WEST features expert, “hands-on“ surveyors/assessors who average over 20 years of experience each. These surveyors provide exceptional service with highly specialized skills covering all aspects of your rig equipment. They are also stationed strategically throughout the world, for ready access to your most remote building or drilling site.

In addition, a group of staff engineers with solid, professional experience in drilling equipment complements and supports the surveyors in the field.  Current staff includes three licensed Professional Engineers (P.E.s), 13 staff members with engineering degrees, and others with technical and advanced degrees. Several of these WEST engineers do or have participated in the development of drilling industry standards, for example, API Specs 16A, 16D, RP 53 and RP 64. Both surveyors and engineers are managed by experienced project staff who ensure that your deadlines and cost requirements are met.

24/7 Client and Field Technical Support

Clients and WEST surveyors have 24 hour per day/seven days per week access to drilling equipment technical support from a pool of highly experienced engineers and technical staff. This pool of knowledge helps our clients and surveyors troubleshoot drilling equipment issues faster and with more technical insight than most companies ever could alone.

As a preeminent industry leader in the fields of well control and drilling systems surveys, operators and drilling contractors of all sizes have contracted with WEST to perform thousands of rig surveys/assessments. WEST is also an industry leader in technical risk assessments and drilling equipment training. Lists of our recent jobs are available.

Deepwater Rig Expertise

Ultra-deepwater drilling has identified new technical issues, such as higher hydrostatic pressure external to BOPs. These issues, coupled with record-setting day rates, make reliable drilling equipment more important than ever. You can use WEST to help ensure your drilling programs are prepared.

The survey/assessment documents utilized by WEST surveyors in the field are known as Acceptance Test Procedures (ATPs). These ATP survey documents are much more than the simple checklists used by some other companies.  WEST bases each ATP on your specific drilling program requirements, your company policies, specific rig equipment, the rig's history, applicable regulatory requirements and best industry practices.Furthermore, these ATP documents are routinely updated with new industry information and the lessons learned from other jobs.

When a client requests a new survey, WEST uses a proprietary software application to assemble the appropriate information for the ATP document (see Figure 1). Where applicable, this software also adds explicit references to relevant regulatory documents, manuals, WEST reference documents and specific client requirements. These customized, made-to-order ATP survey documents ensure that the equipment is fit for your purpose, with more meaningful survey results and improved reliability and safety for your program.

Clients say that a major reason for choosing WEST Engineering Services is the fact that the lessons learned from each job are logged, saved in WEST's information systems and shared with other jobs and projects that may benefit.

This information is identified and captured using ISO-certified processes that make the information available throughout the company. This effort has been particularly valuable for newbuilds and recently upgraded rigs. Problems discovered and resolved on one project are then researched on other rigs with the same or similar equipment; to correct them before they cost your programs money, safety or environmental conformance. For example, after a corrosion problem with a deepwater riser product was identified, a major operator then asked WEST to review our database of rig equipment to identify the vulnerable rigs in that operator's fleet.

Knowledge is power, and the lack of it can be expensive, particularly in deepwater operations. The incremental cost of employing WEST expertise is minor compared to the daily cost of today’s sophisticated drilling programs.

WEST has compiled and organized several decades of historical data into various databases (Figure 1). These databases are regularly updated and the information leveraged throughout our business for the benefit of our clients.

Lessons Learned / Anomalies – A database of equipment failures and the lessons learned from them. These may be errors in design, construction, application or other anomaly that resulted in component or system failure.
Rig History – The results of previous inspections on the same rig. This data is incorporated into the workscope for your upcoming survey or assessment, includes items with inspection schedules coming due and reviewing previous recommendations that have not been closed.
Inspection and Test Procedures (ITPs) – Technical information from Lessons Learned, technical studies and work on equipment in the shop and field is captured and organized in proprietary documents called ITPs. ITPs contain technical information and step-by-step procedures that are not normally included in manufacturers’ operations manuals. Specific ITPs are often referenced in WEST ATP documents, to give our surveyors detailed procedures and information on specific topics.
Technical Bulletins – These documents explain specific technical issues. They generally elaborate on equipment or process information provided by the manufacturer for better understanding by the surveyor. They will not contain inspection procedures, but they may be used as a reference in an ATP document to provide detailed information.
Studies and Investigations - Clients and regulatory bodies ask WEST to investigate and report on a number of drilling equipment issues every year.  These studies enhance the client’s understanding of drilling equipment engineering and operations while adding to WEST’s depth of expertise.
RigLore – A collection of manufacturers’ engineering bulletins, product alerts, safety alerts and product information bulletins available for reference by WEST clients and surveyors.

Conformance with Industry Standards and Regulations

No operation is complete until it complies with all the required government mandates. WEST has experience working with all commonly used industry regulations and standards. Where applicable, these are also explicitly referenced in WEST surveys and reports. Below are some sources of these regulations and standards:

Clear Survey Reports With Solutions

WEST (and our clients) consider accurate, clear and complete reporting a necessity. Reports should not only document the services rendered, they should also provide solutions and direction for a path forward. Reports from WEST surveyors include not only findings and discrepancies but also recommendations for resolving problems. These reports often even include specific references to relevant industry standards, regulations, manuals and other reference material, as well as pictures of the actual equipment. All this gives you the information you need to prioritize your needs and ensure that your program is safe, efficient and environmentally responsible.

Diversified Line of Drilling Equipment Training and Services

In addition to assessments and engineering consulting, WEST can aid your drilling program with training for new and experienced drilling personnel, with on-site technicians to assist you with equipment maintenance on the rig or in the yard and with in-house equipment repair services. If you have a tight schedule, timely help with equipment repairs can be valuable. Call us at 281-375-5515, email us at west@westengineer.com or click here for more details on our full complement of services.