Highwood To Export The World's Most Advanced Well Service Rigs To The Middle East On Massive Cargo Plane

Highwood Equipment Technologies Inc. (Highwood), has contracted an Antonov AN-124, one of the largest aircraft ever built, to transport two of the world’s most advanced automated well service rigs to the Sultanate of Oman (Oman) on June 27, 2021.

In collaboration with Al Shawamikh Oil Services (AOS) and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Highwood developed a complete well service rig system that strikes the balance between operational cost, speed, and safety. The automated rigs are ergonomically designed and minimize manual labor, eliminating the need to expose crews to extreme working conditions.

After receiving the order for the rigs from AOS in January 2021, Highwood custom designed, procured, fabricated, and assembled the units in record time under worldwide Covid restrictions, and has met the first deliverable by producing two of the three rigs in record time, with a third rig to follow.

Over several hours, Highwood’s team and the Antonov payload specialists will load the rigs, weighing some 130 metric tonnes, at the Calgary International Airport on the afternoon of June 26. The massive plane will be ready for take-off the following day.

“Under some of the most difficult circumstances in Canadian oilpatch history, our innovative approach has created jobs and a much-needed boost to the Alberta economy,” says Highwood President Rob Wawrzynowski. “We are excited to be part of the group that helps re-establish Alberta as a world leader in innovation and safety.”

The two rigs will be deployed in Oman in the coming weeks. The Highwood team and equipment will be welcomed by dignitaries from the oil and gas community and senior Omani Government officials. This summer, all three rigs will be deployed with PDO on a 10-year contract, which will provide hundreds of long-term jobs for Canadians and Omani Nationals. Highwood is also opening an Oman-based facility to support their international expansion in the Middle East and North Africa.

Highwood has authored an improbable success story, flourishing despite years of low commodity prices, the COVID pandemic, labour scarcity, shipping constraints, and supply chain shortages, proving that when Canadians bring their resourcefulness to bear, nothing is impossible!