Among the many presentations, case study discussions, and overall swap of information at the annual SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Conference, held Feb. 6-8 in The Woodlands, Texas, the showcase was the expanded availability of both proven and newly designed technologies targeting the completions market.

Current estimates expect completion expenditures to represent about 50% of overall well cost. Still quite young by oilfield standards, hydraulic fracturing in shale developments has opened a door for many technology companies as they continually develop newer tools and improve on older designs through research and development efforts.

From the show floor, one trait was common – everyone wants to do it better. This improved potential arises from several perspectives. "Doing things better" can imply lower cost, higher efficiency, and relatively less pressure on the natural environment either through safer chemicals, water reuse, or decreased footprint through better designs.

Halliburton stood out with its "Frac of the Future" model. Automation has now entered the pumping operation in a new way. Sand and proppant are necessary elements that often are trucked in and stored in tanks onsite. These take up space. Halliburton has designed what it refers to as "sand castles." Trailers have been designed and outfitted with a hydraulic foot that, once on site, can stand the storage unit on end. By grouping these tanks in a tight, made-to-fit formation, the company hopes to dramatically decrease the footprint of its standard pumping operations.

With so many components and parts to the process, fracturing technology appears to be in bloom. The advantage of having it housed into one conference comes from seeing how these various parts come together to make a whole. The list of new advances made available at the conference is too broad for a single page, but readers will find many of these technologies in the pages of E&P over the next few months. Now held annually, the conference will continue to display the rapidly expanding application of hydraulic fracturing. Without doubt, fracturing has revolutionized the shale industry. While many of the "lessons learned" are from North American operations, this technology is enabling further shale developments abroad. In Argentina, activity is ramping up. Poland has been a frontrunner for European shale, although it is still in the proving stage. Regardless, hydraulic fracturing has increased in prominence. Despite the surrounding controversies, it has found some stability in the shale market. Much like deepwater operations, fracturing will continue to be refined as more operating companies come to depend on its benefits. The more this technology is highlighted, the sooner companies will continue to build on what has already been discovered.

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