Cactus has its ducks in a row out in the Cana Field of the of the
All lined up in the C
actus has its ducks in a row out in the Cana Field of the
Cana Field
of the Woodford Shale
Formation — almost literally. The gas is plentiful, and the lease agreements are bunched together. So, even though you don’t often see such a sight, it’s little wonder that you can drive a short distance north of Calumet, Oklahoma, and see six Cactus rigs aligned almost in a perfect row. These Rocket Rigs™ are taking care of business, too. They move from pad to pad quickly and are even running on natural gas instead of diesel, which reduces cost and increases profits for the customer, Cimarex Energy. And there is much more to come for this group of rigs. (Story continued on Page 6)
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This is the largest number of rigs I’ve seen lined up like this. . . . We can walk these things almost endlessly. These Cactus Rocket Rigs are impressive. It’s like a kid pulling a wagon.” NATHAN ATCHLEY 148 RIG MANAGER
“This is the second well we’ve done like this. The savings are really almost off the charts,” Atchley said. “They (Cimarex) are probably seeing somewhere around $250,000 to $300,000 in savings per well. It’s pretty awesome.” The crews are the key to making sure the Rocket Rigs™ operate at peak efficiency.
Lease roads often have a sign that points to a rig. Seldom does an intersection need as many as this one. And these point to just four of the six rigs Cactus has in this spot of the Woodford Shale.
The Woodford Shale is not a new discovery. Drilling has become feasible over the past several years, however, because of advances in techniques and technology. Consequently, activity in the Cana-Woodford Shale has heated up, and Cactus Drilling is right in the thick of it. Nowhere is this more evident than an area northwest of Oklahoma City. Just up the road from Calumet, Cactus Rigs 112, 131, 142, 144, 147 and 148 are running full steam almost side by side.
“We have an outstanding group of guys,” Atchley said. “It’s like a second home. We look out for one another. For us, it’s a matter of how to keep your rig running. Work hard and work fast. You don’t want to be the last one out. The guys take an unreal amount of pride in their work.” move back to the first pad and initiate the next phase of drilling there.
The rigs on this site are comparable in construction, so they can collaborate on parts for repairs, too.
“We can walk these things almost endlessly,” he said. “These Cactus Rocket Rigs are impressive. It’s like a kid pulling a wagon. We can move it to the next pad, change and when we finish Well No. 2, then walk back and finish Well No. 1. The moves depend on the hole condition, but they’re very impressive.”
The momentum in Cana-Woodford should continue. It is gas-rich. Atchley said most of the rigs are drilling is condensed gas on this site and that there are also plans to develop an area about five to seven miles northeast.
“This is the largest number of rigs I’ve seen lined up like this,” Atchley said.
Well placement is critical, too. With older technology, well pads were closer together. With today’s modern horizontal drilling techniques, the wells are spaced out about 800 feet apart. Atchley said it takes about 70 to 80 days for a rig to finish both wells it is working on. The rigs in this area will become more spaced out as Cactus and Cimarex analyze where to plan and drill future wells.
Cactus is up for the job in large part because of the capabilities of its Rocket Rigs™. They are not only workhorses, but when it comes to skidding they are fast.
The companies are also taking a fresh look at rig operations. Each Cactus rig is running a different mud system in order to compare which is most effective.
Atchley said crews drill these wells in partials. They’ll start on one pad, then walk the rig over to Well No. 2 to repeat the initial phase on that pad. Then they can
Also, Cactus rigs are experiencing success using natural gas for their generators. This technique reduces diesel consumption by half, burns cleaner and saves money.
Nathan Atchley, rig manager for 148, said the rigs are working for Cimarex Energy. They are bunched up and drilling multiple wells to secure drilling rights to leases.
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“This is the biggest drilling field in the area,” he said. “We have enough work to do here to keep us busy over a minimum of the next two years. We’ve got years of work to do as long as gas prices are high enough.”
Rig 148 Manager Nathan Atchley
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actus has its ducks in a row out in the Cana Field of the
Cana Field
of the Woodford Shale
Formation — almost literally. The gas is plentiful, and the lease agreements are bunched together. So, even though you don’t often see such a sight, it’s little wonder that you can drive a short distance north of Calumet, Oklahoma, and see six Cactus rigs aligned almost in a perfect row. These Rocket Rigs™ are taking care of business, too. They move from pad to pad quickly and are even running on natural gas instead of diesel, which reduces cost and increases profits for the customer, Cimarex Energy. And there is much more to come for this group of rigs. (Story continued on Page 6)
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This is the largest number of rigs I’ve seen lined up like this. . . . We can walk these things almost endlessly. These Cactus Rocket Rigs are impressive. It’s like a kid pulling a wagon.” NATHAN ATCHLEY 148 RIG MANAGER
“This is the second well we’ve done like this. The savings are really almost off the charts,” Atchley said. “They (Cimarex) are probably seeing somewhere around $250,000 to $300,000 in savings per well. It’s pretty awesome.” The crews are the key to making sure the Rocket Rigs™ operate at peak efficiency.
Lease roads often have a sign that points to a rig. Seldom does an intersection need as many as this one. And these point to just four of the six rigs Cactus has in this spot of the Woodford Shale.
The Woodford Shale is not a new discovery. Drilling has become feasible over the past several years, however, because of advances in techniques and technology. Consequently, activity in the Cana-Woodford Shale has heated up, and Cactus Drilling is right in the thick of it. Nowhere is this more evident than an area northwest of Oklahoma City. Just up the road from Calumet, Cactus Rigs 112, 131, 142, 144, 147 and 148 are running full steam almost side by side.
“We have an outstanding group of guys,” Atchley said. “It’s like a second home. We look out for one another. For us, it’s a matter of how to keep your rig running. Work hard and work fast. You don’t want to be the last one out. The guys take an unreal amount of pride in their work.” move back to the first pad and initiate the next phase of drilling there.
The rigs on this site are comparable in construction, so they can collaborate on parts for repairs, too.
“We can walk these things almost endlessly,” he said. “These Cactus Rocket Rigs are impressive. It’s like a kid pulling a wagon. We can move it to the next pad, change and when we finish Well No. 2, then walk back and finish Well No. 1. The moves depend on the hole condition, but they’re very impressive.”
The momentum in Cana-Woodford should continue. It is gas-rich. Atchley said most of the rigs are drilling is condensed gas on this site and that there are also plans to develop an area about five to seven miles northeast.
“This is the largest number of rigs I’ve seen lined up like this,” Atchley said.
Well placement is critical, too. With older technology, well pads were closer together. With today’s modern horizontal drilling techniques, the wells are spaced out about 800 feet apart. Atchley said it takes about 70 to 80 days for a rig to finish both wells it is working on. The rigs in this area will become more spaced out as Cactus and Cimarex analyze where to plan and drill future wells.
Cactus is up for the job in large part because of the capabilities of its Rocket Rigs™. They are not only workhorses, but when it comes to skidding they are fast.
The companies are also taking a fresh look at rig operations. Each Cactus rig is running a different mud system in order to compare which is most effective.
Atchley said crews drill these wells in partials. They’ll start on one pad, then walk the rig over to Well No. 2 to repeat the initial phase on that pad. Then they can
Also, Cactus rigs are experiencing success using natural gas for their generators. This technique reduces diesel consumption by half, burns cleaner and saves money.
Nathan Atchley, rig manager for 148, said the rigs are working for Cimarex Energy. They are bunched up and drilling multiple wells to secure drilling rights to leases.
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“This is the biggest drilling field in the area,” he said. “We have enough work to do here to keep us busy over a minimum of the next two years. We’ve got years of work to do as long as gas prices are high enough.”
Rig 148 Manager Nathan Atchley
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