The strategy spans the company’s drilling operations and well technical services, with a focus on proactively researching, selecting, integrating, and progressively mastering key technologies.
A notable example is PVD Logging, a PV Drilling subsidiary, which has commissioned a next-generation Mud Logging unit for the drilling campaign of Phu Quoc Petroleum Operating Company (PQPOC).
Innovation driven by operational needs
Mud Logging is a critical technical service in oil and gas drilling. A Mud Logging unit can be viewed as an on-site center for collecting, processing, and monitoring well data. Drilling parameters are captured through sensors and combined with gas analysis and drill-cuttings data, enabling engineers to track well conditions, provide timely information for drilling operations, and identify indications of hydrocarbons.
After years of providing Mud Logging services for drilling and workover campaigns, PVD Logging identified limitations in its existing units as technology requirements, deployment speed, and operational efficiency increased. The legacy system was built on an older-generation Windows platform, while many components and sensors relied heavily on suppliers in the US and Europe. The units were also relatively large, making transportation and installation on offshore rigs more challenging. Extended procurement lead times also hindered the rapid mobilization required for drilling campaigns.
Rather than purchasing an entirely new unit based on the existing design, PVD Logging opted to upgrade the existing structure while comprehensively modernizing its technology systems. This approach allowed the company to maximize the value of existing assets while gaining greater flexibility in selecting technologies tailored to operational requirements.
Designing, integrating, and diversifying supply sources
Beginning in 2022, PVD Logging researched Data Acquisition System (DAS) platforms while actively identifying and evaluating new domestic and international suppliers. Drawing on its operational experience and service requirements, the company established its own system configuration and technical specifications and ordered equipment according to its design and requirements.
Following internal technical assessments and workshops, PVD Logging selected suitable components and developed an integration plan for the existing Mud Logging unit. The upgraded unit features a new DAS, specialized industrial computers, and a modern software platform. Its gas analysis system was also redesigned in a more compact configuration to facilitate operation, maintenance, and repairs.
The project’s significance extends beyond equipment replacement and supplier diversification. By defining its own system architecture and technical requirements, commissioning equipment to its specifications, and carrying out system integration, PVD Logging demonstrated greater command of the core technologies underpinning a Mud Logging unit rather than relying on a turnkey solution from a single supplier.
This capability has provided a stronger foundation for diversifying supply sources and improving the company’s autonomy in upgrading, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting its equipment.
In parallel with the technology overhaul, PVD Logging worked with another PV Drilling subsidiary, PVD Offshore, to modify the existing unit’s enclosure, reducing its length from 24 feet to 20 feet. The interior was redesigned for more efficient use of space, facilitating operations, maintenance, and offshore transportation. The more compact footprint also expands the unit’s compatibility with a wider range of drilling rigs.
Performance proven in the field
Completing the new Mud Logging unit in time for PQPOC’s drilling campaign presented significant technical and logistical challenges. The new DAS had to be compatible with existing sensors, while PVD Logging’s technical team had to rapidly master both the new hardware and software. Procurement, logistics, engineering, and structural modifications also had to proceed largely in parallel.
Through close coordination among PV Drilling, PVD Logging, and PVD Offshore, the unit was completed on schedule and successfully commissioned. After more than three months of continuous operation, the system has remained stable and met the customer’s technical requirements. PVD Logging personnel have directly operated and monitored the system and handled operational requirements throughout service delivery.
The project has also delivered measurable financial and operational benefits. Compared with purchasing a completely new unit from the existing supplier, the chosen solution reduced total investment costs by nearly 24 percent. The modification-based approach also shortened the implementation schedule by about 60 days, helping reduce time and costs for the customer.
More importantly, the project has strengthened PVD Logging’s supply-chain flexibility and increased its autonomy in equipment operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Turning technology into an in-house capability
Within PV Drilling’s broader development strategy, the next-generation Mud Logging unit represents more than an equipment modernization project. It reflects the company’s broader commitment to applying science, technology, and innovation to enhance its service capabilities.
Building on the core technologies it has developed and mastered, PVD Logging plans to continue expanding its Mud Logging solutions toward greater flexibility, including mini–Mud Logging systems, portable units, wireless sensors, upgraded software platforms, and the future integration of additional sensors and services.
The transition from a 24-foot Mud Logging unit to a 20-foot system built around a new technology platform is therefore significant not simply because of its smaller footprint or upgraded equipment. Its greater value lies in PVD Logging’s ability to define technical requirements, select and integrate components, improve system architecture, and progressively master the core technologies involved.
This approach reflects how PV Drilling is turning technology into an increasingly important source of in-house strength, enhancing operational efficiency and reinforcing the competitiveness of its well technical services in both domestic and international markets.
