As frac demand more than doubles, trucking capacity in Texas and around the U.S is being squeezed to the limits.
A huge boost in demand for frac crews and frac sand drivers for use in oilfields in West Texas is putting pressure on local trucking capacity, with drivers in short supply.
Horizontal wells are getting longer, with slickwater technology allowing proppants to be pumped further underground. The amount of proppant per foot of drilled well has also been rapidly increasing.
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Frac sand usage has rebounded strongly in 2017 and is set to grow further next year, largely due to an increase in oilfield activity.
As of November 3, there were 380 active oil rigs in the Permian oil basin in West Texas, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes.
Adding to the pressures, major oil companies that were late to recognize shale’s potential have brought their own resources to bear. Chevron Corp and Exxon Mobil Corp are setting out aggressive plans for U.S. shale production, especially in the Permian.
Trican has said it expects its equipment fully utilized. We expect full utilization to carry-forward through the rest of 2017 and into the beginning of 2018.