Case Study
LOCATION:
Utica Shale
INDUSTRY:
Oil & Gas
APPLICATION:
Well Services
CHALLENGE:
Tight turnaround time for equipment maintenance and unexpected overhauls.
SOLUTION:
Immediate action from SPM oilfield services to meet deadlines.
RESTORING RELIABILITY: ALL‑HANDS APPROACH ENABLES ON‑TIME STARTUP IN THE UTICA SHALE
The extremely tight shale plays in the Northeast are notorious for taking a toll on hydraulic fracturing equipment. With an average injection rate of 80–100 bbl/min and an average working pressure of 12,000 psi, pumps experience extreme wear and tear.
An independent E&P required 36 pump trucks in a 40-day timeline for a high-priority job in the Utica shale play. In preparation for this urgent frac job, the operator began servicing 24 of its pumps in its own shop and sent the remaining 12 pumps to an SPM service center for inspection and maintenance services. However, the 12 pumps that arrived needed more than just basic maintenance. Due to the harsh pumping environment of the Northeast, the pumps were nearly in need of a complete overhaul, but with a quick turnaround, the average overhaul timeline wasn’t an option.
The SPM service team immediately jumped into action and took an all hands-on-deck approach, recruiting additional support from a service center in the Williston Basin. Even with the tight turnaround, experienced SPM technicians conducted a thorough inspection and troubleshooting process to diagnose the requirements for each pump and create a detailed action plan to support the job’s timeline.
Our service team not only refurbished all 12 pumps, but also provided the E&P with three new pumps at its request, finishing ahead of the customer’s deadline. Our footprint, as well as the skill and commitment of its technicians allowed the independent energy company to start its job on time. The success of this project secured SPM’s exclusivity as the company’s service and equipment provider of choice.
SPM’s global service offering provides service and training centers in every U.S. basin and every part of the globe. SPM supports operators with a three-pronged approach that includes global access to local engineering experts, engineered repairs with highly skilled aftermarket support, and industry-leading digital empowerment tools for SPM and other OEM equipment.
