Tyler Rice on Linear Pressure, Continuous Pumping & Remote Ops | Ep 125
From The Energy Pipeline by Josh Lowrey
April 1, 2026 · 41 min
About this episode
Josh Lowrey interviews Tyler Rice about the evolution of frac operations and the impact of linear pressure systems.
Recorded live in Houston, Josh Lowrey sits down with Tyler Rice, Pressure Control Sales Manager at Caterpillar SPM, to break down how frac operations are evolving. They cover the shift from labor-heavy sites to linear pressure systems that cut connections by 80%+, improve safety, and reduce rig-up time from days to hours. Tyler also dives into post-2020 efficiency gains, continuous pumping, cost improvements, and what’s slowing adoption in some regions. 01:17 Colorado Talk and Mountain Adventures 02:49 Moving to Midland During the Downturn 05:26 Breaking Into Oil and Gas in 2006 07:23 From Field Hand to Commercial Role 08:22 Surviving 2020 and the Tech Shift 10:47 Caterpillar Innovation and Long View 12:37 Linear Pressure Control Explained 17:18 Safety Efficiency and Better Jobs 19:38 Customer Value Pitch 20:22 Simul Frac Scaling Up 21:22 Field Experience Matters 22:40 Automation Before AI 24:13 Perpetual Pumping Plan 26:51 Permian Economics Proof 27:51 Regional Adoption Curve 29:15 Global Tech Rollout 31:33 Safety And Clean Ops 34:34 Remote Controlled Future 38:58 Wrap Up And Where To Find
People in this episode
Host: Josh Lowrey
Guest: Tyler Rice
Topics covered
- frac operations
- linear pressure systems
- continuous pumping
- safety improvements
- efficiency gains
- remote operations
- oil and gas industry
Keywords
- frac operations
- linear pressure
- continuous pumping
- safety
- efficiency
- Caterpillar
- oil and gas
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Caterpillar SPM
Places: Colorado, Midland, Permian, Houston
More episodes of The Energy Pipeline
- Molly Determan and Tim Tarpley on The Energy Challenge Behind the AI Boom | Ep. 131 · June 10, 2026 · 53 min
- Dallas McCauley & Nathan Getschel on Natural Gas-Powered Frac Operations | Ep. 130 · May 13, 2026 · 38 min
- Matt Rayson on Autonomy & Digital Oilfield Solutions | Ep. 129 · May 6, 2026 · 45 min
- Chris Combs on AI Power & Grid Constraints | Ep. 128 · April 22, 2026 · 1h 1m
- Chris Berrie on Powering AI & Behind-the-Meter Energy | Ep. 127 · April 15, 2026 · 32 min
- Karen Harbert on Natural Gas, AI Demand, and the Future of Energy | Ep 126 · April 8, 2026 · 40 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Energy Pipeline podcast page.