| | JANUARY 20268IN MY OPINIONBy Jeremy Angelle, VP of Well Construction, Expro [NYSE: XPRO]BackgroundThe drilling sector of the oil and gas industry has historically lagged behind other batch and process industries, such as automotive and pharmaceutical industries, in terms of adopting new technologies. A driving force that has resulted in a slower rate of technology adoption has been a risk-adverse culture where a high percentage of technologies introduced focused on new frontier applications as opposed to process efficiency. However, industry trends such as the cyclic nature of commodity pricing are forcing the industry to become more cost-effective in constructing oil and gas wells such that the industry can remain profitable and attractive to investors. Introducing new technology can be informative and exciting, but it must provide value. Operations on drilling rig floors often involve the repetitive nature of installing various types of tubulars into and out of the well, which would seem intuitive to automate to lower costs and reduce personnel. However, the investment versus return and actual results can often fall short, preventing automation from being commercialized. Quantifying the Value Proposition To help identify what is commercially viable to automate in drill floor operations, specifically tubular handling and installations, a model can be created that contains four core tenets. The model depends on two main parameters: the well architecture and the drilling rig type and design. The well design will have various parameters such as depth, water depth formations, and trajectories that will drive tubular string design and rig type and ultimately affect what is achievable in various levels of automation. The rig type will depend on the market segment, land, jackup, and floater. It can contain various design aspects and systems, such as dual rotaries and derricks, pipe racking systems, and existing master control systems for various pieces of machinery. IDENTIFYING THE VALUE IN AUTOMATING THE DRILL FLOORJeremy Angelle
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