Recorded on June 21, 2023 and May 25, 2023
Episode 87 of the PetroNerds podcast is part two of the incredible double header and two-part special with Liberty Energy’s Director of R&D, Roy Aune.
Before continuing this discussion on the evolution of frac and what differentiates Liberty’s electric frac, Trisha provides listeners with a fresh market update, getting into the weeds on China and Biden, why some in the market are still bullish on oil in the second half of 2023, and the Fed and sticky inflation.
Trisha takes the time to walk listeners through what is going on with China’s economy, the forced labor in Xinjiang, and why and how it relates to energy and supply chains, especially in wind and solar. The second half of Trisha’s conversation starts with Roy explaining Liberty’s first Digi frac pump, the EPA requirements and evolution of getting these engines to be road mobile, ability to electrify locations with the electric frac suite of technologies, and how much power is actually needed.
Most importantly, Trisha and Roy talk about the impetus and drive for electric frac, what it is really about, and the massive cost savings on fuel that electric frac offers by running 100 percent natural gas. Operators are pushing for lower emission frac in the name of ESG, but they are also pushing for cost savings, and the frac industry needs a reason to build out this technology. A $15 to $20 million per year fuel savings per fleet provides that incentive and basis to invest.
They discuss the actual CO2 emissions reductions based on switching from diesel to natural gas and additional efficiencies, as well as the Quiet frac fleet, pioneered by Liberty and spearheaded by Roy and his colleagues.
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