Houston Company Offers Agile Rig System
The four-axis design of the ULTRA™ Drilling System allows it to walk in eight directions; the company, Global Energy Services, said it enables natural gas drillers to raise the rig faster and more safely, without using cranes.
A Houston supplier of drilling equipment unveiled a new product earlier this month whose name suggests few improvements could be possible. Global Energy Services' ULTRA™ Drilling System requires no cranes and very little work performed at heights, so raising the rig is faster and safer, according to the company. ULTRA's fast rig walking system, depicted in this animation, means the rig can move without being lowered and can move in eight directions on a four-axis design.
Drilling Contractor magazine -- the magazine of the International Association of Drilling Contractors -- and the Houston Chronicle have published articles about the new product. GES says the ULTRA can be moved 100 miles in roughly 24 truckloads and rig up in less than 48 hours.
GES' HSE policy says all employees of the company have "Stop Work Authority" and are expected to use it. Three beliefs are fundamental to its success and growth, according to the company's Web site:
- Nothing is more important than our employees and their health and safety.
- No one gets hurt.
- Environmental damage is unacceptable.