Lower 48 Well Completions Doubled Since Late 2014, EIA Says

Lower 48 well completions have more than doubled between December 2014 and June 2024, according to estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

During that span, the average number of wells simultaneously completed in a single location has increased to 3 wells from 1.5 wells, EIA said.

Operators have been able to accelerate production and reduce costs by completing multiple wells at once rather than sequentially.

“The increasing number of simultaneous completions reflects significant technological advances in hydraulic fracturing operations, particularly in equipment capabilities and operational strategies,” EIA wrote in a May report.

EIA based its analysis on data from FracFocus using wells drilling within a 50 ft radius to estimate a single location.

The number of active locations has decreased since 2014 as the number of wells has increased, likely because of simultaneous completions, EIA said.

“Our analysis of FracFocus data suggests that simultaneous completions have increased since 2017, with operators now routinely completing multiple wells at a time on a single location,” the agency said. “Although operators recognized the potential benefits of completing multiple wells at once prior to 2017, the practice initially faced technical barriers, such as the need for more hydraulic horsepower at the location to fracture multiple wells simultaneously.”

Electric frac fleets have played a crucial role in the rise of simultaneous completions by enabling better power management.

“Traditional operations relied entirely on diesel-powered pumps requiring constant fuel delivery by truck, but modern electric fleets use generators that can utilize field gas or compressed natural gas and electricity from the grid, if available,” EIA said.

The penetration of electric frac fleets, advanced control systems and improved process deployment suggests that simultaneous completions could continue to increase further.