The picture remains about the same as it has for this entire cycle, showing a stark bifurcation between the… 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 »Latest Thoughts
Big Red Is Poised To Keep Cutting Even Deeper Than In A “Normal” Downturn
Halliburton reported 3Q19 earnings on Monday and the stock market ate up the cost cuts (stock was +8% intraday). We thought it was notable that CEO Jeff Miller focused much of his opening remarks on international. Halliburton is known more for their NAM footprint, but growth areas get airtime and …
Read More »A Long-Awaited Update From A Distressed Sand Producer Reveals Operations And Market Intel
It’s been almost a year since this sand producer filed a quarterly or annual SEC filing. Here’s what we learned that is relevant to the broader proppant market… 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 »Sand By Rail Volumes At UP Resume The Downtrend After Several Stable Quarters [Chart Of The Day]
In 2H17, we estimate the Union Pacific Railroad moved about one out of every X tons of frac sand pumped in the US. Today, we estimate their trains only move about one in X tons pumped.
Read More »What Is Schlumberger Going To Do With Their North America Business?
Friday’s 3Q19 earnings report and conference call from Schlumberger were of much greater interest than usual for US oilfield service market participants for two reasons: …. 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 »Frac Sand Scattershooting – Bakken Bump, Permian Puzzler, Last Mile Solution Construction, and more…
In addition to the in-depth updates Infill Thinking published this week, we hunted down a variety of miscellaneous datapoints from around the sandpatch that are deserving of a quick mention… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our …
Read More »A Quick OCTG Update After Chatting With Two Of This Niche Market’s Leading Voices
A quick update on some of the latest happenings and trends in the OCTG markets after a chat with our friends at Tenaris and The OCTG Situation Report… 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 »County Officials Vote Thursday On The Second Local Bakken Frac Sand Mine Site
Here’s what comes next for Asgard’s planned Mercer County frac sand production facility per various local officials… 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 »Mapping Bakken Drilling Rigs Vs. Frac Sand Mine Sites
In this weekly rig count update, we take a look at the proximity of the new Bakken frac sand mines to the core of drilling activity in the Bakken. feature image credit: No Title No Description There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… …
Read More »Parsley’s Latest Thinking On Water Infrastructure & Frac Sand After The Jagged Peak Merger Announcement
E&P M&A is heating up again this week with another Merger Monday. One of yesterday’s deals gave us a chance to hear from management on two hot industry topics… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and receive our research …
Read More »When Sand & Water Don’t Mix… Texas AG Finds Fault With An Industrial Sand Plant’s Wastewater Handling
Action against an industrial plant has read-through to Texas local frac sand mining… 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 »Revisiting Infill Thinking’s Original Bakken Local Sand Coverage As Mainstream Attention Now Grows…
This weekend, the Grand Forks Herald newspaper in North Dakota published a story titled: “Sand deposit could be ‘game-changer’ for ND oil industry.” Five weeks ago, Infill Thinking broke the news about a frac sand plant starting up in the Bakken. Here is a link to Infill Thinking’s original piece …
Read More »All The Last Mile Players On One Stage [Exclusive]
Plus 2 Permian wellsite storage competitors in one week!! Earlier this week, we reported on a new arrival in the Permian Basin’s last mile market. Today, we’ve been able to confirm new details about still another new competitor’s arrival in the Permian Basin…. There’s a lot more to this story… …
Read More »A Big Permian Property Auction With Historic Significance Is Imminent….
There’s a multi-parcel land auction scheduled for later this months that is likely to turn some heads in the Permian Basin – both in the ranching community and in the O&G industry. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update and …
Read More »A Pressure Pumper Breaks Their Silence… But Some Questions Linger, Especially Over “Clarabby Transactions”
For those looking to learn what exactly happened, yesterday’s communication is likely to be seen as a disappointment. Here’s what stood out as we read the SEC filing… 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 »Eagle Ford vs. Permian – Which Is Closer To Finding The Floor On Drilling Activity?
We shine our spotlight on a Eagle Ford drilling leading indicator after our recent trip to the basin to gather firsthand market intel… 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. …
Read More »5 Questions Answered By The Oilfield Water Connection Event On October 4, 2019
Last Friday, Oilfield Water Connection hosted industry leaders from across the country at the Houston Petroleum Club to talk about the rapidly evolving competitive landscape in full-cycle oilfield water management. Before the event, we shared 7 pre-conference questions were were hoping to gain perspective on. Asked and answered, the following …
Read More »A Last Mile Solution New To The Permian Just Completed Its First Job In West Texas…
After hearing from sand hauling contacts about a new last mile solution deploying in the Permian, we had a chance to catch up with the company to learn more about their activity in West Texas and the Lower 48… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the …
Read More »In The Hurricane’s Eye – A Frac Sand Market Update & Datapoint Roundup
The best analogy we can think of for the frac sand market at the moment is that it is smack dab in the middle of the eye of the hurricane. In strong tropical cyclones, the eye is… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… …
Read More »Bison Bull Rush In The SCOOP/STACK Water Midstream Sector [Aqua Men]
About This Series Infill Thinking’s Aqua Men series brings the fast developing oilfield water management sector to life. This business has historically been dominated by private companies and internal divisions with E&Ps. Chronicling the sector’s leading platforms and projects lends fresh perspective to the once-in-a-generation shift now underway in oilfield …
Read More »Industrial Sand Goes To Washington [Friday Guest Post]
From 1996 to 2011, John was an executive at US Silica with his tenure culminating as Chief Executive Officer. Today, he is the Industrial Sand Division Director at NSSGA, and he wrote in with an update on what this industry advocacy group is doing in the Nation’s Capital these days… …
Read More »Will There Be Another Truck Shortage? [Guest Post]
Our guest author today formed a sand hauling outfit with just a couple trucks in early-2015, just as oil prices began to plunge. He has spent his entire life in and around trucks, and has a genuine passion for the trucking industry that is evident in the “state of the …
Read More »Reptile Conservationists Make Good On Litigation Threat. Will This Finally Get The Ball Rolling Towards DSL Resolution?
With the materialization of this lawsuit, we highly recommend revisiting this piece of Infill Thinking research from July… 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 …
Read More »7 Questions We Are Taking With Us To The Big Oilfield Water Connection Conference On Friday
The Oilfield Water Connection’s Industry Update Conference this Friday October 4 is sold out with north of 170 attendees expected. The speaker line-up of industry executives and analysts is poised to deliver an important update on business conditions in the space – this will be a great learning opportunity. On …
Read More »Is It Really Different This Time? The Future Of E&P Includes M&A And ESG [Full PDF Download Of E&P Thought Piece]
Each Friday in the last month of each quarter, we pass our keyboard to an Infill Thinking member to weigh in from their field. We don’t pay for these pieces and we don’t get paid for publishing them. In fact, we promptly reject anything that looks like a commercial. Our …
Read More »Permian Rigs & Horsepower Down, Frac Stages Up… But The Permitting Tea Leaves Still Matter For Both Surface & Sub-Surface Trends
In 2019, doing more with less continues to be a key oilfield theme. Frac and rig crew efficiency gains, more zippers, bigger pads, and streamlined logistics all mean that E&Ps are getting more sub-surface contact out of the same or less contracted oilfield equipment on the surface. The result? A …
Read More »Paying A Visit To The Eagle Ford’s Original Third-Party Frac Sand Silo Terminal [Eagle Ford Stops Along The Road]
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 to discuss our current subscription options at [email protected]. (Current …
Read More »The Top Ten Infill Thinking Updates Of 3Q19 In Sand & Water
During 3Q19, the Infill Thinking research team: published 90 written research updates emailed 24 Infill Thoughts newsletters to active members issued 15 data releases to Think Sheets® members conducted site visits the Eagle Ford and acted as MC for the largest frac sand conference in the industry, hosted by the …
Read More »The Future Of E&P Includes M&A And ESG [Friday Guest Post]
With Morgan Stanely also pushing an M&A narrative this week, Paul’s piece is timely. Paul’s been making the case for consolidation in E&P for about two years… 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 »Another Large Carrier Exits Sand And Water Hauling. Read The Letter…
Yesterday morning, a letter announcing the closure of of a huge pneumatic hauler crossed Infill Thinking’s research desk. Due to the gravity of the letter, we waited to publish it until we were able to confirm its authenticity with the company. We confirmed that it is genuine this morning after …
Read More »Goodnight Comments On Terminated Transaction, While Another Water M&A Deal Is Announced
Infill Thinking has obtained a statement from Goodnight Midstream in the wake of the M&A termination. CEO Patrick Walker told Infill Thinking… 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 »Liberty’s Take On The In-Basin Sand Vs. NWS Debate
Here is the latest new oilfield market participant to weigh in on the debate on the future of in-basin 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 be a member. If you are …
Read More »Frac Sand Pricing Sentiment Has Hit Rock Bottom [Chart Of The Day]
We had a conversation with a frac sand supplier this morning that went alot like many others we’ve had with contacts in the supply base recently… 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 »A Brief History Of Oilfield S-Curve Shifts, And A Couple To Watch…
Food for thought. The one thing we do know with certainty is that change is the only constant we’ve ever been able to rely on in the oilfield marketplace. While some big step changes have been made over the past 15-20 years, there are always more to come… In this …
Read More »An “E-Frac Killer”? Too Soon?? A Few Questions Come To Mind…
In this update, we share our thought progression upon seeing talk implying that a new frac pump design might be considered to be an “e-frac killer.” 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 »If You Are Marketing MidCon Rigs… The Trend Is Not Your Friend
Well… the Saudi drone strikes did nothing to curb the unyielding US rig count decline last week. The chart below maps the major basins year-to-date to see where the pain’s been the greatest. Marketing MidCon rigs is such a tough sell right now that it might take the swagger right …
Read More »Wild Wild West – Some Big News Brewing In A Key West Texas Ranch Sale Process [EXCLUSIVE]
Infill Thinking has confirmed that an LOI on a sales agreement has been signed on a West Texas ranch at the center of a bidding war, family controversy, and the oilfield water frenzy. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this update …
Read More »Iran’s Ill-Advised Attack On Saudi Was Actually A Gift To The Kingdom [Friday Follow-Up Guest Post]
The Friday before last week’s drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure that caused oil prices to momentarily spike, Bill Edwards wrote a guest post for Infill Thinking titled Historical Oil Price Perspective & A Sober Long-Term Outlook [Friday Guest Post]. The way oil has traded in the wake of the …
Read More »Vizualizing West Texas 2019 SWD Leaders [Chart Flip-Book]
Company by company timeline charts for the top injection well permitters. These charts tell us a lot and also provoke some interesting questions… Consolidation ahead? 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 »Is It Really Different This Time? [Friday Guest Post]
Our latest guest post contains an important message regarding the current state and future of the E&P industry. We are bringing it to you in two pieces. This week, our guest contributor sets the stage on the current environment and tiers that have developed in the E&P industry. Next week, …
Read More »Paying A Visit To A Sand Team That Tends To Fly Under The Radar [Eagle Ford Stops Along The Road]
During our recent field trip to the Eagle Ford, we met with the seasoned management team of a sand company that tends to fly a bit under the radar. Here is what we learned and saw… There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To …
Read More »A First Look At The New Supersized Sand Revolution Systems [Exclusive]
We have learned more about an engineering tweak of large proportions… 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 »Signal Peak Silica Site Visit Notes [Eagle Ford Stops Along The Road]
Last month during our Eagle Ford market intel gathering trip (see the big picture highlights here), we stopped by the Signal Peak Silica frac sand production facility for a tour and meeting with management. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To read this …
Read More »A Victory Claimed In A Major Last Mile Legal Tiff, But There Will Be An Appeal
In the ongoing legal dispute between company X and company Y over intellectual property… two notable responses from both parties to a judgement in the past 24 hours. There is also another separate and ongoing IPR dispute in the same sector between… There’s a lot more to this story… Login …
Read More »The Top 15 New Injection Well Owners Of The Year In West Texas [Chart Of The Day]
Operators still factor pretty heavily into the new injection well owner lineup, and we wonder how much longer that will be the case as many E&Ps continue to evaluate the separation of their wastewater management. A couple other interesting observations before we get to the data: There have been… There’s …
Read More »This US Drilling Drought Is Right Up There With The Longest Dry Spells In Modern Oilfield History
There have only been two periods of time in the past two decades with… 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 …
Read More »A Shot In The Arm, But The US Frac Supply Chain Still Needs Surgery
Sunday was not a day of rest for most folks who think about the oil and gas industry for a living. We’ve never seen so many weekend news updates and research notes hit our inbox, and for good reason. In the days (and possibly weeks) ahead, you will see countless …
Read More »Water You Doing On October 4?
In three weeks from now, on October 4 in Downtown Houston, US oil industry leaders and investors will gather to discuss oilfield water’s evolving business model, market structure, and latest trends. Oilfield Water: Industry Update delivers the most exciting produced water business topic agenda of any conference this fall season. …
Read More »Historical Oil Price Perspective & A Sober Long-Term Outlook [Friday Guest Post]
Here at Infill Thinking, we are humble oilfield service guys by trade not well heeled oil price pundits. That said, we regularly talk to some of the best crude oil minds in the business. When they share noteworthy observations, we pass them along. One such oil price expert we check …
Read More »More Sideline Stuff From The Big Completions Supply Chain Conference Last Week
Earlier this week we shared five talking points from our sideline conversations at the Petroleum Club’s completion supply chain conference last week. We wrap up our event coverage today with these additional points from our conversations. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full update… To …
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