Testimonials
Duolec 1605 gear lubricant significantly reduced oil changes and costs for Ransom Drilling Services.
key takeaways
Challenge
Greg Ransom, owner of the carrier rig, faced frequent oil changes every one to two weeks due to water entering the gearbox through a design flaw involving a square gasket around a round shaft.
LE solution
Larry Boyle recommended Greg use Duolec® Vari-Purpose Gear Lubricant (1605) in the Texoma 700 unit for its high thermal stability and adhesion properties, demonstrating its ability to separate from water effectively.
Results
Duolec 1605 saved Ransom Drilling a total of $11,153 in oil and labor costs over one year across the Texoma 700 and 800 rigs, with the operations superintendent expressing strong satisfaction with the product.
We love the LE stuff!
- Tommy Chapman, Operations Superintendent
Customer Profile
Ransom Drilling Services provides conductor, rat and mouse hole services for the oil, gas and construction industries. The company services primarily the oil patch regions of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. With the recent activity of Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, Ransom opened a service depot in Point Marion, Pa. in 2009.
Application
Ransom's carrier rigs consist of Mack trucks equipped with Reedrill drill units. These units drive right onto the drill site and establish the initial thumbprint of the well site.
The two rigs are made by Texoma. One unit is a model 700 and the other is a model 800.
The carrier rigs set the 8-foot diameter and 5-foot deep cellars, which are corrugated pipes that stabilize the soil around the top of the well. Once the cellars are set, Ransom drills the initial 40 to 80 feet into which the well conductor casing will be driven. The casing dimensions can range from 14 to 36 inches in diameter. The remaining well casing and drill bits pass through this casing to reach the natural gas or oil.
Depending on the type of rock strata they encounter, a hole may be drilled in an afternoon, or it may take a week to drill the standard 40 to 80 feet.
Challenge
Water was entering the main gearbox of the carrier rig that drills the casing hole. The design of the gearbox has a square gasket located around the round shaft on the top. When the drill shaft is vertical and operating in rainy weather, water runs down the drill shaft (also known as the Kelly) and into the gearbox.
Greg Ransom, owner, was growing tired of constantly changing the emulsified oil in the gearbox. Greg had to change the oil every one to two weeks.
LE Solution
Larry Boyle, LE lubrication consultant, showed Greg how LE gear oil separates from water and recommended he try Duolec® Vari- Purpose Gear Lubricant (1605) in the Texoma 700 unit, which holds 3 gallons of gear oil. Duolec 1605 is a high-performance gear oil acceptable for use in any industrial gear or bearing application that requires a high thermal stability, EP lubricant. It is fortified with a shear stable tackifier to provide adhesion to metal during use.
Results
The unit was drained of water weekly. After a year of use, the oil still readily separated from the water. After a full year in service, the Duolec 1605 was changed however, because the oil started to take on a lot of dust and had thickened.
Duolec 1605 saved Ransom Drilling $4,535 in oil and labor costs in one year on the main gearbox of the Texoma 700. Using the same formula, savings of $6,618 are realized when comparing the supposedly cheaper commercial grade oil in the Texoma 800 rig to LE Duolec 1605. The 800 rig holds 15 gallons of gear oil in the gearbox.
Tommy Chapman, operations superintendent said, “We love the LE stuff!”