Fracking in the Shale Fields Slows for the First Time Since 2017
A vertical natural gas drilling rig and cutting impoundment is seen in Chartiers Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Frackers are blasting less sand into shale wells for the first time in almost three years as oil explorers adjust to lower oil demand and prices amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Shale explorers are pumping an average of roughly 2.9 million pounds of sand a day during the current quarter, marking the first time since the final three months of 2017 that growth has subsided, according to Coras Research LLC. Sand per well is a key measurement of frack efficiency because more sand typically means more of the rock fissures that allow crude to flow.