BJ Services and Atheon sign contract for TITAN fracking fleet

BJ Services has signed a contract for its natural gas-powered pressure pumping fleet at Aethon Energy’s operations in the Haynesville shale of Texas, US.

The four-year contract covers the deployment of the BJ Services’ first TITAN next-generation 100% natural gas-fuelled fracturing (frac) fleet.

A direct drive natural gas-fuelled turbine powers the TITAN frac fleet.

The company said that the first TITAN prototype pump has finished over 500 hours of field testing on Aethon’s Haynesville well sites this year.

BJ Services chief operating officer Caleb Barclay said: “The launch of the TITAN will allow us to make significant progress on our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, increasing operational efficiencies and improving the economics for our clients.

“We are proud to partner with a company that shares our vision surrounding continuous improvement and know that this next generation equipment will prove to be a step-change to the impact it will have on the environment, efficiency and economics for Aethon’s operation.”

The company expects the first TITAN fleet to deploy in the fourth quarter of this year.

According to the firm, the TITAN fleet provides up to 5,000 horsepower (hp) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs.

The pump also meets noise reduction requirements for North America.

BJ Services chief operating officer and partner Paul Sander said: “The natural gas-powered TITAN fleet developed by BJ Services will deliver performance aligned with Aethon’s cost and ESG goals.

“Ultimately, larger pumps with fewer pumping units will reduce our footprint and result in structural cost savings for pumping services. We are excited to partner with BJ Services and are pleased with their willingness to provide innovative solutions in this next-generation technology.”