At THRIVE 2026, Bill Austin sat down with Matt Wilks of ProFrac to discuss the current state of the U.S. completions market and how operators are thinking about the next phase of shale development.

A key theme was the underlying tightness in pressure pumping capacity following years of fleet attrition, with the market appearing stable but lacking meaningful spare capacity. Wilks also highlighted a shift back toward recovery and well performance as efficiency gains begin to plateau, with increased focus on data, automation, and closed-loop fracturing to improve stage quality and consistency.

The conversation also explored how new Permian gas takeaway capacity could unlock additional inventory and support higher activity levels into the second half of 2026.