From NASA to the oilfield. A literal rocket scientist, Chad Hanak, explains how precise well placement can boost production by 11%—without changing your AFE. This is the crude truth operators need to hear. Chad Hanak is the President at Superior QC, a Patterson-UTI Company, and is our guest today.
Thank you, Dr. Hanak, for stopping by the Crude Truth Podcast – Rey.
The main topics we discussed in this episode of the Crude Truth are:
2. The technical parallels between space flight navigation and directional drilling in the oil industry. Dr. Hanak explains how the concepts of guidance, navigation, and control are similarly applied in both domains.
3. The validation study conducted by Superior QC to quantify the impact of their survey correction software on well production. The transcript goes into detail about the methodology used, the confounding factors accounted for, and the statistically significant results showing an 11.2% increase in first-year production for wells using Superior QC’s technology.
4. The real-world implications of improved well placement, including avoiding potential well collisions and optimizing production by preventing parasitic effects between neighboring wells.
5. The consistent positive impact of Superior QC’s technology across different regions, well types, and time periods, demonstrating the broad applicability and reliability of their solution.
6. The process of how Superior QC integrates with operators to provide real-time survey correction and monitoring services during the drilling process.
The overall focus of our discussion is on how Superior QC’s technical expertise and innovative approach is delivering measurable value to oil and gas operators through enhanced well placement and production optimization.
As noted in the top subheading, an additional 11% production from every well can make the difference between laying people off and giving money back to investors. Energy Security for the United States is not to be taken lightly, and the dichotomy between “Drill Baby Drill” and the demands of the open oil market is hitting U.S. oilfield workers hard right now.
This week, the U.S. rig count from Baker Hughes shows we added two rigs, but we are down by over 36 from the same period last year. Efficiencies matter with fewer rigs, and right now every dollar we can save makes a difference for the employees who depend on oil and gas.
Some of the articles I am looking at in the near term are about changes in natural gas demand and how Venezuela will affect OPEC and global markets.
Check out the interview with Karr Ingham, David Blackmon, and Stu Turley, where I help lead the discussion on key events in oil and gas.
Global Upheaval, Energy Dominance & What Comes Next in 2026
Check out the Superior QC website here.
Connect with Chad Hanak on his LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-hanak-7358652a/
The Crude Truth: https://thecrudetruth.com/
Pecos Operating: https://pecosoperating.com/
Also, the great Production team at Real News Public Relations: https://www.realnewspr.com/
We want to thank our sponsors of THE CRUDE TRUTH.
