year. |
| Lamesa mine and plant | Dawson | In-basin sand | Operating. |
| Other Alpine sites | Several | Sand mines and terminals | Operating. Confirm the current list before a call. |
| ProFrac pressure pumping fleets | Statewide | Frac fleets and wellsite water | Operating. Separate operating group, same parent. |
3. “Maintenance” OR “Reliability” + Alpine Silica • 4. “Water” OR “Environmental” + ProFrac • 5. Kermit OR Monahans OR Lamesa + sand (keyword only)
| Asset | County | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane plant | Crane | In-basin sand. Wet plant, dry plant, loadout | Operating since 2018. About 4 million tons per year. |
| Lamesa plant | Dawson | In-basin sand. Wet plant, dry plant, loadout | Operating. About 6 million tons per year. 55 miles north of Midland. |
| Limestone County operations | Limestone | Industrial and regional sand | Operating. Confirm the product line before a call. |
| Industrial and specialty minerals | Multiple states | Non-proppant silica business | Operating. A separate buying group with its own plants. |
3. “Quality” OR “Laboratory” + U.S. Silica • 4. “Maintenance” OR “Reliability” + U.S. Silica • 5. Crane OR Lamesa + silica (keyword only)
| No. | Company | Texas counties | Why it is next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Black Mountain Sand | Winkler, Ward | Large in-basin capacity, private, short decision chain. The best Tier 2 target. |
| 5 | Vista Minerals | Winkler, Hood | Several mines plus rail terminals. Covers both in-basin and regional sand. |
| 6 | High Roller Sand | Ward, Ector | Smaller plants near Penwell and Monahans. Owner level access. |
| 7 | Covia / Sibelco | Multiple | Large operator group. Confirm which Texas plants still run before writing the page. |
| 8 | Brady and Voca producers | McCulloch | Hard rock sandstone. Crushing plus washing, so more equipment and more water. |
| 9 | Van Horn producers | Culberson | Newer plants. Good design stage timing if a build is active. |
| 10 | Smart Sand terminals | Terminals only | Low first. No Texas wet plant. Only fuel and dust water tanks. |
| Touch | Day | Channel | What to send |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | The matched template above. | |
| 2 | 4 | Email reply | Reply to your own email. Add one line: the video link for the tank in service. |
| 3 | 9 | LinkedIn or call | Connect with a one line note. Or call the plant main line and ask for the role by name. |
| 4 | 18 | Short close out. “I will stop here. If the tank gives you trouble later, my number is below.” |
| Objection | Answer |
|---|---|
| “We do not have oil in our water. This is a sand plant.” | Agree first. Then ask what the loaders, dozers and slurry pumps are lubricated with, and what happens when a hydraulic hose lets go in the pit. Ask if anyone has ever skimmed the process water tank. Let the tank decide. |
| “Our thickener already has a rake and a scum arm.” | Accept it and move. Go to the process water tank, the flocculant make-down tank, the settling pond and the scrubber recirculation tank. |
| “We just clean the pond once a year. It is not a problem.” | Ask what that one round costs in vacuum trucks, labour and lost water. Ask how much water leaves with the solids. Turn a routine into a number. |
| “Our water is a closed loop. Nothing gets in.” | Ask where the make-up water comes from and what is in it. Ask what the pond picks up from the wind. A closed loop still concentrates whatever enters it. |
| “We have never seen this used at a sand plant.” | True. Say so plainly. The references are in oilfield produced water. The physics of a floating layer does not change with the fluid. Offer a no cost trial to make the first reference. |
| “Send me a specification sheet.” | Good sign. Send it the same day. Include materials of construction, dimensions, weight and a photo in service. Ask for a fifteen minute call to size it. |
| “We have no budget this year.” | Ask who sets next year's capital list and when. Ask to be on the list. Offer the trial now so the data exists when budget opens. |
| “Corporate approves all new vendors.” | Expect this at U.S. Silica. Ask for the vendor onboarding pack and start it the same week. Ask the engineer to sponsor the trial while onboarding runs in parallel. |
| “Talk to procurement.” | Ask for the name and ask for a one line introduction. Never go to procurement without the engineer behind you. |
| No reply at all. | The most common outcome. Change the target role, not the message. Try the Maintenance Manager or the Lab Manager. They answer more often than plant managers. |
1. Which tank or pond on this site gives your crew the most trouble?
2. How often do you clean it, and who does the work?
3. What does one cleanout cost you in labour, trucks, water and lost time?
Whether the plant takes any treated produced water as make-up.
Whether the site has a wet scrubber with a recirculation tank, or a baghouse only.
What U.S. Silica now produces in Limestone County.
Which vessels sit inside a permitted or bunded area with restricted access.
Company and site data was taken from company statements, filings and trade press in August 2026. Capacity figures are stated or reported figures, not actual output. Some figures date from 2023 and 2024 and may have changed. Confirm any number before you repeat it to an operator.
No named individual contacts are listed. Names change often. Use the job titles and the search strings, then confirm the person before you send.
The Freedom Tool has not been installed at a frac sand plant of any kind. Every application in this document is based on documented plant problems and on how the tool behaves in produced water service. Present it as a first application, not as proven practice.