Baker Hughes’ Hummingbird Oil & Gas Well Cementing Unit: Oilfield Electrification Continues

     Oilfield electrification has been proceeding over the last decade and especially over the last five years. More operators than ever before are using electric pumps for frac jobs, electrified or hybrid drilling rigs, and electrical power management systems for optimizing power usage. I wrote about these in my 2022 book, Natural Gas and Decarbonization. Now, Baker Hughes is the first company to introduce an all-electric land cementing unit, which they call the Hummingbird.

     The Hummingbird unit runs on batteries or can be connected to the local grid. I assume that also means it can be powered by natural gas-powered generator sets, as is common in E-frac operations. It offers pump redundancy, quiet operation, emissions reduction, high reliability, and lower operational cost.

“The Hummingbird combines cement mixing and pumping in a single trailer-mounted unit designed for reliable operation in high-pressure applications. The unit is rated to approximately 1,050 hydraulic horsepower (782 kW) and is equipped with two high-pressure triplex pumps. While actual performance depends on fluid end plunger size selection, the unit is designed for reliable pumping performance at working pressures of up to 12,000 psi (82.7 MPa).”   

     In May 2025, World Oil interviewed Baker Hughes engineer Greg Dean about the new cementing unit. Dean noted that the prototype is finished, function-tested, and headed out into the field. Its first test in the field will be in the Middle East.

     Dean noted the reliability improvements of electric motors vs. diesel hydraulic motors, which can be hard to predict. Electric motors will have less downtime, maintenance requirements, and costs. Performance is expected to meet or exceed hydraulic units. Power usage is about 1 MW. The units run on 440 volts. The sound level is about the level of a lawnmower, versus hydraulic power, which can be as much as a helicopter running at full force. Workers in the field will like that, and it improves safety.

   Right now, with just a prototype, the costs are higher, but as more units are rolled out, the Hummingbird unit is expected to be cost-competitive with diesel-hydraulic units. Operational power costs will be lower. Dean expects field performance review and customer feedback in a matter of weeks. The cement pumps and mixing systems for the Hummingbird unit are the same as for the diesel units. Data can be generated and analyzed, including with AI, to optimize system performance.

  

 

References:

 

Baker Hughes engineer touts debut of new all-electric land cementing unit. World Oil. May 2025. Baker Hughes engineer touts debut of new all-electric land cementing unit  

Hummingbird all-electric land cementing unit. Baker Hughes. Hummingbird all-electric land cementing unit | Baker Hughes

Transform your land operations with the first fully electric-powered cementing unit. Hummingbird all-electric land cementing unit. Baker Hughes. Transform your land operations with the first fully electric-powered cementing unit: Hummingbird all-electric land cementing unit