Baker Hughes has secured a multi-year agreement from Aramco to significantly expand its integrated underbalanced coiled tubing drilling (UBCTD) operations across Saudi Arabia’s natural gas fields. The order, booked in the third quarter of 2025, will see Baker Hughes increase its active UBCTD fleet from four to ten units beginning in 2026.
Under the new contract, Baker Hughes will deliver an expanded scope of services, including underbalanced drilling, operational management, well construction, and geoscience support for both re-entry and greenfield drilling projects. The expansion aims to enhance gas production efficiency, optimize reservoir recovery, and support Saudi Arabia’s growing focus on gas as a key driver of domestic energy supply and industrial growth.
“This project is the result of nearly two decades of successful collaboration between Baker Hughes and Aramco, which have set the standard for UBCTD,” said Amerino Gatti, executive vice president of Oilfield Services & Equipment at Baker Hughes. “By combining advanced technologies with a holistic, integrated approach, we can support Aramco to more efficiently access bypassed and hard-to-reach hydrocarbons and produce the resources that help the Kingdom thrive.”
Baker Hughes’ UBCTD operations will leverage its CoilTrak™ bottomhole assembly system alongside GaffneyCline™ energy advisory services, integrating reservoir analysis with precise, real-time drilling control. This combination allows operators to navigate complex horizontal wells and re-entry operations while minimizing formation damage and improving overall safety and efficiency.
The company said the new agreement reinforces its long-term presence in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector, where it has maintained UBCTD operations since 2008. Baker Hughes continues to report strong health, safety, and environmental performance while advancing digital and automated drilling practices.
The expanded UBCTD program is expected to play a key role in supporting Aramco’s ongoing efforts to unlock additional gas reserves and optimize production from established fields as part of the Kingdom’s broader energy diversification goals.
