Company Announcement - Drillers get the rig they need faster with the new Atlas Copco Diamondback drilling rig with optional sliding-angle mast and enhanced safety features. The rig’s bolt-on modular components – a new concept in rig design – shorten lead time while making it a truly multipurpose rig. See it for the first time at South Atlantic Jubilee Booth 730 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, July 25 to July 27.The modular design means Diamondback owners will be able to reconfigure their rig in response to changes in market opportunities without special kits, makeshift fabrications or having to purchase another rig.

Safety enhancements include features and options such as hands-free pipe handling and breakout, enlarged operator and helper stands, a table safety cage and catwalks that meet or exceed industry safety standards. Powered by the truck’s 600 hp engine, drilling operations of the Diamondback are PTO-driven, like the Atlas Copco T2W and Atlas Copco TH60. An optional deck engine module is available for those who prefer a separate engine for drilling operations.

The first series of Diamondback rigs is being introduced in the 40,000-pounds pullback class. Pulldown is rated at 30,000 pounds. Future additions will range from 25,000-pound to 100,000-pound rigs. The first production rig will hit the field this summer, with more coming out of the Atlas Copco facility in Garland, Texas, later this year.

Modular design advantages

Tom Moffitt, Business Development Manager–Deep Hole Drills of Atlas Copco Mining, Rock Excavation and Construction, said the Diamondback rig’s modular design significantly shortens lead time due to bolt-on components, which share universal mounting locations and connection points. “Factory slots won’t have to be limited to just a few rigs of select models with little commonality among their rig-specific parts,” Moffitt explained. “Drillers just have to choose their options. One configuration doesn’t necessarily take longer than another to build for them, so wait time between order and delivery is less.” Customers specify air and mud package, rod carousel or box, automated rod handling systems (or none), rotary head type, spindle size, 34- or 38-foot tubular tower, and carrier-mounted or tower-mounted table. Only the tower-mounted-table configuration can be used for angle drilling, however. Two tables are available, offering either a 24-inch opening or 17-inch opening.

Truck and tower

Named for an iconic symbol of the American Revolution, the Diamondback will be available globally. In the U.S., the Diamondback is built on a 600 hp Peterbilt carrier. The Diamondback features a tubular tower similar to the Atlas Copco T2W. The weight-to-strength ratio is superior to lattice towers, with an open design that leaves plenty of room at the deck to weld casing or work around pipe. The driller’s console pivots for good visibility of any operation taking place, even with the head slid to the right side for running casing.

The Atlas Copco Diamondback also offers many other options and upgrades, with the promise of more in the future. Alex Grant, Product Line Manager for Deep Hole Rigs within Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions, said the modular design of the Diamondback concept arose in response to recent, rapid market changes Atlas Copco saw customers experiencing. “We’ve all seen in recent years how contractors can find themselves suddenly needing to expand their drilling repertoire or even switching from one specialty to another. The Diamondback is the only rig on the market that allows owners to do that without intensive after-purchase modifications,” Grant said.