Introducing standards could increase the value added by mechanization technologies

Implementing mechanization on drilling rigs has made many processes, like pipe handling and casing running, much more efficient. However, the casing running process has been mechanized in silos, where each individual step is mechanized, but not the entire process, Scott McIntire, Research and Development Manager at Weatherford, said at the IADC Drilling Engineers Committee’s Tech Forum, held on 9 November in Houston. Standardizing mechanization equipment for casing running could allow the industry to mechanize the entire process, rather than individual steps, which would increase the value mechanization provides, he added.