How prices for directional drilling tools and services are holding up in Oman compared to US and Canada with the recent decline in oil prices?

— I think North America is the center of oil companies and services in drilling. Max no of drilling and service companies are based here. Also there are so many manufactures of solids control equipment there like mud shaker. There is stiff competition resulting in lower cost for rigs and services. Oman is far removed from U.S. and mobilization and operation charges should be higher. Oman as other Gulf countries had big reservoirs which help them pay the cost of drilling. They can afford to pay a higher cost.

—I’m not sure I believe that Oman has big oil reserves & are willing to pay higher costs for services, including solids control equipment. I haven’t worked there since 2001 but back then all the contractors were the lowest paid anywhere. Their wells varied like Canada different producers & depths from 2000m to 5000m or above. They had a huge blowout & by the time they got it capped it nearly depleted the whole field. It was or is known as the sidetrack capital of the world. Fore ever getting stuck. They have fields known there as bone yards as there are so many strings of tools cemented in the ground. Some areas are so soft drilling right to TD that if you sat & rotated in one spot for more than 5 min you had a 90% chance of sidetracking. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a sidetrack done to the H/S of the hole & one @ 4900m successfully. True I must say it was a great place to work, even as service hands we always stayed on the same rig. We did however train too many Omanis’ & eventually worked ourselves out of a job.