CONTRACTS FOR BIG RIGS, REMOTE WELLS SIGNED

U.S. drilling contractors are taking orders for big rigs and landing contracts for remote wells. Parker Drilling Co., Tulsa, signed a contract for two deep wells in Northwest China's remote Tarim basin. Parker unit Parker Technology Inc. unveiled an all terrain, helicopter transportable rig last week at its Odessa, Tex., rig yard. Parker claims it's the world's biggest helirig.

Feb. 25, 1991

3 min read

U.S. drilling contractors are taking orders for big rigs and landing contracts for remote wells.

Parker Drilling Co., Tulsa, signed a contract for two deep wells in Northwest China's remote Tarim basin.

Parker unit Parker Technology Inc. unveiled an all terrain, helicopter transportable rig last week at its Odessa, Tex., rig yard. Parker claims it's the world's biggest helirig.

Meanwhile, ARCO Oil & Gas Co. signed a letter of intent toward a 3 year contract with Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co., also of Tulsa, for an offshore platform rig capable of moving between platforms without a derrick barge.

H&P also won a three well contract from BG Petrole Gabon SA with extension options to mobilize a land rig from the U.S. to Gabon. H&P has begun a $4 million project to upgrade its 15,000 ft capacity Rig 132. It expects to start drilling in Gabon this May.

CHINA CONTRACT

United Nations Development Program on behalf of China's Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources let contract last week to Parker for two 20,000 ft Tarim basin wells in the Gobi desert region of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

A May 15 spud date is planned for the first well.

Parker will oversee drilling and provide well site engineering and geological services. The U.N. is funding the drilling program, expected to last about 1 year.

Parker also will revamp a Chinese drilling rig and help train 13 Chinese petroleum engineers at its Odessa training facility. It will begin next month teaching the engineers about rig site safety, well control, environmental awareness, drilling fluids design, bit selection, cementing practices, and wellhead equipment design.

BIG HELIRIG

Parker's Rig 228 has a 1.2 million lb static hook load capacity, three 800 hp triplex pumps, and six engines with 4,500 hp total power. Fitted with 5 in. drill pipe, it is rated to 23,500 ft.

The new rig is almost ready for shipment to Myanmar, where it will begin a 2 year program for Amoco Myanmar Petroleum Co.

Safety features include six sets of caliper disc drum brakes, independent rotary table, electric infrared crown protection system, and a 13 5/8 in. BOP stack under its 28 ft high rig floor. The rig's 1,320 bbl mud system includes electronic monitoring, dual cone demanders, and dual mud cleaners.

NOW H&P RIG

The $11 million Rig 108 will make transfers between platforms more economical, said H&P Pres. George S. Dotson. Workers will disassemble the rig into modules of no more than 30 tons, then lower them by platform crane onto a tug barge and float the modules to another platform, where a second crane will hoist it into position.

"The advantage is, it reduces the total cost of mobilization because you don't have that expensive derrick barge standing alongside the platform," Dotson said.

H&P expects the new rig, rated to 18,000 ft, to begin operating in the Gulf of Mexico in October.