Flex rigs are used to drill for natural gas. For this post, I'll highlight the Helmerich & Payne Flexrig 4 . These custom-built, automated rigs can quickly drill up to 22 wells from the same pad and can access resources 4,000 feet deep. The FlexRig is a prime example of the technology in America’s oil and natural gas industry used to reduce the impact of industry operations in environmentally-sensitive locations.
Williams Energy's FlexRig4 fact sheet contains the following information:
"We’ve worked with Tulsa, Okla.-based Helmerich & Payne to custom design the next generation of drilling rigs – FlexRig4. The rigs are faster, safer and cleaner. They enable us to drill more wells from a single location, allowing us to produce more natural gas from fewer locations and roads.
"We’ve worked with Tulsa, Okla.-based Helmerich & Payne to custom design the next generation of drilling rigs – FlexRig4. The rigs are faster, safer and cleaner. They enable us to drill more wells from a single location, allowing us to produce more natural gas from fewer locations and roads.
Technical Highlights
• Skid system allows rig movement in all directions – north, south, east and west
• The movement flexibility allows up to 22 wells to be drilled from single location without disassembling the rig
• Natural gas production can occur on the same pad where wells are being drilled and completed
• Drilling days per well are significantly reduced Safety Benefits
• Automated features improve safety of handling operations ("No-touch" pipe handling)
• Fewer rig moves reduce exposure of personnel to potential safety hazards
• Fewer workers are required per rig
• Driller controls rig in a protected, climate-controlled atmosphere
Environmental Benefits
• Number of well pads potentially reduced by 75 percent
• Fewer roads result in less vehicle traffic
• Consolidated operations reduce land use
• Surface reclamation occurs more quickly as a result of reduced drilling time
• AC electric rig is quieter, more fuel efficient"
To see this FlexRig 4 in action, watch this wmv video.
• Skid system allows rig movement in all directions – north, south, east and west
• The movement flexibility allows up to 22 wells to be drilled from single location without disassembling the rig
• Natural gas production can occur on the same pad where wells are being drilled and completed
• Drilling days per well are significantly reduced Safety Benefits
• Automated features improve safety of handling operations ("No-touch" pipe handling)
• Fewer rig moves reduce exposure of personnel to potential safety hazards
• Fewer workers are required per rig
• Driller controls rig in a protected, climate-controlled atmosphere
Environmental Benefits
• Number of well pads potentially reduced by 75 percent
• Fewer roads result in less vehicle traffic
• Consolidated operations reduce land use
• Surface reclamation occurs more quickly as a result of reduced drilling time
• AC electric rig is quieter, more fuel efficient"
To see this FlexRig 4 in action, watch this wmv video.
More information and specifications on other types of rigs can be found on RigZone.
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