October 2004

Fugro Engineering Services (FES) has carried out many site investigations including rotary drilling contracts but none have been so challenging as the requirement to drill 350m deep holes in the highlands of Scotland. Scottish and Southern Electricity's (SSE) site in Glendoe was so remote that FES could only access the work site using off road vehicles or air. FES used a special drill rig that could be broken down and air lifted to the work site in pieces by helicopter. FES needed to deploy three different types of rotary drilling rig. Drawing on the resources of the Fugro Group, FES used Unimog-mounted Knebel rotary rigs from its Northern Offices in Consett, County Durham, two Longyear 38 rotary rigs shipped over from Fugro Hong Kong, plus a Fraste mini-rig. A team of Fugro geophysicists and a number of specialist sub-contractors successfully completed the investigation within SSE's timescale.