Australia Profile - Drilling & Exploration World (DEW) Journal - August 2007

Mitchell Corporation Corporation
Global Innovators in Drilling and Ancillary Services

Mitchell Drilling Corporation (MDC), nearing it's fortieth year in business, is a multi-faceted group of enterprises that specialise in the provision of key services to the natural resources industry.

Today they meet the drilling and well management needs of the burgeoning global coal bed methane industry and have developed a new integrated business model that sees them continuing to innovate by providing value-add services to their core, vertical drilling business.

With the growth in coal bed methane extraction being driven in no small part by the pressures on global energy reserves and government policies around the world seeking new and environmentally sound energy sources, a number of the major global coal and gas explorers have successfully utilised Mitchell's revolutionary Dymaxion® surface-to-inseam technique.

In concert with the companies Directional Drilling and Pipeline and Infrastructure service delivery areas, MDC has created substantial returns on sites around the globe.

"With Dymaxion we have been able to release enormous value for our clients on what were marginal or uneconomic gas deposits", Mitchell Drilling Corporation's group CEO, Nathan Mitchell said.

To date the company has enjoyed a 100% intersection rate of the surface to inseam wells with the main vertical wells by using specially prepared, proprietary software and some of the industry's most experienced directional drillers – this is across approximately 250 wells.

Mitchell's are active in the America's, Australia, Oceania and Asia, their customer-focussed businesses offering services to diverse parts of the industry that include; the exploration of coal and methane gas via in- seam drilling, dewatering and pumping, semi and under-balanced drilling, gas production and monitoring, pipeline and infrastructure planning and completion, directional drilling, modelling and a full range of integrated project management services.

The group's most recent enterprise initiative is in providing their drilling and logging services in India - supported by a full service office in New Delhi, resourced by an expert team of twelve employees. This operation has them engaged in the development of the burgeoning coal bed methane (CBM) industry, directional drilling and innovative turnkey management projects within the Oil & Gas industry on the subcontinent.

In India, as with all other parts of the world in which they operate, the Mitchell’s way of doing things is recognised by resource industry leaders as the "can do" attitude in the global drilling industry.

Mitchell Drilling International – Think Global, Act Local

Mitchell Drilling International (MDI) operates as the international face of Mitchell Drilling Corporation and provides the driving force to co-ordinate the many projects the group
undertakes for their clients and partners around the globe. Current assignments see MDI staff and rigs deployed in India, China, United States, Australia and Europe

Offering the complete suite of specialist skills available across the companies within the group, MDI is staffed by internationally experienced drilling industry specialists and complemented by local personnel in each market to ensure that their business activities are totally in tune with the subtleties and sensitivities of local conditions and protocols.

Mitchell's "Think Global, Act Local" approach has been particularly useful in regions such as India where their remote drilling sites has seen locals trained up to handle the bulk of drilling requirements of the project.

This process has seen some significant talent unearthed and the participation by Indian drillers in an exchange program to Australia where they can receive a modularised training regime over time. Indeed, the group's close relationship with the Indian School of Petroleum has allowed MDC to tailor courses for experienced personnel and trainees of all nationalities.

Thus, apart from experiencing the opportunities to expand globally as a Group, they feel privileged to be able to offer like minded, motivated drilling professionals from other markets the chance to fulfil their potential through access to the wider training options that they can share with them.

In early 2007 Mitchells, through a joint venture with the Canadian mining services company PACE, established a Chinese joint venture company to participate in a $10 million de-gassing project at Shenhua Ningxia Group's Baijigou Coal Mine in the Ningxia Province of China.

The Chinese State Administration of Coal Mine Safety has nominated the project as one of the "Six Special Safety Projects" for 2007.

"In the past, our integrated approach and experience in Dymaxion and directional drilling has made all our projects a great experience for both ourselves and our clients", Mr Mitchell said.

"However, when we will look at operations like our Indian business or the added safety our contribution will make to China's coal industry, well that's making a real difference in people's lives into the future – we're very satisfied with that picture of our business.", Mr Mitchell said.