Hydraulic Rig Moving Systems: Moving Heavy Equipment Safely

A hydraulic rig moving system is a specialized piece of equipment used to move drilling rigs and other heavy oilfield equipment. In the oilfield, you're constantly moving rigs from one well to the next, and you need a safe, efficient way to do it. Hydraulic rig moving systems — also called "skidding systems" or "walking systems" — are the modern way to move heavy rigs without having to disassemble them.

How Hydraulic Rig Moving Systems Work

Traditional rig moving involved disassembling the rig, loading it onto trucks, driving to the next location, and reassembling it. That took days, and it was expensive and labor-intensive.

A hydraulic rig moving system works differently. It uses hydraulic cylinders to lift the whole rig up a few inches, then slide it forward a few feet, then set it back down. It repeats this process over and over, "walking" the rig to the next location. It's slow, but it's efficient — you can move the rig a few hundred meters in a day, without taking it apart.

Benefits of Hydraulic Rig Moving

Faster Rig Moves. This is the biggest benefit. Instead of taking days to disassemble and reassemble the rig, you can move it in a few hours. That means more time drilling, and less time moving. For drilling contractors, time is money, and faster rig moves mean more revenue.

Less Labor. You don't need a big crew to disassemble and reassemble the rig. A small crew can operate the hydraulic moving system. That saves on labor costs.

Safer. Disassembling and reassembling a rig is dangerous work. There's a lot of heavy lifting, and a lot of things that can go wrong. With a hydraulic moving system, you don't have to take the rig apart, so there's less risk of injury.

FAQ

Q: How fast can a hydraulic rig moving system move a rig?
A: It depends on the size of the rig and the terrain. Typically, you can move a rig about 100-200 meters per day. That sounds slow, but it's faster and cheaper than disassembling the rig and moving it by truck. And it's much faster if the next well is close by — you don't have to break down the rig at all.