Chesapeake Energy Corp. recently selected Nabors Industries Ltd. as its preferred drilling contractor, which the pair hopes will drive the next wave of technological innovation in the U.S. shale space.

“We aim to innovate the future of energy and it is through relationships and collaborations that we will achieve our ambition,” commented Anthony G. Petrello, Nabors’ chairman, CEO and president, in a company release on Oct. 28.

According to the release, both companies have contributed significantly to advancing the industry’s digital maturity, well planning, drilling automation, remote operations, performance monitoring and data analysis and reporting.

Now, with the new contractual agreement establishing Nabors as the preferred drilling contractor for Chesapeake across its unconventional oil and natural gas assets in the U.S., the companies said they are teaming up to further enhance drilling performance and to forge the next generation of technologies today.

“We will continue to push the envelope and develop new solutions that further empower real-time decisions aimed at improving safety, efficiency and our customers’ environmental footprint,” Petrello said.

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy’s operations are focused across Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale, the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas and Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The company is currently one of the largest operators in both the Marcellus and Powder River Basin and recently agreed to acquire Vine Energy Inc., set to make Chesapeake the largest producer in the Haynesville Shale.

“Operating safely, efficiently and responsibly is core to Chesapeake’s commitment to leading a responsible energy future, and we look forward to partnering with Nabors to drive further improvements across our drilling program,” added, Roi Lam, Chesapeake’s vice president of drilling, in the joint release.

Onshore