Questions. Straight answers.
51 answers about our rigs, services, trucking, safety and careers. Can’t find yours? Call 1-281-717-2240.
Who is Transcontinental Energy Services?
TCES is a Houston-based completion, production and workover rig company. We run 34 NOV and Service King workover rigs, a trucking division, and flowback, well testing, torque & test, frac stack, chemical blending, drill-out and data acquisition crews.
Where is TCES located?
Our corporate office is at 2700 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 2450, Houston, Texas 77056, with field facilities in Midland TX, Alice TX and Shreveport LA.
Which basins do you work in?
The Permian Basin, the Eagle Ford and the Haynesville, across Texas and Louisiana.
How do I request a rig or a quote?
Call 1-281-717-2240, email sales@tces.us, or use the request form on any page. We reply the same business day.
What is a workover rig?
A rig that services wells already drilled, instead of drilling new ones. It replaces damaged tubing or casing, cleans out wells and re-perforates zones to bring production back up.
What are the benefits of using a workover rig?
Workover rigs raise the productivity of existing wells and are generally less expensive and easier to mobilize than drilling rigs. Ours rig up in 2 to 4 hours with a 4 to 5 person crew.
Are workover rigs safer than drilling rigs?
Both run safely with proper training and maintenance. Workover rigs can be safer in some cases, because the operations are less complex and carry less risk of blowouts.
Can workover rigs be used offshore?
Yes, with specialized equipment or modifications for the marine environment. Our fleet works on land in Texas and Louisiana.
How much can the NOV 6C lift?
The 117′ API mast is rated 300,000 lb on 8 lines and 280,000 lb on 6 lines (external), and 250,000 lb on 6 or 8 lines (internal).
What powers the NOV 6C?
A Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine at 525 HP, through an Allison 4700 OFS transmission.
Can the NOV 6C run rods?
Yes. The 6C has a delayed-folding racking board and provisions for an auto-folding rod board.
How deep can the SK 675 work?
Service depth is 18,000 ft, workover depth 14,000 ft, and drilling depth 8,000 ft with 3½″ drill pipe.
What engine does the SK 675 use?
An MTU S1300 Tier 4 engine with an Allison 4500 OFS transmission.
How is the SK 675 carrier built?
Six axles on a high-tensile alloy wide-flanged beam: 20,000 lb front axles, 46,000 lb rear tandem axles on walking beam suspension, and a 25,000 lb push axle.
How deep can the NOV 5C work?
The 5C has a depth capacity of 6,500 ft (1,982 m).
What is the NOV 5C hoist capacity?
125 tons (113 t) or 150 tons (136 t), on D500 drawworks.
What safety features come standard on the NOV 5C?
OSHA-compliant handrails and walkways, plus rod transfer and tong positioners on new masts.
What is flowback?
The controlled return of frac fluid, sand and early hydrocarbons to surface after a well is fractured, before it goes to production.
Why four-phase separation?
A four-phase separator splits gas, oil, water and solids (sand). Removing solids protects downstream equipment and gives an accurate measure of each phase.
What does a plug catcher do?
It traps frac plug pieces and debris coming back with the flow, before they can damage chokes, valves or the separator.
How long does flowback last?
It depends on the well, the completion design and the operator’s goals. Tell us about the well and we’ll put together a job plan.
Why torque and test before a frac?
High-pressure pumping puts every connection under stress. Torquing to spec and proving each one holds pressure catches leaks before they become incidents or downtime.
What pressure do you test to?
Our torque & test equipment is rated to 20,000 psi working pressure. Test pressures follow the job and equipment ratings.
Is testing done remotely?
Yes. TCES runs pressure testing remotely so crews are not standing next to pressurized iron.
What is the difference between a frac stack and a wellhead?
The wellhead stays on the well for its life. A frac stack is installed on top only during fracturing, to take the pressure and abrasion of pumping.
Why not frac through the production wellhead?
Sand-laden fluid at high pressure wears valves quickly. A dedicated frac stack protects the production equipment the well will rely on for years.
How are your stacks certified?
Each unit is personally inspected and certified under a strict ISO-compliant quality assurance program before it goes out.
What is a sweep tank for?
A sweep is a batch of fluid pumped to carry cuttings and debris out of the wellbore. A separate sweep tank keeps it mixed and ready without interrupting the main fluid.
Why dual motors?
Redundancy. If one motor has a problem, the second keeps the unit blending, so the coil or workover job keeps going.
Which jobs do your blenders support?
Our units are built to support coiled tubing and workover operations.
Coil tubing or stick pipe: which is better?
Neither is always better. Coiled tubing runs quickly with continuous circulation. Jointed pipe from a rig can be the choice for longer laterals or where more weight and torque are needed. We help pick based on the well.
Why model the job first?
Modeling predicts string forces and fluid behavior, so the plan avoids lock-up and fatigue problems before anyone is on location.
What is string fatigue monitoring?
Coiled tubing fatigues each time it is bent on and off the reel. Fatigue software tracks that wear so a string is retired before it can fail downhole.
What is included in completion services?
Downhole equipment work, packer systems, flow controls, surface and subsurface safety systems, service tools, and expandable liner and VIT technology.
Do you handle the whole completion?
TCES covers frac stacks, torque & test, flowback and well testing, chemical blending and drill-outs, so much of the completion can run under one company.
What is well intervention?
Any work done on a producing well to restore or improve its output, from replacing tubing and rods to clean-outs and pressure control.
Do you provide the rig too?
Yes. TCES runs 34 NOV and Service King workover rigs, with 18 more on order.
Can I see the data on my phone?
Yes. The portal works in any browser on mobile or desktop, and we can supply tablets for location.
Does it work with our existing equipment?
Our hardware integrates with third-party controls and displays the available data on and off site.
Which software do you support?
Our IT team supports iOS, Windows and job-specific software such as LIME and FracPro.
Is trucking dispatch really 24/7?
Yes. The TCES Trucking Division runs 24-hour dispatch, so trucks can be deployed any time of day or night.
What areas does TCES trucking cover?
South and West Texas.
What do your vacuum trucks haul?
Produced water, fresh water, brine water and solid waste. We transport non-hazardous fluids.
Can you move frac tanks?
Yes. Our winch trucks move frac tanks and other containers, rolling or skid, with or without roll-off trailers.
How is TCES HSE audited?
We run an annual HSE audit using the ENFORM COR audit protocol, plus quarterly site, plant and facility inspections by senior management.
Can I get your HSE documentation for vendor prequalification?
Yes. Request our HSE packet from the HSE page or call 1-281-717-2240.
Who leads HSE at TCES?
Our Chief Operations Officer, Jay Worthington, oversees HSE. The Corporate HSE Policy is endorsed by the TCES President.
What jobs does TCES hire for?
Rig crews, tool pushers, torque & test hands, pump hands, mixing plant operators, CDL drivers, flowback operators and office staff.
Where are the jobs?
Mostly out of our field facilities in Midland TX, Alice TX and Shreveport LA, plus our Houston office.
Do I need a CDL?
Only for some roles. Driving jobs need one, and for pump hands a Class A CDL is preferred but not required.
How do I apply?
Use the application form on the Careers page. We’ll call you when a spot opens near you.
Still have a question?
Ask us directly.
We reply the same business day.
1-281-717-2240 sales@tces.us