‘Twas The Frac Before Christmas

A little holiday cheer from your friends at Infill Thinking

‘Twas the frac before Christmas, when all around the well

Not a frac hand was stirring, or even a DSL;

The frac sand was late, stored at transload with care,

In hopes that a pneumatic trailer soon would be there.

The operators were nestled all snug after budget discussion,

With thoughts of returns weighing a bit on production;

But well costs were down, and WTI was up,

So the CEOs had just settled in for a celebratory cup;

When out in the halls there arose such a clatter,

The analysts sprang from their desks to see what was the matter.

Away to their screens they raced like a coupe,

To open InfillThinking.com and see the big scoop.

The ink was still drying on a newly-signed deal

Monetizing non-core assets to fund shiny new steel;

Then, what to their wondering eyes should appear,

But a disruptive trend, a brand new frontier.

With the upcycle maturing, so vibrant and strong,

The available sand supply, it was almost all gone.

Then more rapid than eagles, the new plants they came,

Folks couldn’t keep up, trying to remember the name;

“Now, ATLAS! now, ALPINE! now BLACK MOUNTAIN, HIGH ROLLER!

On, HI-CRUSH! on VISTA! on, BADGER and AEQUOR!

To the white hot spot market! it may soon be a brawl!

So wash away! dry away! ship away all!”

To pump all that sand, we need more horsepower,

But the good fleets are fracing, and the idle iron is sour.

So to the OEMs they flung in newbuild orders,

For pumps and engines and brand new transporters.

And then, in a twinkling, I knew it was true,

2018 will be good, and not just for a few.

The slices could shift in the market share pie,

But the pie is still growing as 2018 draws nigh.

Independents may tighten the purse strings,

But this oil price, more wells it will bring.

And the Majors and PEs will still grow the budget,

Filling up OFS stockings with RFPs by the bucket.

Now back out on that frac spread on the Wolfcamp pad well,

A frac hand sprang from his trailer, to his team gave a signal,

The sand had arrived and the boom could continue.

And away they all flew to their stations, for good times may take flight;

But I heard an exclaim, before the frac pumps roared with their might,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

Originally published at www.infillthinking.com on December 22, 2017.

Thank you  Clement Clarke Moore  (July 15, 1779 – July 10, 1863) for your genius. Never in your wildest dreams could you have imagined what fracing is or that your words would embrace the essence of the 2017/2018 oilfield climate. You were mortal, but your words, as ours, are immortal.