Another important milestone was the reintroduction of the MD80 to the foreign market as part of the BES project, which MND Germany successfully completed in the spring. This rig and its crew will be involved in a long-term campaign to dispose of old wells for operator Neptune Energy in Germany this summer.

Last year, our company moved to new premises that better meet the needs of a modern drilling contractor. Nevertheless, we remain part of Celle, the traditional hub of drilling activity in Germany, where we have access to important infrastructure and expertise.

Georg Buhrtz: From Roughneck to Management

One of the people who was at the birth of MND Germany and has contributed significantly to its growth is Georg Buhrtz, who was recently appointed Operations Manager at a young age. His career path has been an inspiration - he started as a driller, worked his way up through all positions on the rig to the role of Drilling Manager, which he held until last year. Today, he is an important member of the management team and brings not only deep technical knowledge but also practical field experience to the management team.

Georg is proof that talent and commitment really do pay off at MND. His direct involvement in key projects in Germany and abroad makes him a respected leader who understands both the drilling technology and the rig and the people who operate it.

In the following interview, we talk to Georg about his career path, the challenges of the German market and what he still enjoys about working in the drilling industry.

How would you describe the journey the company has taken since joining the MND Group?

I have been working at MND Germany for six and a half years now and since day one I have witnessed the company grow and manage to overcome significant obstacles. The first years were particularly challenging, especially for a very young company, due to low market activity and the subsequent coronavirus crisis. Fortunately, the situation has improved significantly, so that from 2022 onwards we have increasingly used our rigs in Germany and other EU countries. During this time, we have managed to grow from an initial workforce of around 30 to 45 employees. In addition, we have established ourselves as a reliable partner for our customers.

What are the most interesting projects that you remember?

Personally, one of the most interesting projects was the ENAGAS project in Spain because we entered a new country and were able to fly the MND flag there. In addition, the technical challenges related to well control were one of the main characteristics of the project. Initially we were sceptical whether our personnel and equipment could easily withstand the extreme weather conditions, which was eventually confirmed on days when temperatures reached up to 43°C. However, our team did an exceptional job and satisfied another client. In conclusion, Spain is a pleasant place to both holiday and work.

What are our ambitions in the German market? Where is there room for growth? How successful have you been in achieving these goals?

We have realised that the German market offers great opportunities in P&A (old well abandonment) or POS (underground workover) campaigns. It was therefore decided to offer the MD 80 for these specific activities to clients in Germany. Another area for growth is definitely the geothermal sector, as many projects are politically motivated and supported by the government.

Do you plan to focus on projects outside Germany as well?

We are looking at all possible projects that match our fleet. If any of these potential projects are in other EU countries, we will offer our services there as well. In the past, we have also looked at Hungary with our kit outside Germany and Spain and we are currently discussing possible projects in France, for example.

In the Czech Republic it is quite difficult to find experienced workers in this field - what is the situation on the German market?

The situation in Germany is very similar because in recent years the industry has forgotten to develop a reliable plan for training, educating and motivating young people to join our industry, especially as a significant part of the previous generation has retired.

It took some time for the industry to realise that there was a lack of experienced people, especially in the HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment and Quality) field. That's why at MND Germany we started to motivate our team members and gave them the chance to progress from roughneck to assistant driller, driller and even toolpusher. A plan was also put in place to allow companies to send their employees to a course at the drilling school in Celle. The school offers a six-month course as a shift foreman. MND Germany has already successfully sent two former assistant shifters to become full-fledged shifters.

What do you enjoy so much about being a drilling foreman that you keep coming back to it?

Before I joined the drilling industry, I studied physics, which I interrupted after about 2.5 years because I had to change direction at short notice for personal reasons. Thanks to family ties, I joined the drilling industry as a drilling worker almost 17 years ago. I soon realized how much I enjoyed the technical side of drilling. In particular, I became interested in all matters related to well control. After a short time, the situation developed so that my former company wanted to employ me further and also offered me an apprenticeship program. This gave me the opportunity to go through all the existing roles on a drilling rig and to complete a further 2.5 years of theoretical training at the drilling school in Celle. Even today, I am still most fascinated by the technical background of our projects. I enjoy discussing planned work with our customers while developing solutions to problems.

How often do you leave the office and head out to the drilling rig?

I try to visit the rig at least once or twice a month to get a detailed overview of the overall progress of the project and to verify that we are meeting HSEQ requirements, relevant mining regulations and contractual obligations. In my opinion, it is very important to speak with our staff and customer representatives to uncover any misunderstandings or other circumstances that require prompt resolution.

Finally, I am always happy to see top drive and working wash pumps!

How do you relax after such a demanding and stressful job?

My favorite way to relax is with my family. I have three children ages 18, 10 and 6 and we love to spend time somewhere out of town, fishing, hiking and engaging in other activities whether it's summer or winter. In the community where I grew up and where my parents still live, there are plenty of lakes and forests around and it's always easy to find a nice place to take a break from work and be with my family.

Let's take a closer look at the Berlin BES underground gas storage disposal project. How did it turn out in the end?

The project was a real success in terms of HSEQ performance, economics and, most importantly, because we won out over the other German contractors who bid for the contract.

All of us, MND D&S management and MND Germany management, worked very hard to get the long-dormant MD 80 rig ready to campaign 11 wells in 8 months. One of the biggest challenges was selecting the right crew, who had never used this rig before, and getting them familiar with the equipment in a very short time. This achievement was only possible through very close cooperation between the two entities.

Were there any pitfalls?

Especially at the beginning of the project phase, we faced several recurring problems with the unique joystick to control the rig. We did a comprehensive technical assessment and tried to find the source of the problem. After several adjustments, we were finally able to resolve the issue and fortunately it has not reoccurred. At the end of the campaign we had a very happy customer who mentioned it to our team several times.

In particular, the project helped us to present ourselves on the German market with this type of rig, which eventually led to us signing another contract with Neptune Energy for another old well disposal campaign.

The work was carried out right in the centre of Berlin. Was that different?

As I personally live in Berlin, the idea of carrying out a project in the capital was very appealing to me from the start. I have to say that working in the city had almost all advantages - easy accessibility and quick access to nearby service companies. As the facility was located right next to Berlin's Olympic Stadium, it was easy to find, especially on weekends when the local football team scored another goal, which could be clearly heard from the cheers of the approximately 70,000 fans.

Were there any special challenges associated with this?

Finding accommodation for the crew for such a long period of time is very difficult, especially because of the extremely high prices when there is a big event in town. Therefore, we decided relatively early on to order special sleeping containers for our team and we got a place from our customers where we could accommodate our team.

Did you learn anything from this order?

We learned a lot, but most importantly, we proved to ourselves that we can do a lot together - despite the scepticism that existed at the beginning.