In the past eight years, electric hydraulic fracturing has proven to be a lower-cost, quieter and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional diesel and dual-fuel equipment. However, challenges remain, including high upfront costs for e-frac equipment and ensuring a reliable, consistent power supply. To solve these problems, the service provider launched a new e-frac system.
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E-FRAC BENNIFITS
Improved operational efficiency. With fewer moving parts, e-frac cuts non-productive time and has enabled record-setting consecutive pump hours (hr) and utilization rates.
Noise reduction. High-efficiency electric motors mitigate the noise impact of frac operations on nearby communities. The reduced sound pollution has allowed e-frac production to occur closer to residential areas than was previously possible with diesel and dual-fuel pumps.
Scalability. e-frac systems are modular, and thus e-fleets can easily be scaled to match the requirements of specific well sites. This flexibility allows for efficient deployment of equipment and resources, optimizing overall operations.
Cost reduction. While the initial capital investment for e-frac equipment is higher than traditional diesel and dual-fuel technologies, e-frac has a lower total lifecycle cost, due to increased equipment efficiency, reduced nonproductive time (NPT), and lower fuel costs. Electric rates—whether grid-powered or site-generated—are both more stable and lower than diesel, cutting fuel costs by 85%, or more, versus diesel and saving $12 million to $15 million annually.
Decreased emissions. By replacing traditional diesel engines with electric motors, e-frac reduces or eliminates the need for diesel fuel, decreasing emissions from the direct consumption of the fuel (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from the transportation and storage of fuel (Scope 2). Depending on the source of the electric power, e-frac can cut carbon emissions by more than 35%.
REMAINING CHALLENGES
While these benefits have made e-frac attractive to many companies in the oil and gas industry, challenges associated with its implementation remain:
Power availability and reliability. e-frac requires a consistent and reliable power supply. Power outages and fluctuations can disrupt the fracturing process, leading to NPT. In the Permian basin and elsewhere, the lack of available or reliable grid power sufficient to cover the power requirements of e-frac equipment has led to the development of natural-gas fueled microgrids; however, using portable power generation can cut into e-frac’s purported fuel cost savings and emissions reductions, particularly if fuel needs to be transported to the site.
Increased capital investment. Early e-frac technologies unnecessarily used variable-frequency drivers (VFD)—high-cost, long lead-time components—to control the pumping process and manage injection rates. While e-frac’s higher initial cost is more than offset by lower operating costs and fuel savings over the equipment’s lifecycle, the upfront investment has been a barrier for some.
Skills and training. e-frac requires some on-site personnel to have specialized knowledge in electrical applications that is not common in the oil field. From recruiting electricians and qualified electrical workers, to retaining maintenance and operations staff, workforce development initiatives are needed to up-skill oilfield workers to ensure the safe and efficient operation of e-frac systems.
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