Firm On The Cutting Edge Of Drilling Industry

With the increasing price of oil, there's more activity in the oil fields. That's having a big impact on businesses across Oklahoma. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports that includes a Green Country firm that leads the way in testing new equipment and methods of drilling.

At first glance, this looks like any other drilling rig. It is like other rigs, but it's in a place that drills for answers instead of oil and gas.

"There's still a lot of technology to be developed even in this old industry," said Scott Randolph, operations manager for Gas Technology Institute.

Oil companies and manufacturers hire GTI to try out new equipment in a real environment.

"The operators and the service companies can develop their tools in a low-risk environment prior to being put out into the field and actually drill oil and gas wells," said Scott Randolph of GTI.

This is a working rig, but it can rotate to hit 11 slots, allowing GTI to essentially drill 90 wells in one small area for testing. The drilling test site was the first of its kind in the United States when it opened in the mid 1980s. Now two decades later, it is still one of only a handful of these facilities in the entire world.

Its location between Owasso and Catoosa is perfect. In this spot, at 3,000 feet, they can test equipment through various geologic formations that other test wells would have to go much deeper to hit. Randolph says he enjoys seeing the technology develop.

"I've been in the business for over 30 years and it is developing faster now than ever I could have anticipated. Even five years ago," said Scott Randolph of GTI.

As the business changes, workers at GTI will keep putting new tools and methods of doing things to the test.

"Boy that's a good idea. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't work," said Scott Randolph of GTI.

Engineers at the Gas Technology Institute test site say technology in the industry is changing rapidly. They anticipate testing the use of laser technology in the drilling business in the future.