A land-based drilling rig from Schramm, Inc. of West Chester is now in the field in Keithville, La. as the Haynesville Shale area begins to again show signs of being one of the nation’s hottest energy properties.

Keithville Well Drilling, a private drilling company, purchased a Schramm T250XD (above) specifically for shale drilling and is using the rig in northwest Louisiana and East Texas.

The Haynesville Shale is a rock formation underlying large parts of southwestern Arkansas, northwest Louisiana and East Texas.  At 10,500 to 13,000 feet below ground, the shale contains vast quantities of natural gas.  The shale has been fracked and is now in some areas being refracked. Some experts think only 25 percent of the region’s resources have been extracted.

The News Journal of Longview, Tx. reports there were nearly 190 drilling rigs in the Haynesville Shale when it was at its peak in 2010. That changed as supply increased and the price of natural gas plummeted, pushing much of the drilling activity south. Recently the Haynesville has been drawing operators back into the game.  Read the full story about this industry in that region here.

Schramm is a century-old company located at 800 E. Virginia Ave. Its rigs are used extensively in the energy, mineral exploration, geothermal and water well sectors in more than 80 countries.

Keithville CEO Jeff Talley said the Schramm rig is “a direct answer to our industry’s need for smaller and more mobile top-hole drilling rigs for use in unconventional plays.”

Schramm CEO Ed Breiner said its innovative new rig is designed to increase efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness of shale drilling.

Links:   www.schramminc.com