The discovery of regional, rich hydrocarbon reserves in 1947 generated an oil and gas industry that produced an ongoing population explosion in the former prairie town. Despite the industry’s sharp downturn in the 1980s, its resurgence in the 1990s and continuous growth to date have re-established the oil and gas industry as the main driver of Calgary’s economic growth. The oil and gas division of Cubex Limited in Calgary has long-supplied equipment and training to the fossil fuels industry both nationally and internationally. In 2001, Chinese oilfield officials consulted with Cubex Limited about introducing advanced technology into their oil drilling operations; Cubex Limited, in turn, called on Hurricane Compressors to help make that happen. Soon after the new millennium rolled in, Duane Thygesen, Manager of Oilfield Services for Cubex Limited, was in China discussing oilfield air drilling equipment and operations with an international drilling contracting division of the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). “Our Chinese customer had identified air drilling technology as having potential in their oilfield applications,” says Thygesen. “They wanted to get into the air drilling business, and they selected Cubex to help them achieve that. Booster compressors were just one part of the equipment package we needed to supply to meet their needs.” CNPC indicated that compact, portable equipment and quick delivery were critical criteria for a successful contract negotiation. After confirming that Hurricane Compressors could meet both conditions, Cubex negotiated and accepted a contract to supply two complete air drilling packages. The equipment packages were built, tested and shipped overseas on time, and air drilling operations commenced soon thereafter. Cubex Limited went on to become the distributor for Hurricane Compressors in western Canada, bridging a connection for future air booster placement in China. “We saw the potential in this relationship in the beginning, for sure,” says Thygesen. “Their core ideas were very good and Hurricane Compressors has good people to work with.” Three major air drilling operations involving Hurricane Compressors’ units were subsequently established in Chinese provinces. The first was launched in Karamay, an historic area near the Altai Mountains in the far northwest province of Xinjiang. Two 6T-414-62B/1850 boosters were placed in service in a variety of air drilling applications. The next air drilling venture was set up in Xi’an, the capital of Shannxi province, a city renowned for its ancient beginnings in the Yellow River basin. Four 6T-855-62B/2200 boosters were placed into air drilling service in the mountains of northeastern Sichuan province. In the northeast’s heavy industrial province of Liaoning, home to the sprawling Liaohe Oilfield, a smaller 6T-276-43B/3000 booster entered service in an on-site membrane nitrogen generation application. Incorporating various Hurricane Compressors’ units into China’s extremely diverse climate and geographical settings called for customizations to the boosters. Cubex Limited worked closely with engineers at Hurricane to develop these modifications. The modifications developed for oilfield applications include: “What we value about Hurricane is their responsiveness to customer feedback and their willingness to stand behind their products. They don’t run and hide when something needs attention,” says Thygesen. Presently there are close to 20 Hurricane boosters in use in Chinese oilfield operations with two boosters currently on order. |
 "What we value about Hurricane is their responsiveness to customer feedback and their willingness to stand behind their products." Duane Thygesen |
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