Fast expanding UK and Dubai based Meridian Drilling has added another new rig to its fleet – the second in as many months. The company, which has experience of working in 14 countries across three continents, has recently purchased an Ingersoll Rand T4W. A truck mounted medium capacity top drive water well rig, it is capable of drilling holes of up to 508 mm (20 in) and handling 483 mm (19 in) casing with a pullback of 23 t.

It has an on-board compressor and mud pumps which, combined with the all-wheel drive carrier, makes for an exceptionally versatile rig.

The T4W, together with another recent addition in the form of a Beretta T44 which is currently in use on the Dallol potash project, located Ethiopia’s north-eastern Danakil Depression , brings Meridian’s fleet up to 11 rigs, the majority of which are less than four years old.

The current Meridian Drilling fleet also includes a Gemsa MP1300H, Superrock 5000, two Atlas Copco CS14 track mounted diamond core rigs, three Coretech YDXL diamond core rigs, a Beretta T44 and a small footprint Integrol Explorer MD.

While headquartered in the UK, Meridian Drilling has country offices and infrastructure in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Pointe Noire (Republic of Congo).