What Explore Group does

Explore Group LLC is a Houston-headquartered, privately held integrated energy and logistics company founded in 2014, operating through four logistics entities registered in 17 US states. The company provides a bundled portfolio of services to energy producers, refiners, completion companies, and logistics managers across the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford, Gulf Coast, and Port of Houston regions. Its core operating subsidiary, Explore Petroleum (founded 2017), gathers, markets, and transports approximately 40,000 barrels per day of crude oil to US refiners via truck, rail, barge, and pipeline. The company also operates an asset-based frac sand processing facility with 300 tons per hour nameplate capacity, offers OTR freight logistics and intermodal shipping, provides equipment leasing and factoring/quick-pay financing to carriers, and through Explore Resources manages mineral rights and non-operated working interest investments.

The technology stack is operational rather than AI-driven: a proprietary logistics management software handles crude oil tracking, data transfer, invoice viewing, and customizable report scheduling, while a web-based driver settlement portal (with crude and sand modules) digitizes carrier onboarding and settlement. The company employs a consultative, sales-led B2B go-to-market with no publicly disclosed pricing, instead providing quote-based solutions tailored to enterprise requirements. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on transportation and commodity marketing, processing fees on sand, recurring equipment leasing/financing income, and professional services on mineral asset management. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or public ownership are recorded in the available data.

Name

Explore Group

Legal name

Explore Group LLC

Website

https://exploregroup.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Explore Group LLC is a Houston-based integrated energy and logistics company serving US oil and gas operators, refiners, and completion companies with crude oil transportation, frac sand processing, OTR freight, equipment leasing, and mineral rights management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Logistics Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (213112), Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710), Inland Water Freight Transportation (483211)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Wholesale-Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals (5171), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Crude Oil & Petroleum Products Tanker Transport (TLADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Truck Transportation of Crude, Refined Products & LPG (Bulk Road Haulage) (EUALADAJ), Minerals & Ores Transport (Iron Ore/Bauxite/Phosphate) (TLADAKAE), Bulk & Commodity Freight Brokerage (Dry Bulk) (TLADAMAK)

Keywords

• Crude oil transportation
• Frac sand logistics
• Equipment leasing financing
• Mineral rights investment
• OTR freight services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Crude Oil Transportation & Refinery Supply: Explore Petroleum, founded in 2017, manages transportation and supply of 40k+ barrels of oil per day to US refiners. The company gathers and markets crude oil and related petroleum products, providing logistics-only services as well as gatherer and marketer functions. Revenue is generated through transportation fees and commodity marketing margins.
2. Frac Sand Logistics & Supply: Asset-based mining and logistics services for frac sand utilizing a large network of dependable transporters. The company supplies wet, regional, white, and specialty sands to energy operators. Revenue derives from sand sales, processing fees, and transportation/logistics services.
3. Equipment Leasing & Financing: Equipment leasing and finance services, factoring, and quick pay payment plans for carriers. The company also offers trailer and equipment leasing to support operator needs.
4. Worldwide Freight / OTR Logistics: Over-the-road freight logistics services covering truck, rail, barge, and pipe cargo transportation. Services include intermodal shipping and last-mile logistics for energy supply chains.
5. Mineral Rights & Asset Development: Mineral and non-operated working interest acquisition, development, and management services for horizontal pad development. Serves mineral rights owners, non-operated working interest owners, and acquirers in energy basins.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Explore Group provides integrated energy and logistics services, including crude oil gathering, transportation and marketing (approximately 40,000 barrels per day) via truck, rail, barge, and pipeline, plus frac sand mining, processing and last-mile delivery. It also operates OTR freight, equipment leasing and factoring for carriers, and mineral rights acquisition and asset development for energy basin investors.

Product overview

Explore Group is a Houston-based integrated energy, logistics, and commodities company founded in 2014, operating four logistics entities across 17 states. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected services including crude oil gathering and marketing through Explore Petroleum (founded 2017, ~40k bpd), frac sand processing (300 tons/hour facility), OTR freight logistics, equipment leasing, and mineral rights investment services. Key products include a driver settlement portal for tracking sand and crude settlements, proprietary logistics management software for data tracking and reporting, and sand mine development with multiple greenfield projects. The company transports and markets petroleum products via truck, rail, barge, and pipeline across the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford, and Gulf Coast regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 40k+ barrels of crude oil per day transported to US refiners
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Select Water Solutions: Select Water Solutions provides water handling, frac sand logistics, and oilfield infrastructure to US E&P operators. Direct overlap with Explore Group's frac sand logistics, last-mile delivery, and oilfield service integration strategy.
• Pilot Thomas Logistics: Pilot Thomas Logistics offers fuel, lubricants, and energy-related supply chain and transportation services across major US basins. Comparable diversified energy logistics platform with multi-modal hauling and equipment solutions targeting similar operators.
• Velociti Services: Velociti Services provides crude oil transportation, marketing, and logistics across US shale basins. Comparable gatherer/marketer and logistics-only model to Explore Petroleum's 40k bpd crude operation.
• Cardinal Energy Services: Cardinal Energy Services delivers frac sand, chemicals, and oilfield logistics to operators across US basins. Comparable mid-market energy logistics and proppant distribution model to Explore Group.
• WesMor Energy Services: WesMor Energy Services provides frac sand logistics, terminal operations, and oilfield transportation in the Permian Basin. Direct competitor in in-basin sand supply, storage, and last-mile delivery to well sites.
• Bridger Logistics: Bridger Logistics provides crude oil, produced water, and frac sand transportation in the Permian and other US basins using truck, rail, and pipeline. Highly comparable multi-modal energy logistics model serving the same E&P and refiner customer base as Explore Group.

Broad incumbents

• Plains All American Pipeline: Plains All American is one of the largest North American midstream operators with extensive crude oil pipelines, trucks, and terminals. Provides the competitive benchmark for crude gathering, transportation, and marketing at national scale.
• Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure: Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure provides mobile frac sand and bulk commodity storage and logistics systems to US oilfield operators. Adjacent peer in the frac sand logistics and mobile infrastructure segment overlapping with Explore Group's sand processing and last-mile business.
• Blueknight Energy Partners: Blueknight Energy Partners operates crude oil transportation, terminalling, and NGL infrastructure across major US basins. Larger, publicly traded midstream incumbent with overlapping crude logistics and terminalling capabilities.
• Gibson Energy: Gibson Energy operates midstream infrastructure including crude oil transportation, terminalling, and marketing across North America. Comparable integrated crude logistics and marketing platform with broader scale and infrastructure footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ExploreLogistics
• Facebookfacebook.com/Famous34
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exploregroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/exploregroupandlogistics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explore Group