The Drilldown: in-depth answers to oilfield questions | w/ Richard & John Spears

Richard & John dive down into the reasons behind the tightening frac business. Margins are getting tighter & operators are choosing to buy piecewise rather than contract full-service companies. We talk about why this is happening, what this means, and how this affects the industry as a whole. Produced by Charlie Spears.

From Sunday morning helicopter jaunts to Siberian expeditions, the Spears brothers tell-all about the sometimes strange world of gathering market data! In the pre-internet days market research looked a little different. John & Richard trade stories about how the 9-5 can get a little.....interesting! Produced by Charlie Spears

Rig count is already at 900 and expected to hit 1000 in 2017, more than John predicted! This week on the Drilldown we unpack the "Drilling & Production Outlook" - a report produced by Richard & John. Also, a "quick & dirty" way to estimate the size of the directional drilling market in a country!

This episode is a primer for future discussions about new technology in the oil & gas business. Richard & John discuss the factors that determine technology adoption and the industry's history, particularly with regards to rotary steerable technology. Produced by Charlie Spears.

Down in Midland the industry is picking up! Richard makes 3 observations about his recent trip down to the heart of oil country. 1) A lot of new & inexperienced guys are getting hired. 2) The labor market is tight! People getting hired in coffee shops. 3) Service companies can't make as much money because of the market. Also in this episode - Eddie Money makes an appearance on the Drilldown! Produced by Charlie Spears

Gas plays in Wyoming & other areas have been playing second fiddle to the frenzy of activity in the Permian, but be on the lookout for these growing markets. SCOOP/STACK, Haynesville, DJI & Niobrara. Also John shares a story about the writer, Washington Irving, and his relation to the oil & gas industry in Frontier states. Produced by Charlie Spears

What? R&D spending isn't actually correlated to sales growth or profitability? Why the Next Big Thing is something so simple as "sand in a box". Efficiency & cost improves dramatically when the industry applies the creative solutions to how proppant is handled on the wellsite. Richard & John describe how this changes wellsite operations and why something so simple will change the game. Also, music & lightning round are back! Produced by Charlie Spears

Richard & John talk about the many businesses they've started together. From lawnmowing to pump trucks the Spears brothers share their successes and failures and lessons learned. Produced by Charlie Spears

It's ironic, isn't it? After the Offshore Technology Conference, everyone climbs back into their pump truck & drives off! Richard & John talk about the economic incentives regarding offshore & onshore. A land rig is pretty different than an offshore rig, so how does a company value each one? Our "Rule of Thumb" discusses how to tell if a well is "extended reach". And our lightning round talks patents! Episode produced by Charles Spears

What kind of hotdog does the a Buddhist like to eat? Richard & John draw questions from the coffee cup again this week. Topics discussed: Australia's first frac company, mud engineers, and the size of the average frac crew, and more! Send your questions to [email protected]. Produced by Charlie Spears