World’s biggest state-of-the-art hydraulic and automated land drilling rig with 2,000 HP capacity developed by Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) was commissioned at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) asset at Bhimavaram in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
 

The indigenous land drilling rig commissioned in Bhimavaram with Rs 200 crore can operate under high pressure and high temperatures. K Satyanarayana, Technical Head Rigs, Projects MEIL said that the most significant feature is that a single engineer could operate the entire rig.

“MEIL is the first private player in the country which manufactures highly efficient oil drilling rigs with indigenous technology under ‘Make in India’ initiative,” he added. This rig is equipped with blowout preventers with 5,000 PSA capacity which is used for the first time in India. The MEIL has also entered into oil exploration and acquired oil fields in Assam (Laxmijan) and Gujarat (Kambel) and has started drilling at the wells.

The MEIL has secured global tenders worth 550 million dollars from Mexico to supply five high-end and high capacity rigs. It’s a portable rig that can easily be dismantled and assembled again. It is equipped with high safety features like blowout prevention technology and fire accidents, Satyanaryana said.

The MEIL had received Rs 6,000 crore worth order for 47 rigs including 27 land drilling rigs and 20 workover rigs from the ONGC in a competitive bidding in 2018 with a delivery time period of four years. These rigs will be game-changer, Satyanarayana said.

These rigs are safe and more productive with Gen-X technology and are economical compared to the conventional rigs. The entire rig is manufactured in India, conforming with American Petroleum Institute standards. With the highest level of automation involving robotic technology, so that one person can operate the rig. The rig works in two shifts with 10 persons in each shift.

As of now, MEIL has supplied 10 land drilling rigs, while three of these are already in operation, the other seven rigs are in the final stages of installation and commissioning and these rigs will be operational in four to five weeks across various onshore of ONGC fields.

The MEIL will be manufacturing and supplying all the rigs to the ONGC assets at Sibsagar and Jorhat in Assam; Ahmedabad, Mehasana, Ankaleshwar and Cambay in Gujarat; Agartala in Tripura and Karaikal in Tamilnadu, Satyanarayana said.

Despite operations getting affected by Covid-19 pandemic, MEIL is committed to completing the project on time. The problems of getting components from global suppliers is still persisting, however, the supply chain of the industry is slowly recovering.

The latest oil rigs will have the world's best and most advanced hydraulic technology features. As the energy prices soar, the advanced rigs are very crucial for the Indian energy sector to drill oil and gas wells faster to increase the production for domestic use.

MEIL is establishing a full-fledged rig manufacturing unit in Shabad in Telangana and an MoU has been signed in this regard.