Energy Drilling Australia serves major gas customers and investors in Australia. Current exploration areas include the Surat and Bowen Basins in Queensland and the Hunter Valley area in New South Wales.

Coal seam gas (CSG), also called coal bed methane (CBM), is mostly methane in composition and is typically attached to coal along its natural fractures and cleats. This gas is released when pressure on the coal seam is reduced, usually by removal of water from the seam. CSG is an important energy resource and production of this gas has become an increasing proportion of gas demand in Australia.

Energy Drilling Australia’s rig is a Foremost Explorer III-65. The rig arrived in Australia at the end of 2009 and underwent the modifications required to meet Australian transportation design regulations for registration purposes. Further modifications allowed us to meet Australian gas company requirements beyond those defined by the American Petroleum Institute (API) – the rig now boasts all electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic connections under the Australian standards to enable full compliance.

Unlike many of the rigs currently working in the CSG/CBM market in Australia, the Foremost Explorer III-65 is mounted on a quad axle trailer, making it easier and more cost effective for rig moves. The rig is classified as a "single" rig specifically designed for shallow gas drilling. The rig model is a proven machine in the gas drilling market of North America and consists of a suitably strong derrick structure with an integral work floor capable of handling both range 2 and 3 length tubulars with diameters from 2?” (60mm) up to 9?” (245mm), and has a hook-load of 130,000 lbs (59,000 kg).

Our rig has a hydraulic top drive boasting 23,000 ft/lbs (31,186 Nm), a BOP handler in the cellar, ALCO Iron Roughneck and Power Slips all of which are powered by a centralised hydraulic system. All drilling functions are operated via the remote control console which is designed for mounting in ‘the doghouse’.

Safety is a high level focus for Energy Drilling Australia. Our rig is considered one of the safest in the industry, having been engineered to include automated rod/pipe handling to keep operators well away from danger zones (such as handling the drill pipes) along with hydraulic hands free make and break.

The rig was designed by industry experts for maximum efficiency, safety and minimal environmental impact in surface exploration within the gas industry. In fact, the only ground disturbance caused by Energy Drilling Australia’s rig is the drill hole itself.
Energy Drilling Australia’s has secured highly skilled personnel who bring specific experience of the oil and gas fields of Alberta, Canada to their work with the Foremost III-65 model under Energy Drilling Australia.

For more information about Energy Drilling Australia, please contact us.