Halliburton Energy Services, in collaboration with Coterra Energy Inc., has recently introduced an innovative autonomous hydraulic fracturing technology in North America known as the Octiv® Auto Frac service. This service is part of Halliburton's ZEUS platform and is designed to automate the execution of stage delivery in hydraulic fracturing processes.
Coterra Energy has become the first operator to fully automate and exert control over its hydraulic fracturing design and execution. The Octiv Auto Frac service enhances the capabilities of Halliburton's existing ZEUS intelligent fracturing platform, which includes advanced electric pumping units and the SensoriTM fracture monitoring service. Prior to the implementation of this service, decisions regarding fracture management were made manually during the pumping process. Now, Coterra is able to programme the Octiv Auto Frac service to carry out designs that meet their specifications, resulting in a fully automated fracturing operation.
The initial rollout of the Octiv Auto Frac service has reportedly resulted in a significant 17% increase in stage efficiency. Given these promising results, Coterra has chosen to extend the use of the Octiv Auto Frac service across its remaining completion programmes executed by Halliburton within the prolific Permian Basin.
Shawn Stasiuk, Halliburton's Vice President of Production Enhancement, emphasized the transformative nature of this technology, stating, “Octiv Auto Frac changes the game of completion performance. The service ensures that automation delivers consistent fracture execution every stage while giving our customers the control they demand over their assets. The Octiv Auto Frac service is the first system to deliver on this promise.”
The adoption of the Octiv Auto Frac service by Coterra aligns with the company’s strategy to achieve enhanced operational performance through the utilisation of cutting-edge technologies. Tom Jorden, CEO of Coterra, highlighted the company's commitment to efficiency, remarking, “Coterra remains focused on maximising efficiencies and exploring new opportunities to improve our operations. The deployment of intelligent automation for hydraulic fracturing helps us execute stages consistently and provides us with more autonomy and control over the completion process.”
The Octiv Auto Frac service presents a substantial advancement in fracturing capabilities, marking a significant step forward in the integration of automated technology within the industry. This innovation offers operators a distinctive and powerful solution to enhance consistency, drive efficiency, and ultimately increase asset value in hydraulic fracturing operations.
Source: Noah Wire Services