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transfieldservices.comTHE TRANSFIELD SERVICES BUSINESS MAGAZINE11reducing manual handling requirements. Thissignificantly improved the safety of crews operatingthe rigs,” says Darren.Outside the industry, most people wouldn’t realisewells need to be serviced, just like any technicallycomplex system. In fact periodic servicing can bevital to keeping an existing oil or gas well, mine ordam maintained or in production.Australia’s minerals and resources industry tendsto be more tightly regulated, licenced and safetycontrolled than many overseas markets. Even so, inany drilling or well servicing operation there is stillpotential for serious injury when crews are handlingheavy sections of tubular drill stem, in a highmechanised environment, that can be slippery withdrilling fluid.Easternwell’s Advantage rigs have a proprietaryautomated pipe-handling system - this technologysignificantly reduces manual handling of tubulars.It also eliminates the significant hazard of crewshaving to work at heights in the rig mast duringoperations such as tripping, where the drill stem islifted out of, or re-inserted into the wellbore.“The automation of previously manual tasks suchas handling pipe and setting up walk ways meansour crews are not at risk of hand and finger injuriesthat typically come with these types of tasks,” saysDarren.He points out that the Advantage Service rigs arealso able to operate quickly with significantly moreefficient rig up and rig down processes through useof hydraulics and automation technology.“The machine control interface on our rigs is alsovery advanced; we’re able to offer clients servicesFAST FACTSAdvantage Service rigsare the most widelyused service rig inAustralia.Easternwell introducedthe first automated pipehandler to services rigsin Australia.The Advantage Drillershave proven ability todrill CSG wells in < 3days. Advantage Seriesrigs have a lifespan ofapproximately 20 years.such as wireless monitoring of drilling data asstandard. We’re significantly more mobile thanconventional rigs of similar capacity to enable easeof movement on Australian outback roads. And theAdvantage rigs have the ability to operate within asmall environmental footprint that’s compliant toAustralian regulation and standards.”“Easternwell is the original equipment manufacturerfor much of our equipment. Our in-houseengineering and manufacturing capabilities allowsus to make improvements to the rig design to betterservice our client’s needs.”Major clients nationwide have embraced the homegrowntechnology.Easternwell now has 17 Advantage Servicesrigs used for well completion and repair andmaintenance operating in Queensland’s Surat andCooper Basins, and Barrow Island off the WestAustralian Coast for QGC, Santos and Chevron.BIGGER BROTHERThe mobile Advantage Service rig also has a biggerhome-grown brother, the Advantage Driller – firstintroduced in 2008. Significantly larger and morecomplex than the smaller Advantage servicing rigs,the Company has three Advantage Drillers operatingin the Surat Basin for Santos.At a time when lack of disruption and minimalenvironmental footprint are key concerns, theAdvantage drillers offer a high capacity rig in arelatively small package. “Few other rig designsoffer the similar hoisting, pump and pipe handlingcapacity in such a small footprint, ”says Darren.Unlike similar capacity mechanical and hydraulicrigs, the Advantage Drillers use state of the artelectric motors providing direct control of torqueon demand, governed by latest computerisedcontrol systems and instrumentation. They are alsosignificantly more fuel efficient than competingtechnologies.One of the most compelling features of theseadvanced rigs however, is the speed atwhich they are able to operate.“The Advantage Drillers areconsistently drilling CSG wellsin less than three days. Werecently drilled a well forSantos including rig up andrig down in 44 hours. Fiveyears ago the same well would have taken seven– 14 days,” says Darren.When combined with parent company TransfieldServices maintenance and overhaul muscle,Easternwell’s market leading technology offersresources and minerals clients a value andcompetitive proposition that is hard to equal.Shelley Grofski is Group Marketing and CommunicationsManager, Easternwell and David Jamieson is TransfieldServices Group General Manager, Media and Communications.