Frack Together, Win Together: STEP and Sanjel Merge

STEP and Sanjel combine to create one of Canada's largest oilfield services providers, targeting growth in the Montney and Duvernay

7 Apr 2026

Canada's oilfield services sector has a new heavyweight. On March 9, 2026, STEP Energy Services and Sanjel Energy Services completed a landmark merger, creating one of the largest integrated well services providers the country has seen.

The combined company spans a broad range of capabilities: well cementing, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation and completions, and domestic proppant supply. That last piece matters more than it might seem. The deal brings in Wayfinder, a Sanjel subsidiary that runs the Big Molly sand mine and transloading facilities in Alberta, giving the merged entity a vertically integrated supply chain that few Canadian rivals can claim.

The timing is pointed. The Montney and Duvernay formations are pulling in serious capital as producers race to build output ahead of anticipated LNG exports from British Columbia. Those plays demand complex horizontal wells, and that means operators need service partners with scale, deep capability, and a proppant supply they can count on. The newly combined platform is designed to be exactly that.

Leadership from both sides signaled confidence in what comes next. STEP CEO Steve Glanville called the transaction a major milestone for the company's long-term growth. Murray Bickley, Sanjel's former CEO and now President of the merged organization, pledged that clients will see the same safety standards and service quality they are accustomed to, now backed by a wider integrated offering.

All three brands will be retained. Field teams from both companies are staying in place during the integration, a deliberate move to keep service continuity intact while two distinct organizations learn to work as one. Smooth execution of that transition is the central challenge ahead, and management has been explicit about treating it as the top priority.

The merger reflects something larger happening across Western Canada's energy sector. As production accelerates and operators consolidate their vendor relationships around fewer, more capable partners, the market is rewarding scale and integration. STEP and Sanjel have bet on that trend together.