With the Midland crude basis differential widening to as much as $15/bbl, we’ve received inbound questions from quite a few supply chain subscribers (and Bloomberg News too) asking about the impact on oilfield service activity and logistics. Here is an executive summary of the Permian producers’ view, our view, and …
Read More »Midland WTI Spread Blowout Implications [New Discussion Thread]
There’s a new thread over in our members-only discussion forum. In it, Infill Thinkers are discussing the implications of takeaway constraints in the Permian and the recent widening of the Midland crude price differential. Read more and add your response here >> There’s a lot more to this story… Login …
Read More »Frac Hit Fear Index And Parent/Child Interference In The Tight Oil Narrative
We devote a lot of bandwith to the most pressing concerns facing tight oil development here at Infill Thinking. In the long-run, other constraints rise on the horizon. These are the big picture sustainability sort of questions for tight oil development. In this post, we list these big picture issues …
Read More »The Effects Of Micromanagement On Frac Job Safety [Friday Guest Post]
These days when we ask C-level executives what keeps them up at night, labor is always at the tip of tongue. Recruiting and hiring are tough problems right now, for there are not enough experienced hands to staff all the equipment going to work this year. In this post a …
Read More »Anyone Remember Guar? The 1Q18 Sand-By-Rail Crisis Is Kinda Like That…
The guar shortage five years ago provides a useful framework for thinking about the latest completions supply chain crisis. 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 »The Sand Truck Driver Shortage Is Spilling Over Into Crude Oil Hauling
If oil drivers are leaving for sand in larger numbers now, that would suggest that frac sand hauling rates may have reached a tipping point that converts drivers. We examine the differences in hauling oil vs. sand both pay and scope and discuss a potential tipping point that could have …
Read More »Canary In The Coal Mine? A Pecos Spring Just Went Dry For Just The Third Time In Recorded History
On the heels of an industry-first Delaware Basin water deal signed about a week ago comes a report from a Permian rancher to our desk that a historic spring has gone dry. In this update, we examine the brackish water requirements implied by frac sand volumes, discuss the dry spring’s …
Read More »Kermit Sand Job Openings Surge To More Than 1/5th Of Regional Hiring Demand [Chart Of The Day]
Based on a study of job openings on Indeed.com, we estimate that upwards of 20% of advertised job listings in the Kermit/Monahans area of West Texas are posted by startup frac sand mines. In the full article, we show which sand miners have positions open and who they are competing with …
Read More »