Rig-mounted pump back tank: from the model to the rig floor

A custom, rig-mounted pump back tank for a drilling rig in Texas. Modelled in Inventor so the crew could see it before it was built, then fabricated in Texas and installed on the rig.

Pump back tank: render on the left, built unit on location on the right
Left: the Inventor model. Right: the same unit on location.

The job

Efficiency starts with rigorous equipment design. Lesko Projects recently led the design and development of a custom, rig-mounted Pump Back Tank for NorAm Drilling. This tank significantly improved rig-up and moving processes, letting Noram spend less time setting up and more time drilling.

We had the pleasure of collaborating with Texas companies B&E Resources for fabrication and Advanced Control Systems for controls and electronics, as well as our local Alberta partner, R. A. Hodgson Industrial Design, for engineering.

The tank is already in use and receiving great feedback!

What we did

  • Layout and tie-in design to the rig's flow line and MGS
  • Inventor model for contractor review before fabrication
  • Skid, tank and piping design with two trash pumps on a common manifold
  • Fabrication drawing package and material takeoff
  • Fabrication support through to delivery
Customer
NorAm Drilling, Texas
Partners
B&E Resources (fabrication), Advanced Control Systems (controls), R. A. Hodgson Industrial Design (engineering)
Equipment
Rig-mounted pump back tank with filtration compartment and two trash pumps
Function
Flow line returns to MGS, gravity fed, pumped out
Tools
Inventor, AutoCAD
Year
2025
Same idea for your rig? Deck space, flow line tie-in and where the MGS sits is enough to start. Tell us how your rig is plumbed.
Start a project

Send a photo and a sentence.

Broken part, missing drawing, rig that needs something built. We'll tell you what it takes.