The Four Corners — where the borders of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet—is phenomenal in its hydrocarbon production. It includes the San Juan Basin, Paradox Basin, and Black Mesa Basin of the Colorado Plateau, a high, semi-arid region comprised of a gigantic basin ringed by highlands. Below its spectacular petrified landscape lie rich mineral resources of uranium, coal, natural gas, and oil. At the heart of Four Corners in the San Juan Basin—the third-largest gas producing area in the United States—is Farmington, New Mexico, the region’s largest city. Here, where catering to the oil and gas industries is almost an industry in itself, D & T Oilfield Rentals, Inc. (D & T) serves the high pressure air compression needs of oil and gas field operations. To meet those needs, the company required a line of superior air compression products. That is where Hurricane Compressors™ came in. WHAT THE COMPANY NEEDEDIf it hadn't been for Hurricane Compressors™, D & T Oilfield Rentals, Inc. (D & T) may never have existed. Daniel Chenoweth, Vice President of D & T, had been researching high pressure air compressors for over 10 years in an effort to add a more technologically-advanced air booster to the product line of an air drilling company he co-owned at the time. He thought he had found a potential product at Hurricane Compressors. When the air drilling company was sold, the air compressor research was put on hold. Later, when the D & T distributorship for high-quality compressed air products was formed, he went back to his notes and called Hurricane Compressors to talk business. "I knew it would be difficult to begin this company without the new technologies and flexibilities that Hurricane Compressors provides. The options out there were just so limited," says Chenoweth. "Units that were effective in the 70s, 80s, and 90s were available, but none had upgraded their technology to meet today’s demands for better fuel economy, efficiency, lighter weight, and a smaller footprint. The Hurricane compressors seemed to be designed specifically to meet those needs." WHAT THE COMPANY GOTD & T placed an initial order for Hurricane Compressors model 6T-855-62B-2000, the company's largest, most powerful air booster. Despite its position as the biggest of the Hurricane inventory, it was still significantly lighter and smaller than the competition. D & T personnel and several prospective customers attended a full-fledged test run at the potential distributor's Farmington yard, and the results were an overwhelming success. "The performance of the Hurricane booster was not even close to what we expected—it was significantly better!" Chenoweth exclaimed. "We were impressed and our customers were impressed. That's why we took the distributorship—the Hurricane Compressors products could meet customer demands. Hurricane has a fantastic unit. We did not realize—until we saw it operate—how efficient it is and what potential it could have for direct application in this market." D & T's markets are primarily oil and gas well drilling, completion, and cavitation. The company was convinced the 6T-855-62B-2000 booster was the best overall unit for these applications. However, several small, yet significant, changes to the unit were necessary to optimize it for field operations in their areas. The specifications included:
The desired alterations were immediately and expertly incorporated, revealing another Hurricane Compressors' strength—flexibility. "Another thing that has impressed me about Hurricane Compressors is that they have extensive engineering staff," says Chenoweth. "If I call in and give them a spec of what I want, they'll design exactly what I ask for. And they also allow for a margin of safety—like when calibrating for a specific cfm or psi—so that the equipment is never maxed out." WHAT THE COMPANY HAS IN THE FIELDSince June 2006, D & T has placed five Hurricane air booster units in the field and has nine others on order, but only the first unit was tested in the company yards. "That's not by choice," says Chenoweth. "It's just because of the high demand. The compressors hit our yard, we ready them to be shipped to the well, take them out to the job site, and fire them up; from that point, they're online running." At least one customer is looking to replace a lot of older equipment, and one nationwide customer is acquiring more air boosters to perform multi-site testing in the field. One unit will be installed in the mountains of Colorado and one on the plains of Texas—radically different geographies and climates—to determine the true broad capabilities of the air boosters. Future potential customers are awaiting the results of these field studies; and, if they are positive, the customers are expected to purchase the equipment. Early findings are already in on the booster compressors presently on job sites, and they reveal that the Hurricane products have pleased customers. WHAT THE COMPANY HAS LEARNED"We've definitely received feedback," says Chenoweth. "We monitor all our equipment closely and stay in constant contact with our customers—from the area managers all the way down to the field personnel. At this point, the feedback has all been very positive. We’ve found that when Hurricane engineers a booster that is calibrated for a specific level of performance, they are dead accurate on what that unit will do." Chenoweth says, as do others in the industry, that it's difficult to assign specific measurements of productivity back to the air booster because there are so many different factors that affect a rig’s production process. However, satisfied customers emphatically cite the Hurricane booster's benefits:
"When we put a unit out there, we just don't have any problems with it," says Chenoweth. "I mean, there are always a few small routine issues that are quickly fixed, but Hurricane boosters are virtually problem-free units. As far as quality is concerned, when it comes out of the Hurricane factory, it's already passed a stringent performance test—so it's meeting and beating our customers' expectations." WHAT THE COMPANY GETS IN ADDED BENEFITSService and support are key to a company's success and growth, and D & T finds that Hurricane Compressors meets and exceeds expectations in these areas, as well. "I cannot emphasize enough the support they have given me," says Chenoweth. "We've built a very strong relationship in a very short time. I can call Hurricane at any hour and their response is immediate—whether it's to answer a question, ship a part, or jump on a plane to help me commission a product for a new customer. We have to impress our customers not only with quality equipment, but also with impeccable service; and, with the support I get from Hurricane, I've been able to do that." Chenoweth says the service he received from other manufacturers in the past wasn't bad, but that his company simply got accustomed to solving a lot of problems on their own. "With Hurricane, if we have an issue, they're right there with me, and they pull me right through it," he says. The superior service and support D & T receives from Hurricane Compressors means Chenoweth, who's also in charge of sales, can spend more time on market acquisition and expanding the business into new areas, such as remote service points. "Hurricane Compressors has been a huge positive influence on our success so far. They have opened up several new opportunities for us and will enable us to grow tremendously," says Chenoweth. |
 "The performance of the Hurricane booster was not even close to what we expected—it was significantly better!" Daniel Chenoweth |
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