American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2025 - 85

source a site can access, Bland reports.
A reciprocating engine can run on field
gas as well, but because the engines have
tighter fuel specifications, field gas usually
needs more extensive treatment. To perform
that treatment, many service companies
that rely on reciprocating engines
have purchased firms that focus on treating
field gas or transporting compressed natural
gas to location.
" With turbines, the market can run on
field gas that has had minimal treatment, "
Bland says. " We are helping several customers
do that today because it lets them
keep their costs low. "
Addressing Concerns
While turbines have many advantages,
Bland acknowledges limitations. For example,
because of higher power density,
if one turbine goes down, it will have a
big impact on the job. " It is theoretically
possible to have a backup on location,
but that's too expensive to be practical, "
he says. " Instead, we minimize the chance
of downtime by doing maintenance beyond
the OEM's recommended service regime. "
With that maintenance, turbines can
be extremely reliable, Bland assures. In
addition to being used in jet engines,
where failures would put lives at risk,
100 ft
150 ft
50 MW frac solution utilizing
35 MW turbines
600 ft
50 MW frac solution utilizing
2.5 MW reciprocating engines
100 ft
On many hydraulic fracturing sites, including ones involving simulfracs, turbines' ability
to pack significant power into a much smaller footprint than reciprocating engine
generators can be a huge boon, Life Cycle Power reports. The company adds that
turbines can run on field gas that has undergone minimal treatment.
turbines generate most base load power
for electric utilities. " Engines generally
only see use in emergency or peak shaving
applications, " he contrasts. " Turbines cost
more to purchase, but they have a much
longer lifetime and require less service,
which makes the overall costs lower. "
Aside from reliability, the other concern
that Bland reports hearing frequently relates
to fuel efficiency. A perception that turbines
consume excess fuel between stages is
not supported by field data, he says.
" Turbines' exact fuel efficiency will
vary from job to job, but it is close to
the efficiency for engines, " Bland says.
" For one recent job, the peak efficiency
Drilling for American
Energy Independence!
With a fleet of high-spec AC & SCR land rigs, Latshaw Drilling is positioned
to meet our customers' requirements now and for the foreseeable future.
These capabilities derive their strength from our seasoned work force who
are the backbone of our company. We take pride in our men and women
who work hard every day to bring America closer to energy independence!
Give us a call today!
Joseph Hudson | SR VP, Marketing/Sales | 281-841-5241
Leroy Peterson | VP, Contracts | 432-889-8884
Jonathan Leininger | VP, Business Development | 903-954-0820
One of America's Leading Drilling Contractors!
© 2024 Latshaw Drilling
www.latshawdrilling.com

http://www.latshawdrilling.com

American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2025