The falling rig count is playing heavily into early 3Q17 conference call discussions, particularly after last week’s big drop. We’ve long thought this correction was expected, but reaction to the decline reminds us that nothing is ever truly “priced in” until it happens. Here’s some context on where we’ve been, …
Read More »US Oilfield Contract Labor Heatmap & Listing Analysis [Guest Post]
Last quarter, RigUp contributed one of Infill Thinking’s most popular guest posts to date, sharing their views on trucking rates and demand and quantifying the addressable market for hauling for the first time. So we asked them to follow that up in this Friday guest post with a look at …
Read More »DUC Hunting Season Returns [Guest Post]
When I first met Todd Bush, he was laying the groundwork for the research firm he co-founded in 2012, Energent Group. Even back then when his databases and software were in their early stages of development I recall being impressed by the granularity of the charts and output he was generating. …
Read More »US Rig Count Recovery Stalls In August After 14 Solid Months Of Gains
As expected, the Lower 48 rig count recovery is losing steam during 3Q17. Here’s 3 charts and thoughts on what it means for completions… 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 »Big Red And Big Blue Disagree On Rig Count Outlook… But Not Like They Normally Do.
Halliburton and Schlumberger have given two distinctly different outlooks on US rig count direction for the next three to six months over the past two business days. Interestingly, their arguments have departed from their normal advocacy tendencies. See how and who we agree more with in this update. There’s a …
Read More »The Top Infill Thinking Stories, Charts, And Debates Of 2Q17
Infill Thinking membership tripled over the past three months. Before we review 2Q17 research highlights, here is some color on readership. As of July 2017, Infill Thinking readership is comprised of analysts, business people, and executives categorized as follows: If you haven’t subscribed (or renewed your free trial yet), please …
Read More »Recent History Says US Rig Count Will Roll Over In August If Oil Falls Sub-$40
With oil prices falling, it is worth noting what historical oil price / rig count relationships suggest about future drilling activity. In this update, we examine the oilfield reaction times that can be expected when oil prices move. There’s a lot more to this story… Login to see the full …
Read More »Permian Basin Leading Indicator Strengthens In June Despite Macro Headwinds [Charts]
For this update we took a quick look at month-to-date horizontal drilling permitting activity in the Permian Basin. 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 »Frac Sand Is A Substitute For Wells And Rigs. Lower 48 Surface Sprawl Is Going Underground [Charts]
Is frac sand replacing rigs? It would appear so in the US onshore recovery. As unconventional drilling and completion science evolves, the industry’s surface footprint per barrel of oil produced is shrinking. A growing sub-surface footprint (which we can measure with sand) is replacing the surface sprawl. With the US onshore …
Read More »More Rigs Have Been Activated In Reeves County This Year Than In The Entire Bakken
In the Permian Basin, horizontal drilling activity is up 101 rigs so far this year. This is more than 2x the next fastest growing play (Eagle Ford +41). In this week’s Infill Thinking rig count update, we get granular on Permian growth. We’ve ranked the counties across the Permian’s basin trifecta …
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