Frac Sand Global Market Report 2026

Frac sand is a high-purity quartz sand characterized by durable, rounded grains, primarily used in the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process to extract oil and natural gas from shale formations. It acts as a proppant, keeping fractures in the rock open to facilitate the flow of hydrocarbons. Frac sand is essential for unconventional energy extraction, with its demand closely linked to drilling activity levels.

The main types of frac sand include northern white sand, brown (Brady) sand, and others. Northern white sand, sourced mainly from the U.S. Midwest, is a silica-rich, high-purity sand widely used in hydraulic fracturing due to its strength and consistent grain size. The grades are categorized into 100 mesh, 140 mesh, 20 or 40 mesh, 40 or 70 mesh, 70 or 140 mesh, among others. Applications include oil exploration, natural gas exploration, and more. Key end users encompass oil and gas companies, foundries, construction firms, glass manufacturers, sports and recreation industries, and others.

Tariffs are influencing the frac sand market by increasing costs of mining equipment, processing machinery, rail transport components, and resin materials used in coated proppants. Oil and gas operators in North America are most affected due to cross-border equipment sourcing, while Asia-Pacific faces higher costs for specialized proppant imports. These tariffs are increasing operational expenses and logistics costs. At the same time, they are supporting local sand mining operations, regional supply chain development, and increased adoption of domestically produced frac sand.

The frac sand market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides frac sand market statistics, including frac sand industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a frac sand market share, detailed frac sand market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the frac sand industry. This frac sand market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The frac sand market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $8.57 billion in 2025 to $9.4 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of shale gas exploration activities, rising hydraulic fracturing operations, growth in horizontal drilling techniques, increasing demand for high-strength proppants, development of regional sand mines.

The frac sand market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $13.46 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investments in unconventional oil and gas projects, rising demand for environmentally optimized fracturing materials, expansion of domestic frac sand production, growing use of advanced proppant technologies, increasing drilling efficiency requirements. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing use of high-performance proppants, rising demand for resin-coated and engineered sands, growing focus on localized sand sourcing, expansion of recycled and treated frac sand, enhanced emphasis on consistent grain quality.

The increasing demand for oil and gas is expected to drive the growth of the frac sand market going forward. Oil and gas demand refers to the total volume of petroleum and natural gas products required by consumers and industries for energy, transportation, and manufacturing. This rise in demand is largely due to expanding global industrialization, which increases energy consumption across manufacturing and transportation sectors. Frac sand supports the oil and gas industry by improving the efficiency of hydraulic fracturing, enabling greater extraction of oil and gas from shale formations. For example, in December 2025, the US Energy Information Administration, a US-based government agency, reported that oil production increased from 12.2 million barrels per day in December 2022 to 13.3 million barrels per day, while natural gas output reached 128.8 billion cubic feet per day in December 2023. Therefore, the growing oil and gas demand is fueling the expansion of the frac sand market.

Major companies in the frac sand market are investing in technological innovations, such as bottom discharge trailer-mounted sand delivery systems, to strengthen their competitive position. A bottom discharge trailer-mounted sand delivery system is a specialized transport vehicle with bottom-mounted hoppers or gates that enable rapid, controlled unloading of frac sand directly into onsite storage or silos, significantly reducing unloading times and improving supply chain throughput. For example, in February 2025, Dragon Products, Ltd., a U.S.-based energy equipment manufacturer, introduced SandForce, a bottom discharge trailer-mounted sand delivery system designed for frac sand operations. It can unload a standard 25-tonne load in approximately 11 minutes, uses gravity-fed delivery to minimize dust, and features mechanized slide gates for precise control, enhancing operational efficiency by reducing turnaround time compared with traditional trailers. This innovation improves transport and handling efficiency and supports higher throughput at well sites, although initial capital costs and integration with existing logistics networks may pose adoption challenges.

In March 2024, Atlas Energy Solutions Inc., a US-based industrial sand mining company, acquired Hi-Crush Inc. for an undisclosed sum. This strategic acquisition strengthens Atlas's position as the largest proppant producer in the United States, with a combined annual production capacity of around 28 million tons. The deal also boosts Atlas's leadership in proppant logistics across the Permian Basin and brings together two of the industry's most innovative companies. Hi-Crush Inc. is a US-based manufacturer of frac sand, which serves as a proppant in hydraulic fracturing operations for oil and gas extraction.

Major companies operating in the frac sand market are U.S. Silica Holdings Inc, Fairmount Santrol, Preferred Sands, Badger Mining Corporation, Unimin Corporation, Emerge Energy Services LP, Hi-Crush Inc, Smart Sand Inc, Atlas Sand Company LLC, Sierra Frac Sand LLC, Mammoth Energy Service Inc, Permian Frac Sand LLC, Preferred Proppants LLC, Victory Nickel Inc, Vista Proppants and Logistics, SandBox Logistics, Superior Silica Sands LLC, Black Mountain Sand, Pattison Sand Company LLC, Alborz Silica

North America was the largest region in the frac sand market in 2025. The regions covered in the frac sand market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The countries covered in the frac sand market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain

The frac sand market consists of sales of synthetic proppants, treated and washed sand, and Ottawa sand. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

Frac Sand Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.

This report focuses frac sand market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.

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Where is the largest and fastest growing market for frac sand ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The frac sand market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.

The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.

• The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market. This section also examines key products and services offered in the market, evaluates brand-level differentiation, compares product features, and highlights major innovation and product development trends.
• The supply chain analysis section provides an overview of the entire value chain, including key raw materials, resources, and supplier analysis. It also provides a list competitor at each level of the supply chain.
• The updated trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it evolves and highlights emerging technology trends such as digital transformation, automation, sustainability initiatives, and AI-driven innovation. It suggests how companies can leverage these advancements to strengthen their market position and achieve competitive differentiation.
• The regulatory and investment landscape section provides an overview of the key regulatory frameworks, regularity bodies, associations, and government policies influencing the market. It also examines major investment flows, incentives, and funding trends shaping industry growth and innovation.
• The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, and forecasting its development.
• The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include the technological advancements such as AI and automation, Russia-Ukraine war, trade tariffs (government-imposed import/export duties), elevated inflation and interest rates.
• The total addressable market (TAM) analysis section defines and estimates the market potential compares it with the current market size, and provides strategic insights and growth opportunities based on this evaluation.
• The market attractiveness scoring section evaluates the market based on a quantitative scoring framework that considers growth potential, competitive dynamics, strategic fit, and risk profile. It also provides interpretive insights and strategic implications for decision-makers.
• Market segmentations break down the market into sub markets.
• The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth.
• Expanded geographical coverage includes Taiwan and Southeast Asia, reflecting recent supply chain realignments and manufacturing shifts in the region. This section analyzes how these markets are becoming increasingly important hubs in the global value chain.
• The competitive landscape chapter gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.
• The company scoring matrix section evaluates and ranks leading companies based on a multi-parameter framework that includes market share or revenues, product innovation, and brand recognition.

Scope

• Markets Covered:1) By Type: Northern White Sand; Brown (Brady) Sand; Other Types
• 2) By Grade: 100 Mesh; 140 Mesh; 20/40 Mesh; 40/70 Mesh; 70/140 Mesh; Other Grades
• 3) By Applications: Oil Exploration; Natural Gas Exploration; Other Applications
• 4) By End User: Oil And Gas Companies; Foundries; Construction Companies; Glass Manufacturers; Sports And Recreation Industries; Other End-users
• Subsegments:
• 1) By Northern White Sand: Premium White Sand; Coarse White Sand (20/40 mesh); Fine White Sand (30/50 mesh, 40/70 mesh); Ultra-Fine White Sand (100 mesh)
• 2) By Brown (Brady) Sand: Coarse Brown Sand (20/40 mesh); Medium Brown Sand (30/50 mesh); Fine Brown Sand (40/70 mesh); Ultra-Fine Brown Sand (100 mesh)
• 3) By Other Types: Resin-Coated Sand; Ceramic Proppants; Natural Sand Blends; Recycled Frac Sand
• Companies Mentioned: U.S. Silica Holdings Inc; Fairmount Santrol; Preferred Sands; Badger Mining Corporation; Unimin Corporation; Emerge Energy Services LP; Hi-Crush Inc; Smart Sand Inc; Atlas Sand Company LLC; Sierra Frac Sand LLC; Mammoth Energy Service Inc; Permian Frac Sand LLC; Preferred Proppants LLC; Victory Nickel Inc; Vista Proppants and Logistics; SandBox Logistics; Superior Silica Sands LLC; Black Mountain Sand; Pattison Sand Company LLC; Alborz Silica
• Countries: Australia; Brazil; China; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Taiwan; Russia; South Korea; UK; USA; Canada; Italy; Spain
• Regions: Asia-Pacific; South East Asia; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa
• Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
• Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, GDP proportions, expenditure per capita,
• Data Segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments.
• Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.
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