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Over the last few months I have been working with Charles Bitters in answering the many emails to AMEP inquiring about the company and its activities. Many of the emails were inquiring about the new Ideco drilling rig that was recently acquired by AMEP Strategic Investments Inc. The inquires ranged from, "Does it exist?" to "When will drilling start?" At first I had as many questions as you did because this is the rig that will be drilling the two horizontal Barnett Shale wells in the Bend Arch Partners I Joint Venture that Oil America Group is currently forming. |
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This rig was found in Central Mexico . It had been acquired in the mid 1980's by a Mexican water well drilling company. They had purchased the rig with the intention of using it to drill deep water wells in Mexico . It quickly became evident that the rig although in good condition was a bit of overkill and never used it. It was placed in storage, in a warehouse, until a decision could be made as to what to do with it. As time moved on and other issues were more pressing it was forgotten about until Charles Bitters , through a bit of luck, stumbled upon someone who told him about it. It was not long before Charles had made connections in Mexico and was opening the warehouse where it had been stored some twenty long years before. |
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It was dusty and the tires had long since gone flat but all in all it seemed to be in good condition. The question was will the big Detroit , GM and Cummings engines that powered it come back to life. That was the chance he was going to have to take. If he tried to start them, and they turned over, the price would go nowhere but up. Charles cut a deal on the spot, as is and delivered to Laredo , Texas where he would take possession. |
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It has taken several months and the road has been full of twists and turns but the Ideco rig is now in Mineral Wells, Texas and ready for work. The big engines have been tenderly coaxed back to life and run like new. The draw works, pumps, compressors and other workings of the rig have been disassembled, cleaned, painted, lubricated, reassembled and readied for work.
The rig is now in the process of being lowered and being prepared for transport to the site of a proposed 3,100 foot gas well in north central Palo Pinto County, Texas.
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For all of the "Doubting Thomas's" who questioned the existence of such a rig when all of the available rigs had long since been pressed into service, the new rig has been named the AMEP "Phantom I" .
The following are a series of pictures for you to view the new rig. I have also included two movie clips with sound so you can view the derrick being raised and locking into place for the first time in twenty years.
Joe Christopher
President
Oil America Group |
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Please view the two mpg videos of the derrick being setup for operation.
A high speed connection works best. |
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The Drilling Rig Vertical
