TIME IS ON THEIR SIDE

FOR CITADEL DRILLING, DOWN IS UP, UP IS UP, AND EVERY DAY BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO INNOVATE

In 2013, Citadel Drilling was making fast inroads in Canada's oil and gas sector. The Calgary-based designer, manufacturer, and operator of the highly advanced TA²CT Series of Alternating Current (AC) triple drilling rigs identified the need to optimize safety, efficiencies and slim down costly downtime and labor. The new venture blended a clear, single focus, visionary technology, and a performance driven approach to drilling to improve the art, science, and safety of oil production. They were creating a bold presence on the Canadian O&G stage - just in time for the industry to collapse.

That heart-stopping turn of events dared them to embrace the transformative potential of calamity as a driver for excellence. "Our goal in creating Citadel was to insulate ourselves from the industry's peaks and valleys as much as possible," Citadel co-founder and CEO Daniel Hoffarth told BOSS. At the ideation stage, the founders filled blank sheets of paper with the changes they felt would move both the company and the sector forward.

"We focused on performance at every level, from high-performing rig technicians, equipment the selection of the best to integrate into the rig, identifying and choosing vendors known for excellence in their fields, and creating a culture of competency and loyalty. From that toolbox we could focus on utilization as our next goal," he said.

It was imperative that in any given cycle, their rigs and their people would be working. In good times or bad, they wanted to make sure there was always work to be had. "That was a real goal for us," he stressed. "We believed that utilization had to be the key and that the best fruit at the market gets picked first." And the keys to achieving the highest rate in the industry were time and safety. "If you can decrease the time something takes and do it without compromising safety, you have a bit of a win there."