Geosteering

The prime contractor hired by an owner to manage a project, responsible for awarding and overseeing subcontracts. As a sub, your contract, invoicing, and site access typically flow through the GC. They control your payment terms and schedule, making them your primary business relationship on site.

Contracting arrangements beyond traditional lump-sum or day-rate structures, such as alliance, integrated project delivery, or performance-based contracts. These models shift how subcontractors are engaged, paid, and held accountable for outcomes. Understanding them helps field service firms assess risk, pricing strategy, and scope responsibilities before signing.

A filtration process that uses semi-permeable membranes to separate gases or liquids by molecular size or pressure. Common in natural gas processing and produced water treatment on field sites. Subcontractors may install, inspect, or maintain membrane units as part of facility service scopes.

A well stimulation service involving the high-pressure injection of fluids — such as fracturing fluid, cement, or acid — into a wellbore to improve production or complete the well; for subcontractors, it represents a specialised, equipment-intensive scope of work that typically requires certified operators, dedicated pump trucks, and close coordination with the primary operator on site.

A mobile offshore drilling rig with retractable legs that jack down to the seabed, elevating the platform above water. Subcontractors mobilising to a jackup must account for offshore certification, marine logistics, and platform-specific access requirements.

An ultrasonic weld inspection method used to detect and size internal flaws in pipelines and pressure vessels. Subcontractors performing NDT work must hold TOFD-specific certifications to qualify for this scope. It is widely accepted by regulators as an alternative to radiographic testing.

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.

How 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.

What 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.