Oilfield Technology: Power Play

The majority of hydraulic fracturing fleets across the Lower 48 are idle, combating pricing pressures, an over­all softening in demand as well as budget belt-tightening by clients. The outlook for 2020 is at best uncertain, but most agree there is little light to be seen at the end of this par­ticular tunnel.

The current state of the market does not sound like the best time for an expensive, new spin on a proven technology to make inroads, but that is the exact position where contrac­tors of electrically driven fracturing or e-frac fleets find themselves.

Operators would tend to push toward con­ventional and readily available diesel-based or even dual-fuel units for their fracturing requirements, but these are interesting times and things are not so cut and dry.