Sparrows offers comprehensive drilling services to UK market
27/04/2023
The oil & gas sector has faced a tumultuous few years. Just as recovery from the 2014 downturn seemed to be stabilising the industry, the pandemic hit, bringing with it chaos for companies and individuals alike. 2022 did not hold back either and the geopolitical landscape continued to have a drastic impact on the ever-turbulent oil prices. As a result, the industry and those working and operating within it have had to adapt, make difficult business decisions and shift strategies. 
Those changes saw new businesses coming onto the scene, technology innovations and the rapid adoption of digitalisation, but the ability to tap into knowledge, expertise and skill sets, as well as adapting market offerings, has allowed the Sparrows Group to remain at the forefront of the industry.
In late 2022, Sparrows committed to investing in its drilling services in the UK, bringing back a service offering that has continued to flourish in other regions, and hired Sandy Main as Drilling Services Manager – Europe to lead the service.
With over four decades of experience working across the sector globally, Sparrows has built an expert team, which is on hand to support customers with the challenges they face across large asset equipment, with services extending across design, equipment rental, maintenance, inspection, operation, refurbishment and more.
The last decade has been difficult for the oil & gas industry, but Sparrows saw an opening to support its customers. Leon Bickerstaffe, Global Head of Drilling Services, commented: “We were already working on drill-rigs. We were sending people onto these assets to conduct maintenance or inspection of cranes and we saw a huge opportunity to provide additional support elsewhere on the rigs through value addition.
“If you look at the skill sets of people working on cranes who are doing inspections and rebuilds, there was a huge overlap of skills with those working on other large-scale equipment and many of our current personnel already have drilling equipment maintenance experience, with backgrounds in these services. We realised that we could take advantage of this untapped knowledge and upskill our already highly competent people, as well as recruiting the best technicians to support with our services expansion.
“That is something that Sparrows does well: we hire the right people, with the right skills and then we empower them to do more. The benefit? We have some of the best working for us and our customers benefit too, saving money while still ensuring they receive the highest standard of maintenance for safety-critical equipment.”
During the pandemic, there was a need to reduce the number of people on assets. If operators use Sparrows’ wide breadth of service capability, project efficiencies can be increased and, in some cases, fewer people can be sent offshore in situations where multi-skilled personnel can be used to cover a range of drilling equipment. This is not just good for operators’ bottom line, but it also incrementally benefits the environment through reducing the transportation required, all of which is becoming increasingly important as companies need to track and report on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact.
Planned downtime can have a drastic impact on profitability, so businesses must have sensible and considered maintenance schedules. Outside of planned turnaround or shutdown periods, equipment often requires unavoidable maintenance and, by offering a comprehensive service offering, Sparrows is allowing operators and contractors to plan their equipment maintenance schedules to reduce the amount of downtime, ultimately resulting in overall increased uptime and therefore less profit loss.
Sparrows’ drilling services, or drilling equipment maintenance offering, is not new. In fact, the company has built a highly comprehensive offering across the Middle East and Asia and it was also a service that was offered in the UK in the past.
Leon added: “The UK is quite a different market from the Middle East. We have and continue to offer our service on a more specialist and individual basis in the UK, providing all of the individual elements of our drilling services offering in other regions, but on a more segmented basis. In the Middle East, operators were keen to reduce the number of suppliers that they worked with and they wanted more holistic services from them. So, we focused on building out our drilling services package there.
“But the changing landscape of energy, due to either energy price or decarbonisation as we strive to achieve net zero, means that operators are tightening their belts. They need to think smarter, not harder, when it comes to finding solutions and suppliers that work best for them.
“We are already working with a large percentage of operators within the UK, so now it is about education and demonstrating the full breadth of our expertise.”
Sparrows’ multi-discipline technical team is at the core of its services offering and allows the company to deliver comprehensive services for drilling equipment inspection, maintenance, repair, overhaul and recertification. Using the latest techniques, tooling and equipment, the specialist teams ensure the safety and reliability of drilling equipment, including onshore and offshore drilling rig recertification packages, hoisting equipment, travelling equipment, drawworks, top drives, mud pumps, cranes, iron roughnecks, power tongs, rotary tables, deadline anchors and jacking systems.
Sparrows’ range of services also includes project management and parts procurement. Their goal is to help clients to extend the life of their equipment, reduce downtime and improve safety and performance. The company works closely with its clients to develop customised solutions that meet their specific requirements.
