Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Betts Drilling rig 2 west of Lampman in 2023. File photo
CARNDUFF – Here’s some good news to kick off this week’s oil show: If you’re in the oilfield services business, an empty yard makes for happy management, as that usually indicates everything is out in the field.
Driving past the Betts Drilling yard east of Carnduff on Friday, May 29, something important was notable in their absence: there were no rigs in the yard. All four of the Betts rigs were out, making hole.
For May, that’s pretty unusual, according to Bob Betts, general manager. “We’ve never had all our rigs out in May ever before at once. Usually we might get one out in May and the rest in June, and then sometimes July, because the weather is always bad and the leases are still soft, but it’s pretty dry out there. Well, some of the leases are still soft, but it’s still dry, and we’re able to get on to get moved on to some locations.”
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The four rigs are at work at Wauchope, Manor, Alameda and Nottingham. Three are working for regular customers, and the fourth is working for a new startup junior oil company that drilled a few holes last year and is now again back in the field. All are within about an hour drive of home base, in Carnduff, which is nice.
Betts said they were able to crew their rigs, but he wonders about later rigs firing up. “I’m not sure if there’ll be a shortage of labor or not, but I’m sure that there’ll be more rigs starting up and going,” he said. “In another month, everybody should be out working. I would think all the Stampede Rigs, all the Panthers, should have theirs out running, so the fleets that are down here should be fully crewed up.”
Asked if a peace deal between the United States and Iran would have an impact, Betts replied, “Yeah, if he makes a deal with them, but I just watched the news, and they’re still bombing, so I don’t know how who’s telling the truth there.”
In the meantime, they’re going to make hay, or rather, make hole while the sun shines. He doesn’t expect prices to fall too much, expecting that US$80 per barrel may become the new normal as opposed to US$65.
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- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
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- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
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- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
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