Reducing Non-Productive Drill Time
Date
3/25/25
The Secret to Efficient Drilling is Hiding in Your Data
The fourth article in a five-part series exploring how data can optimize your drilling operations.
Missed the last articles?
Boart Longyear: Optimizing Operations with Krux
Capital Drilling: Connecting the Dots with Real-Time Data
Rodren Drilling & Bamboo Rock Drilling: Drilling Smarter, Earning Faster
#4: Reducing Non-Productive Drill Time
As we near the final installment of our Secret to Efficient Drilling series, one thing is undeniable—structured data is the key to unlocking productivity.
In an industry where every minute matters, both Resource Owners and Service Providers need real-time insights to reduce downtime, optimize workflows, and stay on budget.
By digitizing data at the source, companies remove reporting delays, free field teams from admin burdens, and create transparent, seamless workflows that keep operations moving—and metres drilled.
From Paper to Productivity: The Power of Real-Time Data
Scott Watkins, Commercial Operations Manager for Swick Drilling’s North American region, remembers the friction of outdated reporting methods:
“It’s a cumbersome task housing paper and not being able to receive data at the click of your fingertips.”
Previously, Swick’s shift reports passed through multiple hands before reaching headquarters. The delays were more than inconvenient—they impacted performance.
“It’s important that our supervisors in the field can speak with our clients about production rates, penetration rates, and downtime—without waiting days for data to be processed.”
With a structured digital system, those days are gone. Now, supervisors have real-time visibility into drilling performance, allowing them to make quick adjustments that enhance efficiency and build trust through transparency.
A Common Language That Drives Better Collaboration
One of the biggest wins of a standardized data platform? Everyone—from drillers to execs—is on the same page.
Jody Conrad, CEO of Krux, puts it plainly:
“Depending on someone’s previous experience or equipment background, they may use different terminology. By limiting the available options in the system, we ensure everyone speaks the same language and the information remains accurate.”
Watkins agrees:
“With generational differences in the field, a data-driven approach ensures everyone is working with the same information. It streamlines everything so we can quickly drill down into the details and make informed decisions.”
Standardized reporting means fewer errors, fewer delays, and more time for teams to focus on the job—not the paperwork.
“We’re no longer taking field staff away from their primary work for admin tasks—it’s all handled on the back end, seamlessly.”
Optimizing Resources with Structured Data
Switching from paper to a structured digital system doesn’t just save time—it empowers proactive decision-making.
Watkins explains how things used to work:
“Previously, we had to take a device with the data to the client and have our field supervisor walk them through it before sign-off.”
Now, it’s instant:
“Having the data readily available when you need it is a huge advantage. It makes it much easier to highlight what’s working efficiently and what needs improvement.”
A Transparent Workflow for Faster Decisions
Conrad emphasizes the bottom line:
“It’s about drilling optimization and productivity—there are certain numbers that need to be hit.”
“If a company can’t drill the correct amount of metres within that budget, they aren’t able to define the resource or move to their next level of investment.”
The problem?
“Any non-productive activity that takes up time has the ability to be reduced—but people don’t actually know how much time is being spent on these things.”
“They’re not seeing the impact of the lost time. Lost time is lost money. Or lost productivity.”
And the opportunity?
“Having the ability to look at your data and see you’re spending 25% of the day in stand-by—and being able to come up with a solution to reduce that by 10%—that’s the game-changer.”
With structured data, clients and crews collaborate from anywhere, with full visibility.
“Our clients can pick up the phone at any time, and we’re all speaking the same language,” says Watkins.
“With our supervisors and clients looking at the same dashboard, they can approve or modify data without physically going to the field for sign-off.”
Efficient Drilling Starts with Smart Data
By eliminating delays, reducing manual work, and giving everyone access to the same real-time insights, structured data does more than streamline operations—it transforms them.
“Not being tied up with travel time, discrepancies, and delayed data in the mornings—it makes everything far more efficient.”
In drilling, time really is money. And structured data helps you save both.