We catch up with an old friend in frac sand to learn about what he’s up to and some new market insight… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If …
Read More »Latest Thoughts
Infill Thinking’s Top Fifteen 3Q21 Updates
With 3Q21 in the books, we are pausing to look back at the most read Infill Thinking research updates of the quarter. The oilfield activity recovery continued, but… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, …
Read More »Rig Count – 10/1/21
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data.. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Sand Scuttlebut: M&A Finally? Wet Sand Solution(S), New CEO?, Last Mile Nuggets, ‘People On The Move’, & Plant Updates…
Scuttlebut from across the frac supply chain this week including plant status and deal news, last mile crew news, and executives on the move…. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a …
Read More »Frac Newco & Market Updates
In light of several recent public announcements and developments at startup frac outfits we’ve been covering this year (plus the public “arrival announcement” of another new entrant), now’s a good time for pressure pumping newco news roundup. Throughout 2021, we’ve kept Infill Thinking members in-the-know early about the several new …
Read More »Oilfield Water Deal Flow Is Heating Up [Chart Of The Day]
Plenty of water deal news continues to cross the wires as 2019 draws to a close. And what a year it’s been for water midstream M&A. This week deals announced by three buyers take the deal count we track up to X significant water midstream transactions in 2019 vs. only …
Read More »Pressure Pumping Pricing Premonition – The Pendulum Is FINALLY Swinging Back To The Pumpers
For most of 2021, we’ve written at Infill Thinking about how net pricing in frac services has been elusive despite the frac crew count climbing higher – it’s been a priceless recovery with pumpers receiving very few price increases outside of cost inflation pass throughs. Here’s why that may not …
Read More »From Bad To Worse For Eagle Ford Sand Buyers…
Things went from bad to worse for buyers in the Eagle Ford sand market this week… here’s the latest. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new …
Read More »Rig Market Heats Up
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »BIG News On Midland Basin Production Front As RRC Requests PW Injection Curtailments Due To Seismicity…
This week, a regulator crackdown in the Midland Basin fulfilled an Infill Thinking prediction from April 2021… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill …
Read More »South Texas Frac Supply Chain Roiled By Covid
Last week all the talk in the Eagle Ford frac supply chain market was of a mine closure that rapidly tightened the local proppant marketplace. Here are the details and market impacts… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and …
Read More »A Big Push On The Damp Sand Flywheel [Boots On The Ground Report]
We spent some time with industry friends at a sand plant open house in Caldwell TX this week and we learned a lot about wet sand… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must …
Read More »Digesting The First Water Midstream Pure Play IPO Filing
We analyze a huge deal in water midstream. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill Thinking, or your membership has expired, please email us …
Read More »Wet Sand Renovations About To Begin At Chesapeake’s Burleson Mine
An important E&P capex update this week reads distinctly negative for anyone hoping for an oilfield spending increase in 2020. Here’s the relevant excerpt: There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a …
Read More »A Sand Hauler Starts A Fast-Paced ESG Re-Fleeting Mission…
We’ve recently covered the CNG re-fleeting efforts of several last milers including Detmar Logistics and Sand Revolution. This week, we learned that… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If …
Read More »“The Good Old Days Of Sand Hauling Are Over” [EXCLUSIVE]
Over the weekend, we broke the news that 1845 is shutting down its oilfield division and selling their commercial operation (see link). This morning, we had a chance to talk about the news by phone with 1845’s President… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full …
Read More »ConocoPhillips Sinks Twenty Billion Into Permian M&A In 11 Months As Shell Exits Stage Left
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »BRUTAL Business… A Second Sand Hauler Exits In As Many Days
Over the weekend we shared bad news about a large carrier closing shop. They weren’t the only sand hauler to call it quits last week… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Yet Another Large Carrier Exits The Oilfield As Trucking Hardships Continue
More bad news in the sand hauling space… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill Thinking, or your membership has expired, please email us …
Read More »4 Things We CLARIFIED In Grapevine This Week…
This week, we participated in the 10th Annual Petroleum Connection Frac Supply & Logistics Conference in Grapevine Texas. In a related update this moring, we highlighted some new things we learned at the event. The focus of the following key takeaways is on market observations we thought we knew about …
Read More »5 Things We LEARNED In Grapevine This Week…
This week, Grapevine Texas is the epicenter of the frac sand industry as about 300 completions industry insiders have gathered for the 10th Annual Petroleum Connection Frac Supply & Logistics Conference. They came for the great content and networking. They stayed for the seafood tower (crab claws anyone?), sushi at …
Read More »Nat Gas Frac Crews – Where Might They Go In 2022 If Henry Hub Is $6+?
In recent posts penned as natural gas prices surged, we’ve taken a look at rig and frac sand trends. We’d be remiss not to do the same in pressure pumping, where… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive …
Read More »STACKing Up Some Gains – MidCon Is A Dark Horse In 2021 Recovery
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »US Sand Demand: Nat Gas vs. Crude Oil Split [Chart Of The Day]
How will higher gas prices translate to frac sand demand? Important context here… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill Thinking, or your membership …
Read More »Articulating A Vision For The Future Of Frac Sand [Panel Preview]
We are looking forward to participating in the Petroleum Connection’s 10th Annual Frac Sand Supply & Logistics Conference. In advance of the event, we tip our hat to our friends at the Petroleum Connection for a decade of fantastic events in this sector – that’s quite a milestone and this …
Read More »Shots Fired In E-Frac World [Friday Fun]
Halliburton held a webcast during the Barclays investor conference this week, and we analyzed the finer points around ESG-fleets here. During our viewing, we kept getting distracted by the captivating…
Read More »HAL Hot Takes On ESG Frac Fleets
This week, Halliburton talked about something we’ve been doing a lot of work on lately: ESG fleet trends. Here’s the key points and the key pieces from our archive to add context… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and …
Read More »Natural Gas Price Absolutely RIPPING-When Will It Translate To Drilling Gains?
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Friday Photo Of The Day (Last Mile Intel)… & A Friday Follow Up (Groundwater Issues)
An interesting photo from the last mile logistics business crossed our desk – and we think we have the explanation. Plus we follow up on a guest post from about a month ago with more information and a video… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the …
Read More »As RFQ Season Approaches In Shale… Some Food For Thought
It’s almost that time of year again….. shale RFQ season is just around the corner. During October, vendor inboxes will fill with emails from customers asking for pricing / bid invitations and volume commitments if awarded. Here is some food for thought as this happens… There’s a lot more to …
Read More »ESG Frac Fleets Are Suddenly Everywhere. Here’s Why…
In research posted earlier this week, we marveled at the arm’s race in US pressure pumping to re-fleet with emissions-friendly equipment. Today we explore the why… feature image photo credit: profrac tier iv pump – profrac has been an early mover in exploring the power of dual fuel conversion There’s …
Read More »ESG Arms Race Drives A Rapid Recapitalization Of The Pressure Pumping Fleet
Aside from the priceless activity recovery in pressure pumping this year, ESG fleet conversion is the sector’s biggest theme. The recap is happening extremely quickly. By year-end 2021, we estimate that nat-gas power capable units will comprise…. feature photo image is ProPetro’s new Tier IV Dynamic Gas Blend (DGB) pumps …
Read More »Going Out On A Limb – Eagle Ford Drilling Growth Prediction
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Select Energy Services Is Going Big On Water Midstream Growth In 2021
The recent news that Select Energy Service is the stalking horse for Basic Energy Services’ water business (Agua Libre Midstream) in their bankruptcy was just the latest in a string of big growth moves for Select in water midstream. Here we analyze the moves and what they mean… There’s a …
Read More »Comparing Basin By Basin Local Sand Activity Trends [Chart Of The Day]
How is local sand activity faring regionally? Find out here… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill Thinking, or your membership has expired, please …
Read More »A First Look At 2023 D&C Activity Expectations
Leveraging work done by the data science team at Lium, we share a peek ahead at 2023 base case shale activity expectations for spending, frac and rigs. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you …
Read More »The Top 10 Busiest Frac Sand Mines In The United States Of America
Who’s plant is the busiest plant? We ran the numbers and… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill Thinking, or your membership has expired, …
Read More »Three Thought Provoking Things Pressure Pumpers Said About Sand Recently…
Catching up on frac sand mentions in pressure pumper market commentary over the past couple months, these three things stood out as some of the more interesting things pumpers said about their biggest consumable: 1.. 2.. 3… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… …
Read More »US E&P M&A Cools In 3Q After 2Q Bonanza. Deal Sprint Before Year-End Coming? [Charts Of The Day]
2Q21 was the busiest quarter for US E&P deal flow since we started keeping track of significant E&P M&A transactions in 2017. Here’s an update on what’s followed that in 3Q… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive …
Read More »More Upside Lies Ahead For Permian Drilling Activity
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Oilfield Water – Produced & Fresh H2O Datapoint Roundup
As we prep for the 3RD ANNUAL OILFIELD WATER INUDSTRY UPDATE at the Houstonian this fall, we are digging into what matters in produced water and water midstream. Here is what we found… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update …
Read More »Why Sand Pumped Matters More Than Any Thing Else In Shale
A data driven look at why proppant is the best indicator of oil production known to the shale industry… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new …
Read More »Another Catalyst For More Belly Dumps In The Sand Patch?
Another reason for belly-dumps to spread is explored in this post… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to Infill Thinking, or your membership has expired, …
Read More »22% Market Share In 2022? [Simulfrac Series]
How much penetration could simulfracs get in the next couple years? Here’s the logic on setting sights on a target for 2023… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If …
Read More »Meet The E&Ps [Simulfrac Series]
Our simulfrac series returns today (the 8 previous installments in this series are listed at the end of this report)… More In This Series SimulFracs Will NOT Be A Rebundling Catalyst For Direct Sourcing E&Ps Vanishing Idle Time In Fracs – Breaking Down The Next Big Step In Shale’s Efficiency …
Read More »Rigging Up To Fend Off DUC Decline
Infill Thinking keeps members abreast of drilling trends with our weekly rig count analysis – unique takes and presentation on otherwise pedestrian rig count data… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be …
Read More »Texas Sand Prices Still Under Pressure Despite Impressive Volume Gains [Chart Of The Day]
Permian and Eagle Ford frac sand mines continue to be busy (and getting busier), with 2021 completions activity closing in on the peak for the year. But… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you …
Read More »What’s Left In The Tank For E&P Capex In 2H21?
The oilfield service addressable market is defined by E&P capex budgets. Get data-driven insights on what that means for the rest of 2021 here… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a …
Read More »The Landowners’ Voice: Fixing The Pecos County Sinkhole Mess [Guest Post]
Orphan wells and groundwater pollution are hot button issues in the Permian these days, and likely to become even hotter topics in the days ahead. In that context, today’s guest post is extremely relevant… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this …
Read More »Listening To The Customers – Cliff Notes On Nearly 20 E&Ps That Talked About D&C Programs Last Week
E&P earnings season is underway. Over the past few days, we’ve… One Key Underlying Theme: Public E&Ps are… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research newsletters, you must be a member. If you are new to …
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