Franks International Casing Running Tool Successfully Deployed in Milestone Casing Drilling Job

HOUSTON, Sept. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a project that established a new worldwide milestone in casing while drilling (CwD) operations, Franks International N.V. (the Company) (NYSE:FI) provided its FA-1^® casing running tool (CRT), modified for 30-in. casing drilling and running, to Schlumberger for a 30-in. CwD Shallow Waters Project in the Bay of Campeche, Gulf of Mexico. The event marked the industrys first 30-in. CwD job.

The 30-in. by 34-in. conductor section was drilled and cased at 256 meters, drilling a total of 178 meters in 9.52 hours with an average rate of penetration (ROP) of 18.04 meters per hour. The successful implementation of Franks modified 22-in. FA-1 CRT in conjunction with the Schlumberger Direct XCD* drillable alloy casing bit saved the operator 1.31 days.

Franks worked in close collaboration with Schlumberger to successfully complete the design, manufacturing and testing of the new components for the FA-1 CRT in just under eight weeks. The CRT and tubular running services (TRS) for the project were performed by Franks local operations team in Villahermosa, Mexico.

Billy Walker, Vice President of Franks Latin America, Canada and U.S. land operations, commented, Franks best-in-class engineering and manufacturing capabilities, combined with the superior service quality of our Mexico operations, enabled us to rapidly and successfully support our customer in achieving this important global milestone. This event represents another strong example of our companys capabilities as the leading provider in complex TRS solutions.

Franks International N.V. is a global oil services company that provides a broad and comprehensive range of highly engineered tubular services to leading exploration and production companies in both offshore and onshore environments, with a focus on complex and technically demanding wells. Founded in 1938, Franks has approximately 3,500 employees and provides services in over 60 countries on six continents.  The Companys common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol FI. Additional information is available on the Companys website, www.franksinternational.com. 

Contacts:
Karen Allen  Director, Communications and External Affairs
karen.allen@franksintl.com
713-358-7325