The phase of oil and gas well development after drilling is finished, encompassing the work required to prepare a well for production — including perforating, fracturing, and installing wellhead equipment. For subcontractors, completions represent a concentrated burst of high-demand field work where specialised crews, equipment, and services are mobilised under tight timelines.
Completions
Related Terms
ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas)
IndustryThe grid operator managing Texas's independent power network, separate from national grids. Subcontractors working Texas energy projects must understand ERCOT rules govern power availability and outages. Grid instability events like Winter Storm Uri directly impact field site operations and project timelines.
AFE (Authorization for Expenditure)
IndustryA budgeting document used in oil and gas projects that outlines expected costs and seeks approval before work begins. Subcontractors often work under AFEs issued by operators.
SWD (Saltwater Disposal)
IndustryThe process of injecting produced water from oil and gas operations into approved underground formations. Subcontractors may operate or service SWD facilities, including pump maintenance, wellbore work, and fluid hauling. Understanding SWD volumes and schedules helps crews plan trucking, pit management, and injection equipment needs.
ERCIP (Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program)
IndustryA U.S. Department of Defense funding programme for energy resilience projects on military installations. Subcontractors often access this work through prime contractors on federally funded construction or energy retrofit scopes. Understanding ERCIP helps field service firms identify bid opportunities in government energy infrastructure.
Ngl (natural Gas Liquid) Fractionator
IndustryA processing facility that separates mixed natural gas liquids into individual products like propane, butane, and ethane. Subcontractors often work these sites for maintenance, turnarounds, and equipment servicing. Fractionators operate continuously, so field crews should expect shift-based schedules and strict hot-work permitting.
Subsea Production System
IndustryA network of underwater equipment — including wellheads, manifolds, flowlines, and control systems — installed on the seabed to extract and transport oil or gas to a surface facility, representing a specialised scope of subsea installation, inspection, and maintenance work that subcontractors must hold specific certifications and equipment to perform. For field service companies, contracts in this space typically involve saturation diving support, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations, or subsea engineering services under strict offshore safety and quality regimes.
Latest Industry News
Mi4's RigReports Brings Drilling, Completions and Workover Data onto One Platform
Mi4's cloud-based RigReports application centralizes daily drilling reports, completions, workover and facility job data in a single platform, aiming to cut administrative overhead for operators.
2 months ago IndustryFreshet Systems Launches 30,000 m³ Modular Frac Water Storage Tank Targeting Modern Completions Scale
Alberta startup Freshet Systems has introduced a modular above-ground water storage system capable of 20,000 to 50,000 m³, designed to bridge the gap between small temporary tanks and costly permanent reservoirs in hydraulic fracturing operations.
10 days ago IndustryRecord-Low DUC Backlog Signals New Drilling, Not Completions, Will Drive Shale Output
U.S. shale producers are sitting on a record-low inventory of drilled-but-uncompleted wells, limiting their ability to quickly ramp output as exports and refinery demand surge.
19 days ago IndustryTalos Energy advances Gulf of Mexico drilling with new well completions and appraisal plans
Talos Energy drilled the CPN well in Q1 2026 with production expected in H2 2026, while planning a Daenerys appraisal well for Q2 2026 in the US Gulf of Mexico.
3 months agoRelated Guides
How Operator Mergers and Acquisitions Affect Your Subcontract Agreements
When operators merge, get acquired, or sell assets, subcontractor agreements are caught in the middle. Learn how M&A activity affects your MSA, payment terms, vendor status, and what to do before, during, and after a deal closes.
Industry GuideHow Rig Count Trends Affect Subcontractor Demand and What to Do About It
Rig counts are the earliest signal of where field service work is heading. Learn how to read drilling activity trends, anticipate demand shifts, and position your crew before the phone stops ringing.
Industry GuideWhat Is an AFE in Oil and Gas and How Does It Affect Subcontractor Payments?
An AFE (Authorization for Expenditure) controls every dollar spent on an oilfield project. Learn how it affects your billing, change orders, and cash flow as a subcontractor.
Stay sharp on field operations
Industry news and insights, delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe to FieldNews