The RIGTOOLS Journey: From Rig Floor Innovators to Global Safety Leaders

The team at IRE has always felt very fortunate to work with an array of exceptional partners within the oil and gas industry. By establishing strong relationships with these renowned organisations and developing a complete understanding of their product portfolio, IRE’s experts can seamlessly support customers across the Middle East with cost-effective solutions that solve their complex problems.

One such manufacturer that we are proud to partner with is RIGTOOLS. Founded in 2010, RIGTOOLS’ product portfolio is proven to reduce the safety risks found within oilfield drilling operations.

In this blog post, we sat down with key members of the RIGTOOLS team who discussed the inspiration behind the company’s founding and its versatile products.

Key personnel:

• Kennet Petersen, Chief Executive Officer

• Matthew Towell, International Sales Manager

• Lene Hemmingsen, External Marketing - Kele & Co ApS

Could you tell us about the founding of RIGTOOLS, and the inspiration behind it?

“Our founders first met in their early 30s while working offshore in the late 2000s. Having enjoyed several years working in the offshore environment, the pair, initially never sought to found a company together.

“Instead, the two founders were striving to solve the common issues that were facing them and the rest of their rig crew on a daily basis. These issues persistently disrupted day-to-day operations or introduced unnecessary risk to rig crew and led to the pair developing their first idea for a product: the BHA Wash Tool.

“Designed to be attached seamlessly atop a diverter or bell nipple while connecting to either the rig’s high-pressure (HP) system or a separate HP unit, the BHA Wash Tool minimises the need for manual cleaning and improves the safety of the rig crew.

“After designing and building a prototype, the product received immediate interest from oil and gas customers. Excited by the prospect of their product being used by the industry, the pair knew they had to found a company to go alongside their unique idea - and so came RIGTOOLS!”

How has RIGTOOLS’ product portfolio evolved since the BHA Wash Tool?

“Although the team had no initial plans to found a company, RIGTOOLS promised to be an opportunity to solve the everyday problems they were facing offshore drilling crew. Due to the interest in their first product, they knew they could develop even more ideas to positively impact the industry.

“After the BHA Wash Tool, the founders developed more ideas that aimed to address the pain points their crew had faced daily during their offshore careers. Meanwhile, friends within the industry started contributing their own concepts and ideas to RIGTOOLS, eager to see them come to fruition.

“As of today, RIGTOOLS’ product portfolio includes 25 innovative solutions, each designed to eliminate the safety risks common in onshore and offshore drilling environments - 70% of these products are completely unique to RIGTOOLS.

“From small hand tools to larger machinery, our portfolio doesn’t have a limit to what it can become. We follow a market-led innovation approach; listening to the pain points facing drilling contractors, this funds our development for new solutions that will ultimately improve the safety of people working offshore, while optimising operational performance.”

While improving the general safety of offshore environments, how does RIGTOOLS’ solutions also improve non-productive time (NPT)?

“Our innovations primarily focus on improving the safety of offshore environments, particularly the issues commonly found in the red zone. Many of these products can help clients become more hands-free in the red zone; by automating some of these processes and reducing the amount of time crew spend in the red zone, we can help customers minimise accidents occurring in these environments. By doing operational tasks in an optimised way, we can often see time reductions as well.

“While all of our products are safety-orientated, some were originally designed specifically with time-efficiency in mind. Again, this is built upon our founders’ offshore experience and the issues they faced everyday - some of our products are designed to make jobs quicker, while others are designed to replace outdated ways of working with smarter approaches."

Could you give an insight into the success of RIGTOOLS’ products, and how IRE can help customers across the Middle East adopt these solutions?

“Our FOSV Handling Tool is an immediate standout, as this is now used by two of the world’s biggest drilling contractors which have standardised this solution across their entire fleets. This tool is designed for use with Full Open Safety Valves or Kelly Valves and enables valves to be lifted and installed rapidly without the need for lift nubbins or manual chain tongs - it’s a great example of how our products can enhance offshore safety, while improving operational efficiencies.

“However, our most successful product is the RIGTOOLS Clamp which we estimate to be used by the majority of rigs around the world. Near enough an industry standard for handling, the clamp simplifies and improves the safety of handling lift subs - a task that’s done more than 30 times per shift.

“The effectiveness of IRE and its ability to onboard Middle Eastern clients with our products such as the FOSV tool and the RIGTOOLS Clamp cannot be overstated. Since the establishment of our partnership, IRE has helped numerous clients in the region adopt our solutions. Its experts work tirelessly to understand the issues facing operators, and where relevant, have supplied them with our innovative products that have enhanced the safety and efficiency of these drilling rigs.” 

Enquire about RIGTOOLS’ products today

Are you looking to integrate RIGTOOLS’ products into your Middle East operations? Please get in touch with our team today, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.