e-loop® for Pertamina Drilling's Top Drive Cable Guidance

Pertamina Drilling is an Indonesian state-owned company primarily engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Other areas of business include refining and distribution, while the company's subholdings are also involved in other areas such as renewable energies and maritime logistics.

Pertamina Drilling encountered repeated technical challenges with the cable guide for the top drive on its drilling rigs. Frequent short circuits caused by the service loop led to unplanned interruptions in operation, non-productive time (NPT) and costly repairs. The failure of a single core usually resulted in the replacement of the entire system and incurred high spare parts costs. Due to the high load caused by constant movement and mechanical loads, damage to the service loop occurred more frequently, making such replacements necessary.

Other environmental factors also have an impact on the cable guide for the top drive. In regions such as Indonesia, high humidity can cause corrosion on components, so choosing the right materials is crucial.

PT Pertamina was therefore looking for an alternative to the service loop that was reliable and durable, as well as easy to install and replace, in order to minimize NPT and ensure efficient operation.

To ensure efficient operation at one of its onshore drilling rigs, Pertamina Drilling now relies on the "e-loop" cable guide system together with chainflex cables for moving applications.

This combination offers a robust yet flexible solution for the cable guide for the top drive. The e-loop consists of ring-shaped, robust PU outer bodies that prevent damage to the inner cables from impacts and vibrations. Since the e-loop enables closed and clean cable guidance, tangling or blocking in the tower area is prevented and operational reliability is increased. This is particularly important in the harsh environment of offshore drilling platforms, where smooth operation is essential. At the same time, the modular system also greatly simplifies the installation and replacement of cables and hoses in the event of a failure. While the service loop used cable clamps, the e-loop relies on a system with shackles. According to Pertamina Drilling’s estimates, the e-loop can be installed around three to four hours faster than the conventional service loop. Since single-core cables run through the e-loop, the failure of one cable does not mean that the entire system has to be replaced, which saves high spare parts costs and maintenance time.

The chainflex cables used within the e-loop system are specially designed for vertical applications with high tensile forces in top drives. The series CFSPECIAL also comes with DNV approval, which proves its safety even in harsh environments such as the oil and gas industry.

The e-loop and chainflex cables have been in use at Pertamina Drilling for over a year without any significant wear. The company expects the system to exceed the service life of the service loops previously used and to operate reliably in harsh environments. The close cooperation between the engineers at Pertamina Drilling and their colleagues at igus also contributed to this success. Since high humidity in Indonesia can quickly lead to corrosion, parts susceptible to this (e.g. bolts and nuts) were replaced with more resistant materials, further improving the service life and reliability of the system.