Optimizing Transportation Service for Oil Exploration

Onshore or land-type drilling rigs used for oil exploration in remote desert areas, commonly found in the Middle East, require an adequate system of transportation. Trucks are needed to transport the rig itself, accessory camp facilities, and material and equipment for the drilling operations. A trucking program has to be worked out which allows for no shutdown of operation. At the same time transportation cost should be kept at a minimum. This paper deals with such a situation by identifying the various factors affecting the transportation service, with special emphasis on those under the direct control of the transportation manager. It then provides an analytical approach and a simplified technique that can be easily pursued by the transportation manager in order to provide the number of trucks resulting in minimum cost and with no shutdown or standby rig time.