Original subtitles

[narrator] On Tomorrow's World Today,

we explore the cutting-edge advances that are shaping four different worlds.

The world of inspiration,

where the wonders of the natural world amaze and inspire us.

The world of creation, where ideas come to life from traditional arts.

The world of innovation,

where ideas and inventions move us all forward.

The world of production,

where innovations are mass-produced to improve our lives.

From Inventionland world headquarters,

here's your host, George Davison.

Hey, everyone. I'm George Davison.

Now, how hard do you think it would be to drill a hole?

Now, I'm just trying to go down a few feet.

Our country has a rich history in drilling.

In fact, it all started in 1859 in Oil City, Pennsylvania,

where Edwin Drake successfully drilled

the world's first commercial oil well.

It was a gamechanger for the industry.

And it put Oil City on the map as the birthplace of the oil industry.

But the real revolution,

it came with the invention of the horizontal drill.

Instead of drilling straight down,

engineers began to drill sideways,

allowing them to access more oil and more gas from a single well.

Horizontal drilling was first tested in the 1920s.

But it wasn't until the 1980s and the 1990s

that the technology really took off.

Now, today, horizontal drilling is a vital part of the oil and gas industry.

By drilling horizontally,

we can access oil and gas reserves that are located under

a sensitive ecosystem without disturbing the surface above.

Now, what this means is that we can extract the resources we need

while minimizing the impact on the environment.

I'm sending Greg to the world of production

to explore how horizontal drilling technology

is helping us save our energy costs

without hurting our environment.

[Greg] We all know the Earth is diverse.

I'm not just talking about life on Earth,

I'm talking about the planet itself.

It's filled with different terrains and geologic structures,

both on the land and under the sea.

Now, if you're a company that's in the business

of drilling to extract energy resources,

you're up against a host of different challenges.

That's why we're here, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Helmerich & Payne

to talk with the experts about how they're helping companies meet those challenges

to produce the best outcomes.

-Hi, LaRae. -Hi, Greg.

-Welcome to Helmerich & Payne. -Thank you very much.

Now, I really wanna learn more

about the history of your company.

And I understand you're the person

to walk me through it.

Absolutely. Would you like to follow me to the gallery?

LaRae, this is great. Tell me about these photographs.

Sure. Let's start over here with Mr. Walt Helmerich.

He founded our company with Mr. Bill Payne back in 1920.

After his leadership, it was passed on to his son, Walt Helmerich III,

who then passed the company on to Hans Helmerich,

who, today, is the chairman of our board along with our CEO, Mr. John Lindsay.

[Greg] This is an amazing photograph. When was this taken?

[LaRae] This picture was taken in the 1950s.

But this is the picture that I really wanna show you.

This is the rig that my father started on in 1961,

H&P Rig 38.

From there, he went to South America,

worked in several different countries.

But today, we have 200 active rigs

not only in South America,

but we have rigs in the Middle East,

and most recently, Australia.

So H&P really is a family business.

-You're second generation H&P. -Yes, I am.

Well, uh, we could talk about the history of H&P all day long,

it's fascinating stuff.

But what I'm really here to learn about

is the innovations and technology that you're using

to push drilling forward into the future.

Absolutely. And I've got just the guy for you to talk to.

His name is Mr. Steven Estvold. Come with me.

[Greg] So, Steven, Helmerich & Payne has been around for over a 100 years.

Now, no company can survive that long

without being able to evolve.

How are you handling that?

It starts with our customers.

Our customers are focused on maximizing production

from a certain volume of rock.

And they leave the drilling of that rock to us.

You may have heard of unconventional or horizontal drilling.

To do that type of drilling today requires what we call super-spec drilling rigs

and advanced technology.

Some of that technology, we can operate remotely

from our remote operating center.

-I would really like to see that center. -Let's go take a look.

Steven, the Remote Operation Center

is a lot more impressive in person than what I had visualized in my mind.

Well, thank you.

It's a state-of-the-art facility

and it's a very important aspect of our operation.

[Greg] Now, you're not just doing testing here,

you're actually operating rigs all across the globe right from this room.

[Steven] That's right. Different countries, thousands of miles away.

And when we drill, we're miles below the surface of the Earth.

[Greg] I'd really like to see all this in action.

-Can you show me how you monitor here? -Let's take a look.

What we're looking at here,

and what this purple line represents is a well we're drilling today.

And we drilled almost two miles vertically, straight down,

and with horizontal drilling, we have to drill a curve.

And then from there, we drill horizontally.

Here, we're around 24,000 feet deep, which is two miles away.

And we're on our way to drilling three miles, horizontally.

Wow, so three miles out.

Now, I know you have a target, you have a destination that you're working towards.

How do you not miss it?

That's where technology comes into play.

We have a window. This is where our customers said we could be.

We could be 16 feet left or right, high or low of a plan.

We can see where we are today. We're about six feet low and five feet to the right.

Pretty close to dead on target

after all that distance. How does that really work?

Let me give you an example.

Imagine you had to walk three miles that way.

You only have a compass and you can only check your position every 100 feet.

Well, that sounds pretty impossible.

I mean, I know my directional challenges.

[chuckles] I'm not gonna make it that far with just a compass.

That's right. Well, that's where technology comes into play.

These little green dots are telling us,

the last time we checked in, where we were in relation to that plan.

And once we get that data back,

we have to decide, "Do I go left, do I right? Do I go up or down?"

So the margin of error is really, really tight.

I don't know how you could do that.

It's incredibly close and that's what we do for our customers.

-And all of that's controlled right from this room? -[Steven] That's right.

Well, what else are we learning from the screens?

Well, we deliver a whole range of different outcomes to our customers,

some of which is reliability and uptime.

So now, when we look at these screens,

we're basically seeing your entire global fleet and getting feedback from it.

That's right. This is the entire FlexRig fleet.

And we can see the equipment health.

We send data back,

we get notifications if there's anything we need to take a look at.

If there's something we need to work on, we'll go work on it.

[Greg] Speaking of look at, is there gonna be any opportunity for me

to actually get on a rig

-and see these things in action. -For sure.

We're gonna send you to meet Chase at Rig 918.

Sounds great. Let's go meet Chase.

[Greg] You must be Chase.

Steven over at the Remote Operation Center said I would find you here

at FlexRig 918, so here we are.

And what I really wanna find out about from you, Chase, is the C.A.R.E. program.

I know it's a big part of your culture here.

That's right. As you can see here at the rig site,

we have a complicated process for material handling,

and actively caring is at the core of what we do here at H&P.

-So why don't we check it out? -Sounds great.

So, Chase, I need you to get specific with me.

Tell me exactly what C.A.R.E. stands for.

So C.A.R.E. stands for "controlling and removing exposures."

And exposures are just dangerous situations

that our employees could find themselves in here at the rig site.

[Greg] Okay, so safety is a big part of the H&P culture.

But I know that sustainability is really important to you as well.

Tell me more about that.

That's right. You see our engines back here,

we have a product called Engine Management

that helps us properly load our engines

and make sure they're running at their peak performance.

That helps us provide efficient outcomes and also reduce our emissions.

-Great. Well, let's see how this all works up on the rig. -All right. Follow me.

After you.

So, Greg, here we are in the driller's cabin here at test Rig 918.

And it's really our home base for innovation in rig technology,

which are all things like the HexGrip 120, PDS Redzone.

So why don't we head up to the rig floor and check it out?

Let's go.

When I was on the drill deck,

Chase explained to me how H&P is deploying a piece of cutting-edge technology

with the HexGrip 120.

I asked him what the process was like before the HexGrip 120.

So making tubular connection was a very manual, very labor-intensive job years ago.

And what we've really tried to do with the HexGrip 120

is evolve that process for the next generation of unconventional drilling.

-Has it made the whole process easier and smoother? -[Chase] It absolutely does.

And the HexGrip 120, along with the Slip Lifter,

removes people out of harm's way.

Right. Well, can we head inside the, uh, driller's shack

and see how this whole process works from a remote standpoint?

Sure. Let's take a look at what the driller sees.

Chase, when I was in the, uh, Remote Operation Center,

Steven was showing me on the screens

how you were drilling down two miles curving,

and then heading out two miles, heading towards three miles.

How exactly does that relate to what we're looking at here

in the screens in the driller's cabin?

Yeah, so as we send drill pipe down the hole,

we really need to know what's going on down there.

Things like weight on bit, pump pressure,

all things that are shown on these screens here,

that the driller and the remote operating center can work together

and optimize the best way to get to the target formations.

[Greg] Maneuverability and flexibility are very important

for H&P's walking rig

which is designed to move on its own using hydraulic-powered legs.

The rig can move distances up to 500 feet

without using heavy transportation equipment

and saves time by eliminating the need

to assemble and disassemble critical components.

Hydraulic systems power the walking legs

which was strategically placed around the rig's structure

and they can be remotely operated to adapt to various terrains

including uneven surfaces and inclines.

Now, even remote locations that were previously challenging to reach

are accessible,

opening up new possibilities for exploration and extraction.

There are many benefits of walking rigs.

They enhance mobility, reduce the need for extensive transportation logistics,

and reduce downtime because it can quickly move to the next location.

This lowers cost and increases productivity.

In addition to efficiency,

these rigs play a vital role in environmental sustainability.

They control and monitor emissions,

and reduce the need for conventional transportation methods

like heavy-duty trucks,

reducing the carbon footprint associated with equipment movement.

H&P rigs are also capable of using high-line grid power.

During 2022, H&P ran approximately 15 rigs on high-line power,

which displaced roughly 5.8 million gallons of diesel fuel,

equivalent to 59,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

High-line powered rigs, during 2022,

demonstrated a reduction in emissions of approximately 45%

as compared to those running diesel.

Let's see how rig equipment is overhauled and built at the FlexRig Machinery Center.

Well, I'm gonna head over now because Wes is gonna show me

how a HexGrip is actually assembled.

Yeah, let's go check out the facility.

[Greg] When it comes to drilling, if you wanna be sustainable,

there is a lot that companies have to take into consideration.

I'm talking with the experts at H&P about their approach to working with companies

to supply them with the equipment and technology needed

to maximize each step of the drilling process.

-Hey, Wes. -Hi, Greg. How are ya?

Doing great. Doing great. So I just came off the rig with Chase.

Got to see the HexGrip 120 in action.

And from what I understand, you guys worked with the developers

to put it all together, and I'd love to see one assembled.

Well, you're in the right place.

-Let's start at the beginning. -Okay.

So, Wes, this is the beginning of the process.

-Walk me through a typical assembly. -Sure.

Once we've received all the pieces to begin a build,

they move to the sub-assembly area.

We're here, we're working on a torque wrench,

and they're doing the hydraulic plumbing.

One they're finished with that, it moves on to the final assembly.

Let's go check that out.

Looking good here, Wes. How far along in the assembly process are we?

We're about 98% complete with this tool.

Just finishing up the last details,

putting on a few guards and tightening the last bolts.

And then where will it go off to from here?

Really, this machine could go to any H&P rig

-and, uh, you know, be put into service. -[Greg] All right.

Now, I know that this is pretty cutting-edge, new technology here.

And a big thing about this is that it's both, more efficient and safer.

Yeah, so part of our Actively C.A.R.E. program is,

you know, getting our people away from danger.

This machine is operated through a human-machine interface or a touchscreen.

It puts the operator at a distance from the machine.

I know that a big part of what H&P does

is, uh, maintain the equipment that they already have out in the field.

And you have a whole facility that's dedicated to refurbishing that.

I'd love to see how that works.

Sure. It's a little bit different process, but let's go take a look.

[Greg] You know, Wes, this kind of looks like an equipment graveyard,

but it's really just the first step in bringing this gear back to life.

Yeah, this equipment came from the rigs.

It's time for maintenance, this is the start.

This is a pipe delivery system.

You saw one of these on the rig. It's just beginning its process.

It's been washed once.

I can't wait to let you see what it looks like at the end.

Now, how long will this take to be turned around?

It'll take a couple of months.

[Greg] So, just like the pipe delivery system we saw outside,

this has been through an initial power wash.

But what happens to it next?

From here, we disassemble it completely into its individual pieces.

We shot-blast it, inspect it, and then the parts get a new paint job.

Is that shot blast system nearby?

It's right around the corner. Let's go have a look.

[Greg] Wow, so this is what you use to get all the paint off.

[Wes] Yeah, it allows this to take parts to the bare metal,

it allows us to give it more accurate inspection. It's a steel shot blast media.

The benefit of that is, we can cycle out the contaminants,

-and get more poiesis out of this. -Excellent.

Wow, Wes, this looks like a brand-new piece of machinery.

Now, I know we got ... getting ready to be disassembled

and it was gonna be shot blasted and repainted.

But what else has happened to it to get it to this stage?

[Wes] Essentially, we've put it back together.

All the pieces have gone through the process, we've looked at 'em

and deemed that they're good to use again,

and then we've reassembled the machine.

Now, I know that these machines,

they go through this, uh, refurbishing system several times.

And they could end up in the field in service for many, many years.

But once you get them out there,

-how could you possibly know that they're safe? -We test 'em.

-Well, where do you test them? -[Wes] Right here.

[Wes] So here it is, Greg.

Here is a pipe delivery system.

Remember the one we looked at earlier? This is the final result.

This is beautiful, Wes.

I mean, it looks like a brand-new piece of gear

ready to be deployed out into the field.

I mean, that's a good couple of months' work.

-It is. -[Greg] All right.

Well, Wes, I've gotta get out of there and back to Inventionland.

-Thank you. It's been a great day. -My pleasure.

[Chay] Hi, George, how are ya?

Hey, Chay, welcome to Inventionland.

Thank you. Hey, I brought you a couple gifts.

One is a pair of socks with a drilling rig on it,

and the other is a little miniature drilling rig for your display case.

Oh, that's great! The kids will like that on tour.

Socks with a drilling rig?

All right, we like that idea, too.

Well, hey, your team sent me some images, and I was curious.

I was thinking that this is probably a drill running down through the ground.

You're spot on right. This is the visual of a drill bit,

uh, removing rock in the ground

so that we can create that wellbore.

-Okay. -What you see over here

are actually a manual mode, and what we call AutoSlide,

which is a product that helps us do that autonomously.

The analogy I would give is, if you think about a car, right,

you and I can drive that manually, we can tell it how fast or how slow to go,

and we can try to keep that on the road, within the lane.

But we're not as efficient as some of the automation that comes about

that can do that in a tighter control.

Well, AutoSlide helps us do that with the wellbore.

That's great technology. I think I see it.

So it's keeping the drill bit

in the lane that you're targeting

when you're down under the ground.

-Is that right? -Spot on.

Great stuff. How about this image over here?

What's this one trying to do for us?

Yeah, so going back to the analogy,

we talked about the lane and the car, right?

If you think about this right here, this is the plan

as we're trying to drill about the wellbore.

So this is where we wanna be, and this is where we are.

Our product allows us to try to take that information

and as effectively and efficiently as possible get back within that lane.

So what I'm seeing is that that green box

is kind of like the lane that we're driving down.

And we wanna keep that drill head inside that driving lane, right?

That's correct. Yeah. And what that allows us to do

is drill the most efficient wellbore possible, right,

with the least ground disturbance possible.

-Right? It's better for everyone. -Yeah.

That's great stuff.

How about this image over here? I got this one, too.

I was curious about it.

You know, the last image was under the ground,

this one's above ground. Is this on the platform?

That's correct, George. This sits up on what we call our drill floor.

This is called an iron roughneck.

So this right here, this pipe segment,

if you think about going down that wellbore

and continuing to extend it to go deeper and deeper,

-we have to add pipe one on top of another. -[George] Mm.

A little bit of history. If we go back to the old way it was done,

this drill pipe was made up with spinning... What we call spinning chains,

and it was very manual, arduous process.

Then we moved to tongs, which are big pipe wrenches.

We would spin it up

-and then we would torque with those. -Mm-hmm.

And then we moved to what's called an iron roughneck.

And the iron roughneck predecessor to this,

with this latest invention, the HexGrip,

we have automated this and allowed the human being to completely step away,

keeping them safe and removing them from exposures.

What a great invention!

-Well, Chay, thanks for coming in. -Hey, thank you, George.

"Drilling your socks off."

[chuckles softly]