Calfrac Well Services Ltd. is a leading independent provider of specialized oilfield services in Canada, the United States, Russia, Mexico and Argentina, including fracturing, coiled tubing, cementing and other well stimulation services, which are designed to increase the production of hydrocarbons from wells.  Our operations are focused on continuing to maintain a leadership position in this dynamic market through an expanding geographic network, increased operating fleet and rapidly growing customer base. 

The principal focus of Calfrac’s business is the provision of hydraulic fracturing services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies.  The objective of hydraulic fracturing is to increase the conductivity of an oil or natural gas zone within a reservoir to the wellbore, thus increasing the flow of hydrocarbons, allowing a greater proportion of hydrocarbons to be extracted or produced from that zone.  Calfrac provides both conventional hydraulic fracturing (Coalbed Methane) and unconventional fracturing to produce natural gas found in coal, also known as CBM fracturing.  Deep fracturing is a technically and operationally challenging segment of the fracturing market that is currently experiencing strong growth worldwide. 

Calfrac has become a leading service provider in the deeper, more technical areas of Western Canada, the United States, Russia and Mexico by offering innovative equipment, technology solutions and highly trained personnel to execute these difficult projects. 

Conventional Hydraulic Fracturing Services

Conventional hydraulic fracturing is achieved by pumping a viscous fluid with suspended proppant (grains of quartz sand or ceramic material) through the wellbore and into the reservoir zone being stimulated.  The pumping pressure causes the zone to fracture and accept the fluid and proppant.  The fluid is designed to subsequently break, or lose viscosity, and be driven out of the reservoir zone by its pressure, leaving the proppant suspended in the fracture.
A considerable amount of technology is incorporated into the design of the fracturing fluid, which normally consists of proprietary chemicals that are combined with a base fluid.  The final fluid can be gelled, emulsified or foamed and can be preceded by acid. 

Most fluids are energized by the introduction of liquid carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas.  In addition to the complex chemical technology used for making the fracturing fluid, fracturing involves considerable engineering knowledge and experience to design the fracturing process to maximize the performance of the well.  Each fracture is individually designed to take account of the specific temperatures, pressures, formation permeability and reservoir fluids expected in the producing zone in which fracturing will be performed.  Our engineering staff provides technical evaluation and job design recommendations as an integral element of its fracturing service to the customer.

Hydraulic fracturing services involve the use of sophisticated equipment specifically designed and constructed for hydraulic fracturing.  A complement or "spread" of equipment required to perform a conventional hydraulic fracturing job normally consists of the following:

• a blender to blend chemicals, base fluid and proppant into specific mixes of fracturing fluids;
• one or more high horsepower fracturing pumpers, with the number dependent upon the pumping pressure and rate required for the fracture;
• Calfrac has combined the blender, pumper, data van and iron truck into a unique fracturing unit designed for fracturing through coiled tubing and fracturing with foam operations;
• a chemical additive unit to hold and deliver each chemical in controllable quantities in order to blend the fracturing fluid;
• Calfrac sometimes incorporates this unit into its blenders to increase efficiency and reduce the "footprint" of the spread at a particular well location;
• an iron truck or trailer used for transporting and rigging up the high-pressure lines or "iron" that connect the various components of the fracture spread and wellhead;
• a computer van equipped with monitoring, data recording, satellite communication and remote pumper controls to monitor and control the treatment and also record the data related to each phase of the fracture;
• one or more pumpers to pump the energizer (carbon dioxide or nitrogen); and various equipment to transport, store and deliver the proppant and energizer.