Steering the world’s energy future with a unique perspective on drilling technologies

In an exclusive interview with Energy Connects, John Bell, Senior Vice President, International & Offshore Operations at H&P, speaks about the company’s exciting and diverse lineup of coffee break presentations for their ADIPEC booth this year, how company culture factors into H&P’s sustainability mindset, and why the company is putting more and more of a focus on ADIPEC with each coming year. He also elaborates on how H&P prides itself on being a customer-centric organisation that aims to deliver better overall outcomes by addressing a variety of challenges that drilling operations can present.

H&P seems to put more and more of a focus on ADIPEC with each coming year. Why is that?

ADIPEC is one of the largest and most prestigious events in the oil and gas industry and is a great opportunity to connect with a vast number of our customers and peers around the globe on the incredible strides we are making together. Having been in the drilling business for over a century, we’ve seen a lot of changes in that time. This legacy we have created provides us with a unique perspective on the evolution of the energy industry and allows us to continue to innovate and lean on technology to propel us into the next frontier.

When I think about the conversations taking place even five years ago compared to now, it’s clear that we are innovating at a more rapid rate than we’ve ever seen before. The discussions that occur each year at ADIPEC help to steer the world’s energy future and it’s an honour to take part in that conversation.

What is H&P talking about at ADIPEC this year?

We have an exciting and diverse lineup of coffee break presentations prepared for our ADIPEC booth that really dive in on a level that resonates with operators and industry professionals closely tied to drilling operations. Our goal is for attendees to walk away with true insights on the topic.  We at H&P pride ourselves on being a customer-centric organisation that aims to deliver better overall outcomes by addressing the variety of challenges that drilling operations can present, by diving deep below the surface, both literally and figuratively.

We have three main sessions, and each will be unique and offer a different perspective of H&P’s place in the energy landscape.

Are all rigs created equal? We explore this question by incorporating an interactive demo with our augmented reality experience, FlexAR, and our walking rig model we have affectionately named “Spud.” The team has a fantastic time operating the model, demonstrating our drilling rig capabilities, and since we can’t bring a full-size rig in to the exhibition floor, Spud and FlexAR really are the next best things.

Drilling performance efficiency helps reduce well costs, increase well delivery, and accelerate production, proving the capability to drill more wells with fewer rigs. We include a whiteboard breakdown based on a typical Middle East drilling programme.

As we discuss a foundation of sustainability, with more than a century of innovation under our belts, H&P is uniquely positioned to assist in the enablement of energy production in an efficient and responsible manner to the benefit of people across the globe. From advanced technology to consistent efficiency gains, to rig design, H&P is committed to improving lives through efficient and responsible energy.

Company culture is important at H&P. How does company culture factor into H&P’s sustainability mindset?

“The H&P Way” was created to define our purpose, core values and the behaviors that drive our culture, as well as our purpose of improving lives through efficient and responsible energy. Each year we set both safety and sustainability goals to keep us pushing towards better outcomes. Over the past four years alone, our efficiency efforts have helped us reduce Scope 1 emissions per kilometre drilled by 23%. 

We have nearly 20 years of experience drilling with high line power and have executed over 1,000 wells. High line power has shown to be ~39% lower on average in GHG emissions than diesel engine power.

Our Engine Management technology helps reduce excess engine hours, lowering fuel consumption and reducing GHG emissions. Implementing this technology across the fleet, along with other new technology like our energy storage systems, has allowed us to reduce the number of rigs with excess engine use by 36% in the past year.

The strong company culture we have at H&P allows us as an organization to work together, with a united focus on the same goals and strategy. The definition of success is clear and consistent, and people are incentivized and motivated to help achieve those goals.

Our approach to sustainability continues to be grounded in “Doing the Right Thing” and our ongoing engagement with employees across the organisation as well as our customers, suppliers and shareholders. Our suite of sustainability solutions allows us to be good stewards, while at the same time, achieve long term value, as we improve lives through efficient and responsible energy.