In China's Sichuan Province, top decision-makers and deep drilling experts from the Chinese oil and gas industry today celebrated the formation of the >>Sichuan Herrenknecht Bomco Hydraulic Rig Co., Ltd.<< (HBS) joint venture. The new joint venture is the basis for a long-term innovation partnership between the German deep drilling rig manufacturer >>Herrenknecht Vertical GmbH<<, the Chinese CNPC subsidiary >>China Baoji Oilfield Machinery Co., Ltd.<< and the >>Sichuan Jingshi Engineering Technology Co., Ltd.<< The common goal of the three partners is the further development of project-optimized and custom-designed oil and gas drilling technology for the Chinese market.
On June 10, 2015 in Suining (Sichuan Province), high-ranking guests from politics and top decision-makers and experts from the Chinese drilling industry were given an initial overview of the activities and future plans of the newly founded joint venture >>Sichuan Herrenknecht Bomco Hydraulic Rig Co., Ltd.<< (HBS). During the official opening ceremony representatives of the three cooperating companies Herrenknecht Vertical GmbH, China Baoji Oilfield Machinery Co., Ltd. (BOMCO) and Sichuan Jingshi Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. explained the market and innovation goals of the Sino-German partnership. The focus is on the further development of advanced deep drilling technology for the exploration of oil and gas deposits in China. Maximum productivity, highest safety standards and the reliability of drilling technology are to be progressed together, as all joint venture partners stressed.
During the opening ceremony in the joint venture's workshop built last year, the technical aspects of the special deep drilling rig >>Innovative Hydraulic Rig<< of the type Terra Invader 350 were presented to the guests in more detail. This first rig with a hook load of 350 tonnes is being used by the >>Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited<<, a subsidiary of China's largest oil and gas producer >>China National Petroleum Corporation<< (CNPC), to explore fossil energy resources. German-based Herrenknecht Vertical GmbH developed and built the rig in cooperation with the Chinese drillling company >>Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited<<. It features a variety of functional innovations to increase productivity, work safety and reliability. The >>Innovative Hydraulic Rig<< is the first rig of its kind in the Asian market and will initially create a total of six deep wells in southern Sichuan. A video presentation with detailed explanation of the rig's technical features impressed the industry experts and guests at the opening ceremony.
The ultra-modern rig was assembled and commissioned in the past few months in close cooperation between the Sino-German team of experts. Theoretical and practical application requirements were ideally met and integrated into the subsequent drilling process. Currently the crews are successfully drilling the first borehole together with a total depth of 5,160 meters.
In comparison to conventional drilling systems, innovative features of the Herrenknecht Vertical rig offer a number of technical advantages and excellent drilling characteristics. A key new feature is the so-called "X-Y-Stepping" system. Hydraulic cylinder supports can raise the entire deep drilling rig and move it several meters. The rig operator can drill several boreholes on so-called multi-well pads. Time-consuming and costly rig-down and rig-up procedures are eliminated, the ecological footprint is minimized. The hydraulic pipe handling offers further advantages. Drill strings and casing are guided from pad to drill hole in a highly automated way. This increases work safety enormously during the entire drilling process because there is no need for personnel to stay in this danger area. The operator of the innovative rig controls all key working and production steps from the cabin on the rig floor. This central control contributes to a safer and highly coordinated drilling process. The rig operator can see all processes in real time on the cockpit displays. Data are recorded for later evaluation and provide the basis for constant project monitoring and optimization.
With the positive experiences in Weiyuan and the founding of the Sino-German joint venture >>Sichuan Herrenknecht Bomco Hydraulic Rig Co., Ltd.<< a decisive basis for developing the market has been achieved. The joint venture now established will push forward the sales and production of further >>Innovative Hydraulic Rigs<< in the Chinese market. In the coming years, drilling and energy companies will be actively supported with innovative technology and services so they can explore deep lying resources such as oil, gas or geothermal energy in China with maximum safety and productivity. The aim here is to achieve major lasting benefits for both the company and for social development.
