Abstract Automated mass production has historically driven enormous gains in global wealth and well-being by reducing unit costs through economies of scale, much of it built on the foundation of fossil fuels. Today, as the world pivots toward a low-carbon future, this industrial model must evolve to support the next energy revolution. Wells are essential to this transition, enabling not only traditional hydrocarbon production but also geothermal energy, hydrogen storage, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). A key challenge is whether the advantages of automated mass production can be extended further into drilling, enabling the delivery of low-margin green energy projects through low-cost, high-quality wells. To address this, the Operator has pioneered the introduction of a highly automated land drilling rig, effectively a well manufacturing system, into one of the world's oldest oil-producing regions, Romania. The rig features a manless rig floor during routine operations such as drilling and tripping, craneless rig-up and rig-down using remotely operated pin connections, and fully trailer-mounted equipment. Together, these innovations promise a step change in cost per well, operational speed, and consistency, enabling fewer rigs to drill more wells while reducing carbon footprint and environmental impact. Analysis of real-time drilling and rig move data indicates significant efficiency gains in brownfield development if the rig's performance potential is consistently realized. The Operator, in collaboration with the contractor, is using these projects as a learning platform to prepare for the factory drilling demands of the energy transition. The rig deployment and startup were executed through close cooperation between the Operator, contractor, and rig manufacturer, with multidisciplinary teams working toward a shared vision. Achieving alignment, from overarching goals to individual tasks, proved essential in avoiding delays and misunderstandings. Importantly, managing the cultural shift toward a new way of working, where decades-old habits and expectations had to be reshaped, made motivation, communication, and change management the most critical success factors throughout the project. This paper will describe the technical rationale, operational setup, and, most importantly, the communication and change management strategies that led to the successful spud of the first well.
Cioroiu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.