Kenera Develops System to Automate Hazardous Operations on Drilling Rigs
Kenera, a Tyumen-based company known for its work on localizing top drive systems, has announced the development of a robotic system for tripping operations on drilling rigs. A robotic manipulator grips a pipe, lifts it, positions it precisely, and connects it to another pipe or, when needed, unscrews it and moves it aside.
Oil and gas deposits lie deep underground, so extracting them requires a long drill string assembled from individual drill pipes. If a component fails, the entire string must be pulled out and disassembled. The string can weigh hundreds of kilograms, and people have traditionally handled all this heavy work. Each operation takes time, leaving the well idle. Kenera’s development is designed to streamline the process.
Localization and Robotics
The robot positions each pipe with millimeter-level precision, ensuring that the threads line up correctly. It maintains this accuracy even in extreme temperatures, including the −40°C and colder conditions found at some oil fields. The system is operated remotely. It forms part of a digital drilling rig project that Kenera has been developing for about two years, automating drilling processes and downhole operations.
But a pipe cannot simply be lowered into the ground. It must also rotate so that the drill bit at its end can cut through the rock. In the past, rigs used a bulky rotary table on the drilling floor for this purpose. A modern top drive system, by contrast, is mounted overhead and rotates the drill pipe while raising and lowering it. This arrangement makes the process faster and more convenient.
Kenera manufactures its own top drive systems, replacing foreign components with Russian-made parts. The company already has experience in this area. In 2024, it announced the completion of pilot industrial testing for its TD-500-XT system, which had operated for several months at an oil field in Eastern Siberia before being purchased by the customer. This year, Kenera said it intends to increase the share of Russian-made components at Gazprom’s request.
Not the Only Developer, but an Important One
Russia already has other developments in robotic systems for tripping operations on drilling rigs. For example, RN-BashNIPIneft, part of Rosneft, has introduced a robotic system for well workovers.
A well workover typically requires two machines: one to lift the pipes and another to unscrew and lay them down. Rosneft has combined both functions in a single machine. The system can also perform several tasks simultaneously. While one pipe is being lowered into the well, the machine measures the next pipe and prepares it for operation. As a result, a workover takes four days instead of five.
Verkhnechonskneftegaz, a Rosneft subsidiary, has equipped all its drilling rigs with robotic manipulators that automatically connect and disconnect drill pipe joints. The machine picks up a pipe, positions it precisely and tightens the connection quickly, without requiring a worker to enter the hazardous area. It completes a single connection in about 30 seconds.
Uralmash NGO Holding has developed a robotic pipe handler for drilling rigs. It picks up a pipe, moves it into position and sets it down, then retrieves it when it is time to lower it into the well. The system combines physical strength with software-based decision-making. Its software determines the order in which pipes should be handled, where they should be placed, and how to prevent them from colliding with one another or striking nearby workers.
Meanwhile, Neftserviceholding has shared results from deploying its IR-ROBOT hardware and software system at oil and gas fields in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. The solution combines automated manipulator operations, robotic pipe-handling racks, remote control of a hydraulic power tong and video analytics to monitor whether people are present in hazardous areas. Using IR-ROBOT during well construction reduces nonproductive time by 20%.
Looking Ahead
Before the system can be deployed commercially, its manipulators must be proven reliable, positioning accuracy must be validated, software control must remain stable, and safe interaction between equipment and personnel must be demonstrated. Another question remains: how fully will the manipulators be integrated with the digital drilling rig? That is why Kenera is also developing its software capabilities. Full integration between the robot and systems that monitor operating parameters and perform analytics is expected to follow.
The broader market outlook is promising. Russia’s oil and gas cluster currently comprises 222 companies. Because tripping operations are an essential part of well operations, Kenera’s development is likely to attract interest from oil producers.
