XTO drills Permian well with world’s first fully automated land rig

XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corp., drilled a horizontal well in the Permian basin using Nabors PACE-R801 fully automated land rig. The rig is contracted to drill three horizontal wells on a test pad in Midland County, Tex.

The rig is the world’s first fully automated land rig and combines automated drilling software from Nabors with Canrig robotics to create an unmanned rig floor that removes crews from red zone areas, Nabors said in a release Oct. 7. The first well was drilled to a total measured depth of 19,917 ft.

Crew size on the automated rig is like other Nabors rigs but the duties change, the service provider said. One driller is required to supervise the operations of the rig while others continue to perform essential tasks, such as service, maintenance, inspections, and rig moves.