Two drilling contractors have agreed to send six more heavy rigs from the U.S. to Colombia.
They will work for a group led by BP Exploration Co. (Colombia) Ltd., which is mounting an aggressive appraisal drilling program in Cusiana oil field in the Llanos foothills about 100 miles northeast of Bogota (OGJ, Jan. 20, p. 68).
Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co., Tulsa, received letters of intent from BP to furnish four more heavy rigs under 3 year contracts with operations to start during next Mar. 1-May 1. They will join H&P's Rig 125, which is a heavy rig drilling for BP at present, and three 18,000 ft capacity helicopter rigs in Colombia.
In addition, Parker Drilling Co., also of Tulsa, signed 3 year contracts covering two more rigs to work for BP.
BP also extended contracts for two Parker rigs working in the Cusiana area. One of them drilled BP's Cusiana discovery.
H&P RIGS
The first new H&P rig, Rig 133, was being loaded on board a ship in Houston for transport to Colombia. H&P's five rigs committed to BP are rated to 30,000 ft.
Each rig is equipped with the latest drilling machinery, including top drives, with accommodation camps for 130 men.
Modifying, equipping, and testing the rigs are expected to cost $7 million/rig.
Elsewhere, a new H&P platform rig, Rig 108, began operations last month under a 3 year contract with ARCO Oil & Gas Co. in the Gulf of Mexico. The $11 million rig has an H&P design that enables the 18,000 ft capacity unit to assist in moving itself between platforms.
With the addition of the four rigs in Colombia, H&P's international operations will own and operate 29 rigs in seven countries. Including the new Rig 108, H&P also operates nine offshore platform rigs and 35 land rigs in the U.S.
PARKER RIGS
Two Parker rigs, OIME E3000 all electric models rated to 30,000 ft, are being modified with the latest design top drive drilling systems, primary power packages providing 4,800 available hp. Parker said the rigs will carry the latest design features to provide optimum drilling performance, along with "the highest safety and environmental quality standards."
Hydraulics on each rig will be generated by three 1,600 hp pumps. The refitting work is being carried out at Parker Technology Inc., Parker Drilling's manufacturing and rig service center in Odessa, Tex.
The first rig is expected to be shipped from Odessa early in February, with spudding to take place in mid-March. The second rig will follow in about 30 days.
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