From left, Andy Churchill, CEO of Churchill Drilling Tools, and Toolserv’s Managing Director, Christian Berven (photo: Churchill Drilling Tools)

Churchill Drilling Tools, a global oilfield service company specialising in drilling innovation, and its Norwegian distributor, ToolServ, are celebrating a 5-year partnership which has helped oil and gas operators in the Norwegian sector improve their drill programs.

Both companies have reported growing demand for Churchill’s range of high performance tools, which operate in the drill string and are designed to enable operators to drill faster and more efficiently at low risk. The number of Churchill tools deployed in the Norwegian sector is expected to hit record levels by the end of 2017, growth of more than 100% on 2014 and a 30% rise on 2016.

An important milestone was achieved earlier this year when a major operator deployed four of Churchill’s tools in the Norwegian sector – it marked the first time that four of Churchill’s tools had been deployed on one drilling program in the Norwegian sector. The tools enabled the operator to cut its operational hours by around 10% in a 3,100 foot long, 9-1/2-inch horizontal section.

The client was impressed with the performance of the products and the level of service that the Churchill-ToolServ partnership provided its drill program and is now deploying Churchill tools across its operations.

Talking about the partnership with ToolServ, Andy Churchill, CEO of Churchill Drilling Tools, says, “It’s a partnership that suits both parties and has realised some exceptional results. We manufacture our tools in Aberdeen, the US and the Middle East, but to give us a truly global reach we have in place a number of distributor partnerships, including in Italy, Kurdistan, Australia and through ToolServ in Norway.”

“I’m proud that with ToolServ we have enabled operators in the Norwegian Sector to drill faster and more efficiently at low risk. Demand for our tools in the sector continues to grow, which is testament to the strength of the partnership, the quality of our tools and the talent of our workforce,” Churchill adds.

Toolserv’s Managing Director, Christian Berven, says, “The foundations of our success at ToolServ have been built on the trust we have developed with our customers, our experience and our customer focused approach. Our partnership with Churchill Drilling Tools is therefore a very natural one, given the quality, reliability and success of its products.”

He adds, “We were particularly pleased to see a major operator deploy four Churchill tools on the same section earlier this year. It was a first for us, and is a good demonstration of how the tools complement one another to improve drilling performance.”

The team worked closely with the operator from the outset, reviewing its drilling plan. Hole cleaning was a major issue while stuck pipe was identified as a substantial risk in an operation that presented significant technical challenges. The operator also wanted to reduce the time spent top filling the string when Running In Hole.

Hole cleaning was the most concerning risk due to an unstable formation. To mitigate the risk Churchill recommended its DAV MX™ CircSub, a dart activated valve which is the most reliable tool on the market and is significantly quicker and easier to activate than using traditional ball activated devices.

The company also recommended the introduction of three further tools: Its HyPR™ Hole Saver, the quickest and most cost-effective means of cutting pipe; the Drift Catcher to verify a clear pipe without having to drop objects from the derrick; and the TopJet™ which enabled the operator to speed up top filling.

The operator agreed with Churchill’s proposal and the tools were dispatched via ToolServ.

A clear pipe was verified by the Drift Catcher, deployed on completion of the 9-1/2-inch section, saving the client around ten minutes per 1,000 feet of hole, around a 50% time saving. When deployed the Top Jet also enables operators to speed up top filling by around 50%. The operator didn’t encounter any instances of Stuck Pipe, despite the risk, and so the HyPR Hole Saver remained dormant in the drill string.

Overall Churchill’s tools enabled the operator to cut operational hours by 10% in the 9-1/2-inch section. Following completion of the drilling program, Churchill’s tools are now standard additions to the client’s BHAs across its drilling operations.

Tags: Churchill Drilling Tools, ToolServ