Walking tall: Pad drilling prompts rig design evolution

摘要

Self-moving rigs are becoming the standard as the domestic fleet undergoes a multiyear replacement cycle. To walk or skid? The question is of growing interest as the oil and gas industry transitions rapidly to pad drilling and batch completions. Pad drilling has grown from less than 20% of horizontal wells in 4Q 2012 to more than 60% of horizontal wells as 2014 gets under way. Hart Energy surveyed manufacturers of mobility systems to assess market penetration of pad-capable rigs with self-moving packages. Survey results suggested that nearly 40% of the domestic land fleet will have either a walking or skid system by year-end 2014.