Natural Gas Boom to Spur US Frack-Gear Shortage, Shale Boss Says

Rising US natural gas exports and soaring domestic demand for the power-plant fuel will lead to a shortage of fracking gear later this decade, according to the head of one the country’s top drilling contractors.

Activity in US shale fields is expected to ramp up toward the end of this year into 2027, primarily driven by gas consumption, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Andy Hendricks said in an interview. That could lead to a deficit of equipment to frack gas wells in two to three years, particularly in the Haynesville basin of Texas and Louisiana, he said.

Hendricks’ remarks ...