Up to four hours less installation time on the top drive – Pertamina Drilling relies on e-loop cable guide

Pertamina Drilling is a state-owned Indonesian company primarily engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Other business areas include refining and distribution, while the company's subholdings are also involved in other areas such as renewable energy and maritime logistics.

On its drilling rigs, Pertamina Drilling encountered recurring technical challenges with its cable guide for the top drive. Frequent short circuits caused by the service loop led to unplanned interruptions in operation, non-productive time (NPT) and costly repairs. The failure of a single core usually led to the replacement of the entire system and resulted in high spare parts costs. Due to the high stress caused by constant movement and mechanical loads, damage to the service loop occurred more frequently, making such a replacement necessary.

However, other environmental factors also have an effect on the cable guidance to the top drive. In regions like Indonesia, high humidity can lead to corrosion of the components; the right choice of materials is crucial here.

PT Pertamina was therefore looking for an alternative to the service loop that was both reliable and durable, as well as easy to install and replace, in order to minimise NPT and ensure efficient operation.

To enable efficient operation, Pertamina Drilling is now using the "e-loop" cable guide system together with chainflex cables for moving applications on one of its onshore drilling rigs.

This combination offers a robust yet flexible solution for the cable guide for the top drive: The e-loop consists of ring-shaped and robust PU outer bodies, which prevent damage to the internal cables caused by impacts and vibrations. As the e-loop enables a closed and clean cable guidance, tangling or blocking in the tower area is avoided and operational safety is increased. This is particularly important in the harsh environment of offshore drilling platforms, where smooth operation is essential. At the same time, the modular system also considerably simplifies installation and the replacement of cables and hoses in the event of a failure. While the service loop used cable clamps, the e-loop uses a system with shackles. Overall, Pertamina Drilling estimates that the e-loop can be installed three to four hours faster than a conventional service loop. Since single-core cables run in the e-loop, a cable failure does not immediately mean replacing the entire system, which saves high spare parts costs and maintenance time.

The chainflex cables used within the e-loop system are specially designed for vertical applications with high tensile forces in top drives. The CFSPECIAL series also comes with DNV approval, which proves safety even in harsh environments such as the oil and gas industry.

At Pertamina Drilling, e-loop and chainflex cables have been in use for over a year without any significant signs of wear. The company assumes that the system will exceed the service life of the service loops otherwise used and will operate reliably in the harsh environments. The close cooperation between the engineers from Pertamina Drilling and their colleagues at igus also contributed to this. As high humidity in Indonesia can quickly lead to corrosion, parts prone to corrosion, e.g., clevis pins and nuts, were replaced with more resistant materials, further improving the system's service life and reliability.