8,882m Ultra-Deep Pipe Handling: 50,000+ Joints, Zero Incidents
At a Glance
When CNPC Western Drilling (西部钻探) spudded what would become Asia’s deepest onshore well at 8,882 meters, the pipe-handling demands were unlike anything a Chinese drilling contractor had faced. Over 50,000 drill pipe joints needed to move between the pipe rack and the drill floor — each one a potential safety risk. The answer was Jingtao Energy’s electric-driven power catwalk, purpose-built for ultra-deep, high-volume operations on Rig 90008.electric-driven power catwalk
The result: 50,000+ joints handled, zero safety incidents, zero unplanned downtime from pipe-handling failures.
The Challenge: Pipe Handling at 8,882 Meters
At 8,882 meters, every trip in and out of the hole moves thousands of joints. Rig crews working at this depth face three compounding problems:
Extreme trip count. A single bit change at 8,800m can require pulling and re-running 200+ stands of drill pipe. Manually handling this volume with a winch line and two roughnecks on the catwalk is not just slow — it’s a fatigue-driven safety hazard on every single joint.
Joint integrity risk. Deep wells run premium threads at high torque specs. A single dinged connection from rough handling on the V-door can cascade into a twist-off downhole — a multi-million-dollar fishing job.
Weather extremes. Western China basins see -30°C winters and +45°C summers. Hydraulic systems get sluggish in cold, leaky in heat. The catwalk had to work the same shift after shift, regardless of ambient temperature.
Western Drilling needed a pipe-handling system that was faster than manual crews, safer for the men on the drill floor, and reliable enough to run 24 hours a day for months without a missed trip.
The Solution: Electric-Driven Power Catwalk
Catwalk frame with dual VFD hoist motors, ABB drives, and Siemens PLC control – ExdIIBT4 rated.
Jingtao Energy’s electric-driven power catwalk replaces the traditional winch-line-and-manual-labor pipe handling workflow with a fully automated, VFD-controlled system.
Why Electric, Not Hydraulic
The switch from hydraulic to electric drive was the single biggest reliability upgrade. Hydraulic systems bleed performance in extreme temperatures — oil thickens in winter, seals degrade in summer. The electric catwalk uses ABB variable-frequency drives and Siemens PLC control, unaffected by ambient temperature.
Dual VFD hoist motors (2×37 kW) + travel motor (11 kW) — precise speed control from 0 to full cycle
Siemens PLC with HMI touchscreen — real-time monitoring of current, voltage, hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, speed, and position
Explosion-proof rating ExdIIBT4 across all cabinets and remote control
Three control modes: wireless remote (50m range), local panel, or driller’s cabin integrated
How It Works on the Rig Floor
The catwalk sits between the pipe rack and the drill floor. A V-shaped trough on the conveyor bed receives three joints of drill pipe at a time from the rack. The hoist winch raises the conveyor ramp to the rig floor — the ramp pins directly to the rig’s V-door, same footprint as the original ramp. A traveling trolley pushes the pipe through the V-door to the rig floor, where the driller’s crew picks it up with elevators. The whole cycle — three joints from rack to rig floor — runs in under 100 seconds on the medium frame (10.5–11m drill floor height).
On the return trip, the process reverses: the trolley receives pipe from the rig floor, the ramp lowers, and the cross-shift mechanism kicks the pipe off the trough onto the rack — three at a time. No manual handling. No tag lines. No roughnecks on the catwalk.
Implementation: Rig 90008 Deployment
Electric-driven power catwalk handling drill pipe – 45 kN load. Jingtao Energy 20,000 sqm production facility, Dongying.
The catwalk for Rig 90008 was sized for a 12–12.5m drill floor height — the large-frame model, rated for 13.5m maximum pipe length and 45 kN load capacity. The system was factory-tested at Jingtao’s 20,000 m² production facility in Dongying before shipping to the wellsite in Xinjiang.
Installation followed the standard two-day rig-up sequence: position the base frame, pin the ramp to the V-door, connect the explosion-proof quick-connect electrical couplings, and run the PLC self-check. The system integrates with the rig’s existing driller console — no separate operator shack required.
Results: 50,000+ Joints, Zero Incidents
Over the course of drilling and completing the 8,882m well, the catwalk moved more than 50,000 drill pipe joints between the rack and the drill floor. The safety record tells the story — zero dropped pipe, zero hand or crush injuries, and zero unplanned downtime from pipe-handling equipment failure.
For context: a manual pipe-handling crew on a well this deep would handle roughly the same number of joints — but with a hand-injury risk on every trip and a physical fatigue curve that slows operations as shifts wear on. The catwalk eliminates both variables. It doesn’t get tired, doesn’t lose focus on the 800th joint, and doesn’t slip on icy grating at 4 AM.
Beyond Rig 90008: Fleet Performance
The Rig 90008 deployment is the deepest, but it’s not an outlier. Jingtao power catwalks have been deployed across 42 contracts from 2018 to 2025, serving nearly 30 drilling teams under CNPC Western Drilling, Bohai Drilling, Shengli Drilling Research Institute, Zhongyuan Petroleum, and others. The first unit went to Shengli Oilfield in 2014 — a hydraulic model on Rig 70108SL. The first electric-driven unit shipped to Western Drilling’s Rig 80602 in September 2022. Since then, electric drive has become the standard configuration for all new orders.
Why This Matters
For Drilling Contractors
Ultra-deep wells are no longer experimental. CNPC and Sinopec are targeting 9,000m+ formations across the Tarim and Sichuan basins. Every contractor bidding on these wells will be asked two questions: how do you handle pipe at 9,000 meters, and what’s your tripping safety record? The catwalk answers both with field data, not promises.
For the Industry
Asian onshore drilling has historically lagged offshore and North American land in automation adoption. Rig 90008 at 8,882m with an all-electric catwalk handling 50,000+ joints without a single incident changes that narrative. This is a Chinese-rig, Chinese-equipment, Chinese-crew operation running at world-class safety standards. The technology stack — VFD electric drive, Siemens PLC, ABB drives, explosion-proof quick-connect electrical architecture — is as modern as anything running in the Permian or the North Sea.
For Jingtao Energy
For Jingtao Energy, the Rig 90008 operation provides validated performance data under the most demanding onshore conditions in Asia. The 50,000+ joint handling record at 8,882 meters serves as the reference benchmark for future ultra-deep well proposals across the Tarim and Sichuan basins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What sizes of drill floor can the catwalk accommodate?
Jingtao power catwalks come in five frame sizes covering drill floor heights from 7.5m to 14m. The Rig 90008 unit was the large frame (12–12.5m). The ultra-large frame (13.76–14m) is available for the tallest rigs. All frames handle 13.5m maximum pipe length — including Range 3 drill pipe and 24-inch casing. A sizing consultation is included with every quotation to match your rig’s V-door height and pipe inventory.
Q: What happens if the catwalk loses power mid-cycle?
The system includes an emergency gravity-return function: on power loss, the electromagnetic brakes release and the conveyor ramp lowers to its horizontal rest position under controlled descent. No manual intervention is required to bring the catwalk to a safe state. Dual electrical protection circuits and one mechanical interlock provide three independent safety layers — the winch also has automatic overload cutoff to prevent wire rope failure.
Q: Can the catwalk be retrofitted to an existing rig?
Yes. The ramp pins to the rig’s existing V-door mounting points — the connection dimensions match the original ramp. The electrical system uses explosion-proof quick-connect couplings, so no hard-wiring is needed between the catwalk and the rig. Standard rig-up takes two days. The system integrates with the driller’s console via a single communication cable. Most of Jingtao’s 42 contracts have been retrofits to operating rigs, not new-build installations. For rigs upgrading from hydraulic to electric catwalks, the existing foundation pads are typically reusable with minor adjustments.
Q: What maintenance does the electric catwalk require compared to hydraulic models?
The electric drive significantly reduces the maintenance burden compared to hydraulic models — no hydraulic power unit, oil reservoir, filters, hoses, or seals to service. VFD motors and gearboxes require periodic lubrication and brake inspection. Real-time PLC diagnostics flag anomalies before they become failures.
Explore Related Solutions
The power catwalk is one component of Jingtao Energy’s drill-floor automation suite. All products are built at the same 20,000 m² Dongying facility with the same Siemens PLC and ABB drive control architecture for seamless integration.
Iron Roughneck (TZG 9-3/4-140) — handles 2-7/8″ to 9-3/4″ tubulars, make-up torque 140 kN·m, breakout 160 kN·m. Pairs directly with the catwalk for fully automated tripping.
Drill Floor Manipulator — 3,250mm reach, 600 kg lift, 3,000 N·m swing torque. Positions pipe from catwalk to well center without manual handling.
Hydraulic Catwalk (legacy) — for operators who need pipe-handling automation on a tighter budget. Same mechanical architecture, hydraulic power instead of VFD electric.
For a [complete drill-floor automation consultation](contact Jingtao Energy’s engineering team), contact Jingtao Energy’s engineering team with your rig specifications.
Get the Specs for Your Rig
→ Request a Quote — send your rig’s V-door height and pipe program for a same-week quotation and lead time estimate.
→ Download Brochure — full technical specs, dimensional drawings, and cycle-time charts for all five frame sizes.
Speak directly with a Jingtao Energy engineer: [email protected] | WhatsApp available on request.