Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business.
Our Company
We are a leading integrated oilfield services company, located in Midland, Texas, focused on providing innovative hydraulic fracturing, wireline, and other complementary oilfield completion services to leading upstream oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration and production ("E&P") of North American oil and natural gas resources. Our operations are primarily focused in the Permian Basin, where we have cultivated longstanding customer relationships with some of the region’s most active and well‑capitalized E&P companies. The Permian Basin is widely regarded as one of the most prolific oil‑producing areas in the United States, and we believe we are one of the leading providers of completion services in the region.
On November 1, 2022, we consummated the acquisition of all of the outstanding limited liability company interests of Silvertip Completion Services Operating, LLC (the "Silvertip Acquisition"), which provides wireline perforation and ancillary services solely in the Permian Basin in exchange for 10.1 million shares of our common stock valued at $106.7 million, $30.0 million of cash, the payoff of $7.2 million of assumed debt, and the payment of certain other closing and transaction costs. The Silvertip Acquisition positions the Company as a leading completions-focused oilfield services provider headquartered in the Permian Basin.
Our competitors include many large and small oilfield services companies, including Halliburton Company, Liberty Energy Inc., ProFrac Holding Corp., Nextier Oilfield Solutions Inc., Patterson-UTI Energy Inc., RPC, Inc., and a number of private and locally-oriented businesses. The markets in which we operate are highly competitive. To be successful, an oilfield services company must provide services that meet the specific needs of oil and natural gas E&P companies at competitive prices. Competitive factors impacting sales of our services are price, reputation, technical expertise, emissions profile, service and equipment design and quality, and health and safety standards. Although we believe our customers consider all of these factors, we believe price is a key factor in E&P companies' criteria in choosing a service provider. However, we have recently observed the energy industry and our customers shift to lower emissions equipment, which we believe will be an increasingly important factor in an E&P company's selection of a service provider. The transition to lower emissions equipment has been challenging for companies in the service industry because of the capital requirements, lack of large scale deployment of certain new technology such as electric powered equipment, and the pricing for our services and expected return on invested capital. While we seek to price our services competitively, we believe many of our customers elect to work with us based on our operational efficiencies, productivity, equipment quality, reliability, ability to manage multifaceted logistics challenges, commitment to safety and the ability of our people to handle the most complex Permian Basin well completions.
Our substantial market presence in the Permian Basin positions us well to capitalize on drilling and completion activity in the region. Our operational focus has primarily been in the Permian Basin's Midland sub-basin, where our customers have operated. However, we have increased our operations in the Delaware sub-basin and are well-positioned to support further increases to our activity in this area in response to demand from our customers. Over time, we expect the Permian Basin's Midland and Delaware sub-basins to continue to command a disproportionate share of future North American E&P spending.
We primarily provide hydraulic fracturing, wireline, and cementing completion services to E&P companies in the Permian Basin. Our equipment has been designed to handle the operating conditions commonly encountered in the Permian Basin and the region's increasingly high-intensity well completions (including Simul-Frac, which involves fracturing multiple wellbores at the same time), which are characterized by longer horizontal wellbores, more stages per lateral and increasing amounts of proppant per well.
Effective September 1, 2022, we disposed of our coiled tubing assets to STEP Energy Services (USA) L td. ("STEP") and shut down our coiled tubing operations. We received approximately $2.8 million in cash and 2.6 million common shares of STEP, which have an estimated fair value of $11.8 million, as consideration. Upon the sale of our coiled tubing assets, we recorded a loss on sale of $13.8 million .
Commodity Price and Other Economic Conditions
The oil and gas industry has traditionally been volatile and is characterized by a combination of long-term, short-term and cyclical trends, including domestic and international supply and demand for oil and gas, current and expected future prices for oil and gas and the perceived stability and sustainability of those prices, and capital investments of E&P companies toward their development and production of oil and gas reserves. The oil and gas industry is also impacted by general domestic and international economic conditions such as supply chain disruptions and inflation, war and political instability in oil producing
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countries, government regulations (both in the United States and internationally), levels of consumer demand, adverse weather conditions, and other factors that are beyond our control.
The global public health crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on global economic activity and the oil and gas industry in 2020 and 2021. Some of the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted our business include restrictions on movement of personnel and associated gatherings, shortage of skilled labor, cost inflation and supply chain disruptions. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies, including our customers in the Permian Basin, reacted by closely managing their operating budget and exercising capital discipline in 2020 and 2021.
In February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine that has led to significant armed hostilities. As a result, the United States, the United Kingdom, the member states of the European Union and other public and private sectors have levied severe sanctions on Russian financial institutions, businesses and individuals. This conflict, and the resulting sanctions, have contributed to significant increases and volatility in the prices for oil and natural gas. The geopolitical and macroeconomic consequences of this invasion and associated sanctions remain uncertain, and such events, or any further hostilities in Ukraine or elsewhere, could severely impact the world economy and the oil and gas industry and may adversely affect our financial condition.
The Russia-Ukraine war, and the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, including inflation, have resulted in volatility in supply and demand dynamics for crude oil and associated volatility in crude oil pricing. In 2022, West Texas Intermediate ( "WTI") average crude oil price was approximately $94 per barrel, which is the highest average price in the last nine years. We believe that the recent surge in global crude oil prices is partly due to the lack of reinvestment in the oil and gas industry in the last two years, and increased demand for oil and gas products, coupled with the adverse impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has led to various sanctions on Russian crude oil supply and businesses. With the significant increase in global crude oil prices, including WTI crude oil prices, there has been an increase in the Permian Basin rig count from approximately 179 at the beginning of 2021 to approximately 353 at the end of December 2022, according to Baker Hughes. Following the increase in rig count and WTI crude oil price, the oilfield service industry has experienced increased demand for its oil well completion services, and improved pricing. As a result of the growing demand for oil well completion services and significant cost inflation across the industry, we negotiated pricing increases with certain of our customers for our oil well completion services, depending on job design. Although we are currently operating in an improved pricing environment compared to 2020 and 2021, the rapid increase in cost inflation and supply chain tightness could adversely impact our future profitability. The U.S. inflation rate has been steadily increasing since 2021. These inflationary pressures have resulted in and may result in additional increases to the costs of our oilfield goods, services and personnel, which in turn cause our capital expenditures and operating costs to rise. Sustained levels of high inflation have likewise caused the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks to increase interest rates, and to the extent elevated inflation remains, we may experience further cost increases for our operations, including labor costs and equipment. We cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation and a significant increase in inflation, to the extent we are unable to timely pass-through the cost increases to our customers, would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. See Part II, Item 1A. " Risk Factors—Continuing or worsening inflationary issues and associated changes in monetary policy have resulted in and may result in additional increases to the cost of our goods, services and personnel, which in turn cause our capital expenditures and operating costs to rise. "
Government regulations and investors are demanding the oil and gas industry transition to a lower emissions operating environment, including the upstream and oilfield services companies. As a result, we are working with our customers and equipment manufacturers to transition our equipment to a lower emissions profile. Currently, a number of lower emission solutions for pumping equipment, including Tier IV Dynamic Gas Blending (" DGB ") , electric, direct drive gas turbine and other technologies have been developed, and we expect additional lower emission solutions will be developed in the future. We are continually evaluating these technologies and other investment and acquisition opportunities that would support our existing and new customer relationships. The transition to lower emissions equipment is quickly evolving and will be capital intensive. Over time, we may be required to convert substantially all of our conventional Tier II equipment to lower emissions equipment. We have transitioned our active hydraulic fracturing equipment portfolio from approximately 10% lower emissions equipment in 2021 to approximately 35% in 2022, and expect to increase to approximately 65% in 2023.
The Permian Basin rig count increase, demand for oil and gas products, WTI crude oil price increase and costs inflation could be indicative of an energy market recovery. I f the rig count and market conditions continue to improve, including improved customers' pricing and labor availability, and we are able to continue to meet our customers' lower emissions equipment demands, we believe our operational and financial results will also continue to improve. However, if market conditions do not improve or decline in the future, and we are unable to increase our pricing or pass-through future cost increases to our customers, there could be a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and cash flows.
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Our results of operations have historically reflected seasonal tendencies, typically in the fourth quarter, relating to the holiday season, inclement winter weather and exhaustion of our customers' annual budgets. As a result, we typically experience declines in our operating and financial results in November and December, even in a stable commodity price and operations environment.
Our Services
We have historically conducted our business through five operating segments: hydraulic fracturing, cementing, coiled tubing, drilling and flowback. For reporting purposes, the hydraulic fracturing and cementing operating segments were aggregated into one reportable segment—"Pressure Pumping" while coiled tubing, drilling and flowback operating segments, and corporate administrative expenses were aggregated into the "All Other" category. In connection with the Silvertip Acquisition, we now have a wireline operating segment which has been aggregated with Pressure Pumping. Additionally, the divestitures of our coiled tubing operations in September 2022 and our drilling and flowback operations in 2020 resulted in the "All Other" category having no operating segments and therefore in 2022, our corporate administrative expenses were aggregated into "Pressure Pumping", and prior periods have been restated accordingly. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we renamed our "Pressure Pumping" reportable segment to "Completion Services" since the Company is now positioned to provide highly complementary completion services to its customers and has significant cross-selling opportunities across its combined customer base. For additional financial information on our reportable segments presentation, please see reportable segment information in Part II - Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."
Completion Services
Hydraulic Fracturing
We provide hydraulic fracturing services to E&P companies in the Permian Basin. These services are intended to optimize hydrocarbon flow paths during the completion phase of horizontal shale wellbores. We have significant expertise in multi‑stage fracturing of horizontal oil‑producing wells in unconventional geological formations. Our total available hydraulic horsepower ("HHP") at December 31, 2022 wa s 1,315,000 HHP, which was comprised of 252,500 HHP of our Tier IV DGB equipment and 1,062,500 HHP of convention al Tier II equipment. An individual fleet could range from approximately 50,000 to 80,000 HHP depending on the job design and customer demand at the wellsite. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded an impairment with respect to our DuraStim® hydraulic fracturing pumps (108,000 HHP) that did not meet the manufacturer’s specifications or our expectations and have remained idled. With the industry transition to lower emissions equipment and simultaneous hydraulic fracturing ("Simul-Frac"), in addition to several other changes to our customers' job designs, we believe that our available fleet capacity could decline if we decide to reconfigure our fleets to increase active HHP and backup HHP at wellsites. In addition, in September 2021, August 2022 and December 2022, we committed to additional conversions of our Tier II equipment to Tier IV DGB, and purchase of new Tier IV DGB equipment. As such, we entered into conversion and purchase agreements with our equipment manufacturers for a total of 362,500 HH P of Tier IV DGB equipment and as of December 31, 2022, we have received 192,500 HH P of the converted and new Tier IV DGB equipment and expect to receive the remaining 170,000 HHP by the second quarter of 2023. In August 2022 and December 2022, we entered into leases for four electric fleets of 60,000 HHP per fleet. We expect to take delivery of the electric fleets at different times during the second half of 2023. We have entered into a contract with a customer for the use of one of our electric hydraulic fracturing fleets to provide committed services for a period of three years after we take delivery of the fleet.
The hydraulic fracturing process consists of pumping fracturing fluid into a well at sufficient pressure to fracture the formation. Materials known as proppants, which in our business are comprised primarily of sand, are suspended in the fracturing fluid and are pumped into the fracture to prop it open. The fracturing fluid is designed to break, or loosen viscosity, and be forced out of the formation by its pressure, leaving the proppants suspended in the fractures created, thereby increasing the mobility of the hydrocarbons. As a result of the fracturing process, production rates are usually enhanced substantially, thus increasing the rate of return of hydrocarbons for the operator.
We own and operate a fleet of mobile hydraulic fracturing units and other auxiliary equipment to perform fracturing services. We also refer to all of our fracturing units, other equipment and vehicles necessary to perform a fracturing job as a "fleet" and the personnel assigned to each fleet as a "crew." Our hydraulic fracturing units consist primarily of a high pressure hydraulic pumps, diesel or dual gas engines, transmissions and various hoses, valves, tanks and other supporting equipment like blenders, irons, hoses and datavans.
We provide dedicated equipment, personnel and services that are tailored to meet each of our customer’s needs. Each fleet has a designated team of personnel, which allows us to provide responsive and customized services, such as project design, proppant and other consumables procurement, real‑time data provision and post‑completion analysis for each of our jobs. Many of our
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hydraulic fracturing fleets and associated personnel have worked continuously with the same customer for the past several years promoting deep relationships and a high degree of coordination and visibility into future customer activity levels. Furthermore, in light of our substantial market presence and historically high fleet utilization levels, we have established a variety of trusted relationships with key equipment, sand and other downhole consumable suppliers. We believe these strategic relationships position us to acquire equipment, parts and materials on a timely and economic basis and allow our dedicated procurement and logistics team to support consistently safe and reliable operations.
Cementing
We provide cementing services for completion of new wells and remedial work on existing wells. Cementing services use pressure pumping equipment to deliver a slurry of liquid cement that is pumped down a well between the casing and the borehole. Cementing provides isolation between fluid zones behind the casing to minimize potential damage to hydrocarbon bearing formations or the integrity of freshwater aquifers, and provides structural integrity for the casing by securing it to the earth. Cementing is also done when re-completing wells, where one zone is plugged and another is opened.
We believe that our cementing segment provides an organic growth opportunity for us to expand our service offerings within our existing customer base.
Wireline
We provide wireline and ancillary services such as pumpdown on new oil well completions in the Permian Basin. Wireline utilizes equipment with a drum of wireline to deploy perforating guns in the well to perforate the casing, cement, and formation. Once the well is perforated, it is ready to be fractured. Pumpdown utilizes pressure pumping equipment to pump water into the well to deploy or push the perforating guns attached to wireline through the lateral section of a well.
We own and operate a fleet of mobile wireline units and other auxiliary equipment to perform well completion services. We also refer to our wireline units, pressure control equipment, other equipment and vehicles necessary to perform a job as a " spread " and the personnel assigned to the spread as a " crew. " On average, one wireline spread consists of a wireline tractor truck with a large cab functioning as mobile office where the engineer controls the wireline spooled drum along with associated pressure control iron and equipment, trailers and vehicles. We currently have 23 wireline units.
Other Services
Coiled Tubing
Coiled tubing services involve injecting coiled tubing into wells to perform various completion well intervention operations. Coiled tubing is a flexible steel pipe with a diameter of typically less than three inches and manufactured in continuous lengths of thousands of feet. It is wound or coiled on a truck‑mounted reel for onshore applications. Due to its small diameter, coiled tubing can be inserted into existing production tubing and used to perform a variety of services (including drillout of plugs) to enhance the flow of oil or natural gas. Effective September 1, 2022, we shut down our coiled tubing operations and disposed of all of the assets.
Our Customers
Our customers consist primarily of oil and natural gas producers in North America. Our top five customers accounted for a pproximately 84.0%, 85.7% and 86.5% of our revenue, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2022, Pioneer Natural Resources USA Inc. ("Pioneer"), Endeavor Energy Resources and XTO Energy accounted for 33.1%, 28.3% and 15.0%, respectively, of total revenue. No other customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022.
On March 31, 2022, we entered into an amended and restated pressure pumping services agreement (the "A&R Pressure Pumping Services Agreement") with Pioneer , which was initially entered into in connection with our purchase of certain pressure pumping assets and real property from Pioneer and Pioneer Pumping Services (the "Pioneer Pressure Pumping Acquisition") . The A&R Pressure Pumping Services Agreement, which was effective from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, reduced the number of contracted fleets to six fleets from eight fleets, modified the pressure pumping scope of work and pricing mechanism for contracted fleets, and replaced the idle fees arrangement with equipment reservation fees (the "Reservation fees"). As part of the Reservation fees arrangement, the Company was entitled to receive compensation for all eligible contracted fleets that were made available to Pioneer at the beginning of every quarter in 2022 through the term of the A&R Pressure Pumping Services Agreement. The A&R Pressure Pumping Services Agreement expired at the conclusion of its term and was replaced by the Fleet One Agreement and the Fleet Two Agreement described below.
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On October 31, 2022, we entered into two pressure pumping services agreements with Pioneer, pursuant to which we will provide hydraulic fracturing services with two committed fleets, subject to certain termination and release rights. The Fleet One Agreement was effective as of January 1, 2023 and will terminate on August 31, 2023. The Fleet Two Agreement was effective as of January 1, 2023 and was originally planned to terminate on the one year anniversary of the date on which the fleet dedicated thereunder converted from a Tier II diesel Simul-Frac fleet to a Tier IV dual fuel zipper fleet, which was expected to occur in May 2023. In February 2023, Pioneer provided the Company notice (i) stating that Pioneer intended to release Fleet Two effective upon the completion of operations on the pad where the performance of Services (as defined in the Fleet Two Agreement) is in progress on May 12, 2023 (the “Release Date”) and (ii) requesting that the Company agree to the termination of the Fleet Two Agreement as of the Release Date. The Company agreed with such request, and, as a result, the Fleet Two Agreement will be terminated as of the Release Date.
Competition
The markets in which we operate are highly competitive. To be successful, an oilfield services company must provide services and equipment that meet the specific needs of oil and natural gas E&P companies at competitive prices. Competitive factors impacting sales of our services are price, reputation, technical expertise, emissions profile, service and equipment design and quality, and health and safety standards. Although we believe our customers consider all of these factors, we believe price is a key factor in E&P companies’ criteria in choosing a service provider. However, we have recently observed the energy industry and our customers shift to lower emissions equipment, which we believe will be an increasingly important factor in an E&P company’s selection of a service provider. The transition to lower emissions equipment has been challenging for companies in the oilfield service industry because of the capital requirements. While we seek to price our services competitively, we believe many of our customers elect to work with us based on our operational efficiencies, productivity, equipment portfolio and quality, reliability, ability to manage multifaceted logistics challenges, commitment to safety and the ability of our people to handle the most complex Permian Basin well completions.
We provide our services primarily in the Permian Basin, and we compete against different companies in each service and product line we offer. Our competition includes many large and small oilfield services companies, including the largest integrated oilfield services companies. Our major competitors include Halliburton Company, Liberty Energy Inc., ProFrac Holding Corp., Nextier Oilfield Solutions Inc., Patterson‑UTI Energy Inc., RPC, Inc., and a number of private and locally-oriented businesses.
Seasonality
Our results of operations have historically reflected seasonal tendencies, generally in the fourth quarter, relating to the conclusion of our customers’ annual capital expenditure budgets, the holidays and inclement winter weather during which we may experience declines in our operating and financial results.
Operating Risks and Insurance
Our operations are subject to hazards inherent in the oilfield services industry, such as accidents, blowouts, explosions, fires and spills and releases that can cause personal injury or loss of life, damage or destruction of property, equipment, natural resources and the environment and suspension of operations.
In addition, claims for loss of oil and natural gas production and damage to formations can occur in the oilfield services industry. If a serious accident were to occur at a location where our equipment and services are being used, it could result in us being named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting large claims.
Our business involves the transportation of heavy equipment and materials, and as a result, we may also experience traffic accidents which may result in spills, property damage and personal injury.
Despite our efforts to maintain safety standards, we have suffered accidents from time to time in the past and anticipate that we could experience accidents in the future. In addition to the property damage, personal injury and other losses from these accidents, the frequency and severity of these incidents affect our operating costs and insurability and our relationships with customers, employees, regulatory agencies and other parties. Any significant increase in the frequency or severity of these incidents, or the general level of compensation awards, could adversely affect the cost of, or our ability to obtain workers’ compensation and other forms of insurance, and could have other material adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations.
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We maintain commercial general liability, workers’ compensation, business automobile, commercial property, umbrella liability, excess liability, and directors and officers insurance policies providing coverages of risks and amounts that we believe to be customary in our industry. Further, we have pollution legal liability coverage for our business entities, which would cover, among other things, third party liability and costs of clean up relating to environmental contamination on our premises while our equipment is in transit and on our customers’ job site. With respect to our operations, coverage would be available under our pollution legal liability policy for any surface or subsurface environmental clean‑up and liability to third parties arising from any surface or subsurface contamination. We also have certain specific coverages for some of our businesses, including our hydraulic fracturing and wireline services.
We maintain directors and officers insurance; however, our insurance coverage is subject to certain exclusions (including, for example, any required SEC disgorgement or penalties) and we are responsible for meeting certain deductibles under the policies. Moreover, we cannot assure you that our insurance coverage will adequately protect us from all future claims.
Although we maintain insurance coverage of types and amounts that we believe to be customary in the industry, we are not fully insured against all risks, either because insurance is not available or because of the high premium costs relative to perceived risk. Further, insurance rates have in the past been subject to wide fluctuation and changes in coverage could result in less coverage, increases in cost or higher deductibles and retentions. Liabilities for which we are not insured, or which exceed the policy limits of our applicable insurance, could have a material adverse effect on us. See " Risk Factors " for a description of certain risks associated with our insurance policies.
Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
Our operations are subject to stringent laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection, and occupational health and safety. Numerous federal, state and local governmental agencies issue regulations that often require difficult and costly compliance measures that could carry substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties and may result in injunctive obligations for non-compliance. These laws and regulations may, for example, restrict the types, quantities and concentrations of various substances that can be released into the environment, limit or prohibit construction or drilling activities on certain lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, ecologically or seismically sensitive areas and other protected areas, or require action to prevent or remediate pollution from current or former operations. Moreover, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the release of hazardous substances, hydrocarbons or other waste products into the environment. Changes in environmental, health and safety laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in more stringent and costly requirements could materially adversely affect our operations and financial position. For example, following the election of President Biden and passage of laws such as the IRA 2022, it is possible that our operations may be subject to greater environmental, health and safety restrictions, particularly with regards to hydraulic fracturing and wireline, permitting and greenhouse gases ( " GHG " ) emissions. We have not experienced any material adverse effect from compliance with current requirements; however, this trend may not continue in the future.
Below is an overview of some of the more significant environmental, health and safety requirements with which we must comply. Our customers’ operations are subject to similar laws and regulations. Any material adverse effect of these laws and regulations on our customers’ operations and financial position may also have an indirect material adverse effect on our operations and financial position.
Waste Handling. We handle, transport, store and dispose of wastes that are subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ( " RCRA " ) and comparable state laws and regulations, which affect our activities by imposing requirements regarding the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal and cleanup of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. With federal approval, the individual states administer some or all of the provisions of RCRA, sometimes in conjunction with their own, more stringent requirements. Although certain petroleum production wastes are exempt from regulation as hazardous wastes under RCRA, such wastes may constitute “solid wastes” that are subject to the less stringent requirements of non-hazardous waste provisions.
Administrative, civil and criminal penalties can be imposed for failure to comply with waste handling requirements. Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( " EPA " ) or state or local governments may adopt more stringent requirements for the handling of non-hazardous wastes or recategorize some non-hazardous wastes as hazardous for future regulation. Indeed, legislation has been proposed from time to time in Congress to recategorize certain oil and natural gas exploration, development and production wastes as hazardous wastes. Several environmental organizations have also petitioned the EPA to modify existing regulations to recategorize certain oil and natural gas exploration, development and production wastes as hazardous. Any such changes in these laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures and operating expenses. Although we do not believe the current costs of managing our wastes, as presently classified, to be significant, any
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legislative or regulatory reclassification of oil and natural gas exploration and production wastes could increase our costs to manage and dispose of such wastes.
Remediation of Hazardous Substances. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ( " CERCLA " or " Superfund " ) and analogous state laws generally impose liability without regard to fault or legality of the original conduct, on classes of persons who are considered to be responsible for the release of a hazardous substance into the environment. These persons include the current owner or operator of a contaminated facility, a former owner or operator of the facility at the time of contamination and those persons that disposed or arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substance at the facility. Liability for the costs of removing or remediating previously disposed wastes or contamination, damages to natural resources, the costs of conducting certain health studies, amongst other things, is strict and joint and several. In the course of our operations, we use materials that, if released, would be subject to CERCLA and comparable state laws. Therefore, governmental agencies or third parties may seek to hold us responsible under CERCLA and comparable state statutes for all or part of the costs to clean up sites at which such hazardous substances have been released.
NORM. In the course of our operations, some of our equipment may be exposed to naturally occurring radioactive materials ( " NORM " ) associated with oil and gas deposits and, accordingly, may result in the generation of wastes and other materials containing NORM. NORM exhibiting levels of radiation in excess of established state standards are subject to special handling and disposal requirements, and any storage vessels, piping and work area affected by NORM may be subject to remediation or restoration requirements.
Water Discharges. The Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Oil Pollution Act and analogous state laws and regulations impose restrictions and strict controls regarding the unauthorized discharge of pollutants, including produced waters and other gas and oil wastes, into regulated waters. The discharge of pollutants into regulated waters is prohibited, except in accordance with the terms of a permit issued by the EPA or the state. Also, spill prevention, control and countermeasure plan requirements require appropriate containment berms and similar structures to help prevent the contamination of regulated waters.
Air Emissions. The Clean Air Act ( " CAA " ) and comparable state laws and regulations, regulate emissions of various air pollutants through the issuance of permits and the imposition of other emissions control requirements. The EPA has developed, and continues to develop, stringent regulations governing emissions of air pollutants from specified sources. New facilities may be required to obtain permits before work can begin, and existing facilities may be required to obtain additional permits and incur capital costs in order to remain in compliance. These and other laws and regulations may increase the costs of compliance for some facilities where we operate. Obtaining or renewing permits also has the potential to delay the development of oil and natural gas projects.
Climate Change. In the United States, no comprehensive climate change legislation has been implemented at the federal level, though recently passed laws such as the IRA 2022 advance numerous climate-related objectives. Additionally, following the U.S. Supreme Court finding that GHG emissions constitute a pollutant under the CAA, the EPA has adopted regulations that, among other things, establish construction and operating permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources, require the monitoring and annual reporting of GHG emissions from certain petroleum and natural gas system sources in the United States, implement New Source Performance Standards directing the reduction of certain pollutants from certain new, modified, or reconstructed facilities in the oil and natural gas sector, and together with the Department of Transportation ("DOT"), implementing GHG emissions limits on vehicles manufactured for operation in the United States. In September 2020, the Trump Administration revised prior regulations to rescind certain methane standards and remove the transmission and storage segments from the source category for certain regulations. However, subsequently, the U.S. Congress approved, and President Biden signed into law, a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the September 2020 revisions to the methane standards, effectively reinstating the prior standards. Additionally, the EPA has proposed more recent rules covering the standards of performance for methane and volatile organic compounds emissions for oil and gas facilities, including leak detection, monitoring and repair, and a "super-emitter" response program to timely mitigate emissions events as detected by governmental agencies or qualified third parties. Certain of these requirements are currently subject to public comment, and the rule is expected to be finalized in 2023; however, it is likely that these requirements will be subject to legal challenge.
Additionally, various states and groups of states have adopted or are considering adopting legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that are focused on such areas such as GHG cap and trade programs, carbon taxes, reporting and tracking programs, and restriction of emissions. At the international level, the United Nations-sponsored " Paris Agreement, " requires member states to submit non-binding, individually-determined reduction goals known as Nationally Determined Contributions ( " NDCs " ) every five years after 2020. Following President Biden’s executive order in January 2021, the United States rejoined the Paris Agreement and, in April 2021, established a goal of reducing economy-wide net GHG emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. Some countries, including the United States, have additionally made commitments to reduce global methane
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emissions through initiatives such as the Global Methane Pledge, and have been called upon to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. However, the impacts of these actions are unclear at this time. For more information, see our risk factors titled "Our and our customers’ operations are subject to a series of risks arising out of the threat of climate change that could result in increased operating costs, limit the areas in which oil and natural gas production may occur, and reduce demand for the products and services we provide" and "The IRA 2022 could accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy and could impose new costs on our customers’ operations."
Governmental, scientific, and public concern over the threat of climate change arising from GHG emissions has resulted in increasing political risks in the United States, including climate-change-related pledges made by certain candidates for public office. On January 27, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that commits to substantial action on climate change, calling for, among other things, the increased use of zero-emissions vehicles by the federal government, the elimination of subsidies provided to the fossil fuel industry and an increased emphasis on climate-related risk across government agencies and economic sectors. The executive order also suspends the issuance of new leases for oil and gas development on federal land; for more information, see our regulatory disclosure titled " Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Related Activities. " Other actions that the Biden Administration may take include the imposition of more restrictive requirements for the development of pipeline infrastructure or liquefied natural gas export facilities or more restrictive GHG emissions limitations for oil and gas facilities. Litigation risks are also increasing as a number of parties have sought to bring suit against certain oil and natural gas companies operating in the United States in state or federal court, alleging among other things, that such companies created public nuisances by producing fuels that contributed to climate change or that such companies have been aware of the adverse effects of climate change but failed to adequately disclose those impacts to their investors or customers.
The adoption and implementation of new or more stringent international, federal or state legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that impose more stringent standards for GHG emissions from the oil and natural gas sector or otherwise restrict the areas in which this sector may produce oil and natural gas or generate GHG emissions could result in increased costs of compliance or costs of consuming, and thereby reduce demand for, oil and natural gas, which could reduce demand for our services and products.
Moreover, climate change may result in various physical risks, such as the increased frequency or intensity of extreme weather events or changes in the meteorological and hydrological patterns, that could adversely impact us, our customers’ and our suppliers’ operations. Such physical risks may result in damage to our customers’ facilities or otherwise adversely impact our operations, such as if facilities are subject to water use curtailments in response to drought, or demand for our customers’ products, such as to the extent warmer winters reduce the demand for energy for heating purposes, which may ultimately reduce demand for the products and services we provide. Such physical risks may also impact our suppliers, which may adversely affect our ability to provide our products and services. Extreme weather conditions can interfere with our operations and increase our costs, and damage resulting from extreme weather may not be fully insured.
Endangered and Threatened Species. Environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act ( " ESA " ) and analogous state laws may impact exploration, development and production activities in areas where we operate. The ESA provides broad protection for species of fish, wildlife and plants that are listed as threatened or endangered. Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and various state analogs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ( " FWS " ) may identify previously unidentified endangered or threatened species or may designate critical habitat and suitable habitat areas that it believes are necessary for survival of a threatened or endangered species. For example, the dunes sagebrush lizard, which is found only in the active and semi-stable shinnery oak dunes of southeastern New Mexico and adjacent portions of Texas (including areas where our customers operate), was a candidate species for listing under the ESA by the FWS for many years. As a result of a recent settlement with certain environmental groups, the FWS, in July 2020, acted on a petition to list the dunes sagebrush lizard finding sufficient information to warrant a formal one-year review to consider listing the species. While that deadline has been missed, the listing review is reportedly ongoing and a decision is expected in June 2023; additionally, FWS has also solicited comments on a proposed conservation agreement that would implement certain protective practices for the species and authorize incidental take of the species resulting from certain covered activities, including exploration and development of oil and gas fields. However, to the extent any protections are implemented for this or any other species, it could cause us or our customers to incur additional costs or become subject to operating restrictions or operating bans in the affected areas.
Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Related Activities. Our hydraulic fracturing operations are a significant component of our business. Hydraulic fracturing is an important and common practice that is used to stimulate production of hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas, from tight formations, including shales. The process, which involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production, is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions. However, federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over certain aspects of the process. Although several of these rulemakings have been rescinded, modified or subjected to legal challenges, new or more
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stringent regulations may be promulgated by the Biden administration. For example, the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) recently proposed a rule that would limit flaring from well sites on federal lands, as well as allow the delay or denial of permits if BLM finds that an operator’s methane waste minimization plan is insufficient. The Biden Administration has also called for revisions and restrictions to the leasing and permitting programs for oil and gas development on federal lands and, for a time, suspended federal oil and gas leasing activities. The Department of the Interior ( " DOI " ) has also issued a report recommending various changes to the federal leasing program, though many such changes would require Congressional action. As a result, we cannot predict the final scope of regulations or restrictions that may apply to oil and gas operations on federal lands. However, any regulations that ban or effectively ban such operations may adversely impact demand for our products and services. Further, legislation to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing (except when diesel fuels are used) from the definition of “underground injection” and require federal permitting and regulatory control of hydraulic fracturing, as well as legislative proposals to require disclosure of the chemical constituents of the fluids used in the fracturing process, have previously been proposed in Congress. Several states and local jurisdictions in which we or our customers operate also have adopted or are considering adopting regulations that could restrict or prohibit hydraulic fracturing in certain circumstances, impose more stringent operating standards and/or require the disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids.
Federal and state governments have also investigated whether the disposal of produced water into underground injection wells has caused increased seismic activity in certain areas. In response to concerns regarding induced seismicity, regulators in some states have imposed, or are considering imposing, additional requirements in the permitting of produced water disposal wells or otherwise to assess any relationship between seismicity and the use of such wells. For example, Oklahoma has issued rules for wastewater disposal wells that impose permitting and operating restrictions and reporting requirements on disposal wells in proximity to faults and also, from time to time, has implemented plans directing certain wells where seismic incidents have occurred to restrict or suspend disposal well operations. In particular, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s well completion seismicity guidelines for operators in the SCOOP and STACK require hydraulic fracturing operations to be suspended following earthquakes of certain magnitudes in the vicinity. In addition, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Oil and Gas Conservation Division has previously issued an order limiting future increases in the volume of oil and natural gas wastewater injected into the ground in an effort to reduce the number of earthquakes in the state. The Texas Railroad Commission ( "TRRC") has adopted similar rules including the indefinite suspension of all deep oil and gas produced water injection wells in certain areas covered by the TRRC’s seismic response program.
Increased regulation of hydraulic fracturing and related activities could subject us and our customers to additional permitting and financial assurance requirements, more stringent construction specifications, increased monitoring, reporting and record keeping obligations, and plugging and abandonment requirements. New requirements could result in increased operational costs for us and our customers, and reduce the demand for our services. For more information on each of these items, see our risk factor titled "Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays."
OSHA Matters. The Occupational Safety and Health Act ( " OSHA " ) and comparable state statutes regulate the protection of the health and safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA hazard communication standard requires that information be maintained about hazardous materials used or produced in operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local government authorities and the public.
Human Capital
Our employees are our key asset. Our primary human capital management objectives are to effectively engage, develop, retain and reward our employees. As of December 31, 2022, we employed approximatel y 2,000 people , none of which are unionized. All of our employees work for or support our Completion Services reportable segment. Our employees are a key component of our ability to attract and retain customers as a result of their operational excellence in the field.
Some examples of significant programs and initiatives that are focused to attract, develop and retain our diverse workforce include:
• Diversity and inclusion. We believe that in order to attract and retain talent with the skill sets and expertise required to maximize our operational efficiencies across all levels in the Company, it is in our best interest to attempt to recruit and develop a diverse team and create a culture that is inclusive and provides equal opportunities for hiring and advancement for all employees and prospective employees. Some examples of this effort include;
◦ a commitment to conducting business in a manner that respects all human rights in compliance within the requirements of applicable laws;
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◦ efforts to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinctions of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions;
◦ working in partnership with personnel, business parties and other parties directly linked to our operations that share our commitment to these same principles;
◦ efforts in our employment practices, including through our code of conduct, our equal employment opportunity employer policy, and our anti-harassment policy; and
◦ to make it possible for grievances regarding health and safety to be addressed early and remediated directly, in confidence and without fear of retaliation; the Company provides an anonymous Ethics and Compliance hotline that is promoted internally and accessible from our intranet and internet.
• Training and Safety. We offer in-depth, role-appropriate safety training upon hiring and as part of the continuous development of our employees. The safety of our employees, our customers, and the communities in which we operate is paramount. We track and evaluate safety incidents at wellsites and offices, and if an accident does occur, we take actions to mitigate similar incidents from reoccurring in the future. The Company incentivizes employees to focus on conducting operations in accordance with our strict safety standards and encourages employees to immediately report any breach of safety protocol. Ten percent of our executive officers’ annual target bonuses under the 2022 annual incentive program were based upon the Company’s achievement of certain safety goals, including a target total recordable incident rate of less than 0.65.
• Professional Development. In 2022, ProPetro launched a leadership training initiative for all positions that are responsible for supervision and oversight of other employees. This effort includes development of 255 frontline and above leadership positions over a seven month period. In 2021, ProPetro introduced a Tuition Reimbursement Program to encourage employees to pursue professional development interests that will help strengthen skills and competencies required for their current position or future roles in the business.
• Health, Wellness and Benefits. Our employee benefit offerings are designed to meet the varied and evolving needs of a diverse workforce across the Company and we believe are consistent with those provided by our peer companies with which we compete for talent. The Company provides employees with the ability to participate in health and welfare plans, including medical, dental, life, accidental death and dismemberment and short-term and long-term disability insurance plans.
We periodically review of our health-related benefits program to ensure that our offerings are market competitive and effectively utilized by employees. Based on our recent review, we made comprehensive adjustments to our health-related benefits programs, which improved the cost and quality of coverage. We significantly increased the number of employee meetings to provide education and encourage individuals to maximize the value of benefits offered, resulting in an overall increase in participation and positive feedback from employees.
In 2022, we implemented improvements to our 401(k) plan with a focus on improving plan structure, allowing for immediate vesting of employer’s contributions, reducing program administration, providing employee education and increasing plan participation. We also implemented an hourly bonus structure in 2022 to provide greater reward and recognition and improve employee retention. For hydraulic fracturing field employees and related field support positions, a performance element was included to drive key operating metrics.
Availability of Filings
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the " Exchange Act " ), are made available free of charge on our internet website at www.propetroservices.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed the material with, or furnished it to, the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains our reports, proxy and information statements and our other SEC filings. The address of that website is www.sec.gov. Please note that information contained on our website, whether currently posted or posted in the future, is not a part of this Annual Report or the documents incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.
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Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.