Choosing a Truck Mounted Workover Rig
A truck mounted workover rig is the most common type of workover rig in the onshore oilfield. It's built on a heavy-duty truck chassis, so it can drive itself from well to well. They're fast, mobile, and ready to work as soon as they arrive on site. If you're a workover service company, or an oil producer with your own workover crew, a truck mounted rig is probably what you need.
What Size Rig Do You Need?
Workover rigs come in all sizes, from small 50-ton units to big 300+ ton heavy duty rigs. The size you need depends on the wells you're working on.
Small Rigs (50-100 ton): These are for shallow, low-pressure wells. They're cheap, fast, and easy to operate. They're perfect for service companies that work on shallow wells in a local area.
Medium Rigs (100-200 ton): These are the workhorses of the industry. They can handle most onshore wells up to 3,000-4,000 meters deep. If you're a full-service workover company, this is the size you want.
Heavy Duty Rigs (200+ ton): These are for deep, high-pressure wells, and for tough jobs like fishing. They're more expensive, but if you need the capacity, there's no substitute.
What to Look For
Mast Height. Taller masts let you pull longer stands of tubing, which means fewer trips up and down. That saves time, and time is money in the oilfield. A 100-120 foot mast is standard for medium workover rigs.
Pullback Force. This determines how much weight you can pull. Make sure it's enough for the wells you're working on, with extra margin for stuck pipe. It's better to have more power than you need, than to get stuck in the middle of a job.
Mobility. Truck mounted rigs are supposed to be mobile. Look for a rig that's easy to transport — low enough to go under bridges, with good weight distribution. You don't want to be stuck at the weigh station every time you move the rig.
FAQ
Q: How much does a truck mounted workover rig cost?
A: A small 50-ton rig starts around $150,000 to $300,000. A medium 150-ton rig runs $500,000 to $1 million. A heavy duty 250-ton rig can cost $1.5 million to $3 million or more. It's a big investment, but it's the core equipment of a workover business.