WTI (West Texas Intermediate)

A prefabricated, relocatable accommodation facility used to house workers on remote oil & gas or construction sites. Units are shipped and assembled on-site, then dismantled when the project ends. Subcontractors may bill camp costs separately or include them in their overall project pricing.

The assembly of piping, structural, or mechanical components in a controlled shop environment before site installation. Subcontractors often bid prefab scope separately from field installation work. It can reduce on-site labour hours and shorten project schedules.

An existing facility—such as a producing well, pipeline, or plant—being modified, upgraded, or maintained rather than built from scratch. For subcontractors, brownfield work often means tighter workspaces, live equipment hazards, and stricter site access requirements. Scopes can change quickly due to unforeseen conditions uncovered during work.

A multi-well drilling campaign where several wells are drilled from a single surface location. For subcontractors, it means extended continuous work with predictable scheduling across sequential well builds. Expect high mobilisation value but tight coordination between crews and trades.

The horizontal distance drilled from the kickoff point to the end of a wellbore, typically measured in metres. Longer laterals mean more stages, more equipment, and extended crew time on location. Subcontractors should factor lateral length into job costing and resource planning.

The process of defining the boundaries and quantity of an oil, gas, or mineral deposit through appraisal drilling and testing. For subcontractors, it signals a sustained work programme requiring crew, equipment, and logistical planning. Delineation phases often drive multi-month contracts for drilling, completions, and field services.

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.