Merlin ERD Ltd is an independent drilling engineering consultancy that designs and drills the world’s longest oil & gas wells.
“Our detailed engineering and experience enables us to exploit hydrocarbons beyond the perceived reach of existing drilling equipment,” explains Iain Hutchison, managing director. “When our techniques are applied to standard directional wells, recent experience reveals that we solve traditional problems arising from instability to equipment reliability.”
A chartered Mechanical Engineer and graduate of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Iain has spent more than 20 years working around the world on a variety of projects – from world record ultra-long and deep water ERD (extended reach drilling) wells, to low cost land and jack-up projects. These have taken him from the North Sea to the Sahara desert, Australia and the Caribbean, but he has relished being based in Perth, Scotland since 2007.
Iain has turned Merlin ERD into the world leaders in advanced drilling technology, which makes previously uneconomic hydrocarbon reserves profitable. These accomplishments were recognised in 2014, with Merlin ERD being awarded a Queens Award for Enterprise.