Czech contractors take the “Smart” road

When Atlas Copco launched the SmartRig concept it was expected that contractors would need time to appraise its drilling characteristics and performance. But in the Czech Republic, good news travels fast, as Mike Smith reports.

Atlas Copco?s new SmartRig crawler is fast becoming a favourite among surface drillers in the Czech Republic as the nation?s construction industry ? with its huge appetite for aggregates and cement ? continues to boom.

Orders for the SmartRig have been received from six drilling contractors. Eight rigs have been delivered so far and there are more orders in the pipeline.

The attraction of SmartRig is its drilling efficiency, resulting in more output for less input. For example, a 40 percent increase in drillmetres per rig has been reported by two of the country?s largest companies, allowing them to fulfil orders without increasing personnel.