EVERY RUN COUNTS

QUALITY AND INNOVATION ARE THE HALLMARKS OF ULTERRA'S PDC DRILL BITS, AND THEY JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER

During Covid-19 there were very few supply chains that did not experience some adverse effects. For the oil and gas industry, things were already a bit haywire, with OPEC cuts that saw the organization’s share of global crude production fall 39%. Then came the major slowdowns of the pandemic, the supply chain upheavals of a restart, and the labor tumult as the economy got back in full swing. Through it all, Ulterra remained the leading independent supplier of PDC drill bits for the industry. The company has been at the forefront of change before, focusing on PDC bits at a time when most operations still used tricone bits. They saw what the future held then, and they’re doing it again now with a digitalization process that will provide newfound efficiencies in the back office and on the manufacturing floor, putting an industry leader even higher above the competition.

EBB AND FLOW

The demand for bit designs and material technology (in the form of PDC cutters) has increased exponentially over the last 20 years. During that time frame, Ulterra answered the call, becoming a leader in the space.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve seen expansion globally, adding more equipment and people,” supply chain director Brian Hilburn told BOSS. “Along the way, we continuously develop and refine our processes that make our product what it is, and Ulterra a household name in our market.”

When the pandemic struck, the usual hum of global activity suddenly went silent. Less demand for oil meant less demand for drill bits. As the world began to emerge and economic activity ramped up toward the end of 2021, “It was like somebody flipped a switch and everybody was back in business and wanted product immediately,” he said.