The National Drilling Company (NDC), like all the Adnoc operating companies, constantly strives to develop its operational strategy which aims at achieving excellence, quality and efficiency.

The company's tasks include carrying out drill and workover on oil, gas and water wells and compliance with Health, Safety and Environment regulations, guaranteeing good investment returns in addition to the development of human resources.

NDC is now modernising its fleet to offer its customers quality services, said a company official.

''The vision of our management is that focus should not be on accomplishment of our tasks, but we should endeavour to develop and improve our services more and more,'' said Abdulrahman Ba Majboor, assistant general manager for Onshore Operations.

''We should also be looking at quality and efficiency while taking into consideration compliance with HSE regulations,'' he added.

NDC's fleet includes three onshore drilling rigs, 10 offshore rigs and three water well rigs. The company hired two offshore rigs and signed a contract for the purchase of three new advanced onshore drilling rigs from US Cooper Manufacturing Corporation.

NDC's policy aims at bringing advanced technology which suits the geological conditions of fields in Abu Dhabi. The modernisation of the fleet began with the signing of a $90 million contract with Cooper Manufacturing Corporation for the purchase of three state-of-the-art rigs, the first of their kind in the Gulf and Middle East.

The rigs are capable of operating in harsh weather conditions such as high humidity and temperatures. They can also adapt with critical geological terrain where traditional rigs fail to perform perfectly as they require a stable base to carry out drilling operations, said Ba Majboor.

The rigs are also faster than traditional ones.

The new rigs will, according to Adnoc, be delivered in April and will be operational in June.

While seeking to meet the exacting demands of Adnoc operating companies such as Adco, NDC is also planning to expand its horizons beyond Abu Dhabi after it commissions its new rigs.

NDC has also reorganised its structure to cope with the increasing demand for creativity and excellence in a rapidly changing, dynamic environment.

The reorganisation, said Ba Majboor, is not just administrative, confined to titles and posts. It also covers the company's position in the oil sector and drilling industry. It also covers the company's commitment to its customers, interaction with changes and internal and external developments.

As part of its commitment to upgrading its services and achieving customer satisfaction, NDC has adopted the 'Well Delivery Limit (WDL) principle which was launched by Adco, in cooperation with Shell International, in mid-2000. Implementation of the project started with six offshore rigs and covered the entire onshore fleet by the end of last year.

NDC, in cooperation with Adma-Opco, is now planning to implement this principle on a number of its offshore rigs as a first phase.

Tasks carried out in the past by five or six rigs could now be carried out by three rigs and in less time, enabling an increase in productivity and utilisation of the remaining time in planning and executing new operations.

Although implementation of this principle means less demand for the number of rigs by NDC customers, the company adopts it in view of the fact that it and its customers are sister companies of Adnoc, who are all committed to common interest rather than targeting individual economic interest.

NDC says it is probably the only company which adopts the WDL system in its entire offshore fleet in view of its numerous needs for planning and application, as it is the best system in terms of saving lost time. It is also said to be useful in achieving the highest standards whether with regards to HSE awareness or implementation of HSE rules.

In recognition of its rig achievements and records, NDC has received a number of Letters of Appreciation from international institutions and associations including the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC).

The IADC awarded NDC with four certificates recognising the performance of its rigs Al Yasat (ND-05), Al Ittihad (ND-03), ND-09 and ND-01, in completing a full year of operation without lost time accident.

On a local level, ND rig Al Yasat won the 'Rig of the Year' 2000 for: