Baker Hughes, Aramco to Expand Integrated Coiled Tubing Drilling Operations Across Saudi Arabia

Baker Hughes, a global energy technology company, has announced that it has received an award from Aramco to expand its integrated underbalanced coiled tubing drilling (UBCTD) operations across Saudi Arabia’s natural gas fields. The contract was booked in the third quarter of 2025.

Under the multi-year agreement, Baker Hughes will increase its UBCTD fleet from four to ten units, supporting both re-entry and greenfield drilling projects across multiple fields in the Kingdom. The company will deliver fully integrated UBCTD solutions, covering coiled tubing drilling units, underbalanced drilling services, operational management, well construction, and geoscience support — all aimed at enhancing efficiency and accelerating gas production from new and existing resources.

“This project is the result of nearly two decades of successful collaboration between Baker Hughes and Aramco, which have set the standard for UBCTD,” said Amerino Gatti, executive vice president of Oilfield Services & Equipment at Baker Hughes. “By combining advanced technologies with a holistic, integrated approach, we can support Aramco to more efficiently access bypassed and hard-to-reach hydrocarbons and produce the resources that help the Kingdom thrive. This expansion sets the stage for further innovation in UBCTD, which has the potential to shape how oil and gas are produced around the world.”

Baker Hughes’ integrated UBCTD solution features its industry-leading CoilTrak™ bottomhole assembly (BHA) system, combined with advanced reservoir analysis from GaffneyCline™ energy advisory. This combination of cutting-edge technology and expert insight enables operators to better navigate subsurface conditions during horizontal drilling and re-entry operations. By integrating these tools with comprehensive project management services, Baker Hughes aims to improve production efficiency, speed, and safety — while minimizing reservoir damage compared to conventional drilling methods.

The multi-year expansion agreement further strengthens Baker Hughes’ long-standing presence and performance in Saudi Arabia, where the company has been active in the UBCTD market since 2008. Maintaining an exemplary health, safety, and environment (HSE) record, Baker Hughes has consistently delivered high operational standards through its existing four UBCTD units in the Kingdom. Activities under the new agreement are set to begin in 2026.