Permian Basin-focused ProPetro Holding Corp. is giving its exploration customers more of what they want – electric and dual-fuel fleets – as it continues to industrialize its business, CEO Sam Sledge said.

The Midland, TX-based completions expert works across the Lower 48, with most of the exploration and production (E&P) work centered in the Permian. Business conditions are rough in the onshore, with lots of white space on the calendar, but Sledge predicted conditions may improve in the back half of the year.

“I think that the earliest opportunity we could see activity improving is probably the second half of the year,” Sledge said in the quarterly call when asked about conversations with E&P customers. “We’re looking at pretty flattish activity through the year as...