Knight Energy Services has been a stalwart in the oilfield business for over 50 years, maintaining a steadfast commitment to quality while nurturing strong relationships with customers and vendors.
“We stay focused on our core business,” says Dwight Gross, President and CEO of Knight Energy Services. “At our core, we are an oilfield service company, renting drill pipe, tubing, BOPs, pressure-controlled equipment, and other downhole tools to operators and drilling contractors. We also have facilities like our Farmington, NM location that specialises in whipstocks and fishing tool work in the region.”
Throughout its evolution over the past five decades, the company has grown into its current form, employing over 200 people and generating revenues of $175 billion. Despite its scale, Gross emphasizes that the firm operates with the ethos of a family business.
“We focus on our people and our relationships with our customers and vendors,” Gross explains. “When customers deal with Knight, they are dealing with a company that empowers its employees to represent Knight as if it were their own company. Our business relies on our sales and operations teams to work with customers and vendors to ensure both sides are aligned. When unexpected issues arise downhole, strong relationships allow us to communicate and collaborate to find solutions.”
This approach has enabled Knight Energy Services to conduct business across the United States and beyond.
“At the end of the day, we are renting and selling a commodity, so it is up to us to be out there, in front of our customers, ensuring quality and safety,” Gross says. “We work closely with vendors like TSC (Texas Steel Conversion), Grant Prideco, and Command Tubular to ensure the quality of our products. We have a presence in all the lower 48 states and conduct significant business in Mexico and Latin America.
A Pipeline of Talent
Gross attributes the company’s success to the quality of its people.
“It is all about the people of Knight,” he shares. “I believe in surrounding myself with the best talent. I have been working with our COO, Will Ogilvie, for over 10 years, and I truly believe he is the best pipe connection expert in the world. Am I biased? Maybe, but his knowledge of drill pipe and connections continues to amaze me after all these years.”
Knight’s people and their approach serve as the company’s key differentiator.
“We don’t take shortcuts or venture outside our areas of expertise; we focus on what we know,” says Gross. “All of our store managers are quality leaders. They run their yards as if they were their own. With Knight being spread out, it’s reassuring to know we have strong leaders making sound decisions independently. I always tell outsiders that at our core, we are pipe experts. We focus on our customers’ pipe and downhole tool needs and believe we are the foremost experts in these areas.”
The company, with over 50 years of history, benefits from the extensive experience of its store managers, many of whom have been in the business for over 20 years. Gross himself has 25 years of experience in the drill pipe sector.
“I believe that having quality people around you makes you a better leader,” he says. “We have the best sales team, the best technical team, the best quality team. They are the best pipe experts in the industry.”
Adding to Gross’s points, COO Will Ogilvie highlights how Knight Energy Services differentiates itself in the market.
“As Dwight says, we offer a commodity service. At Knight, we differentiate ourselves through the quality of our products, customer service, and technical knowledge. Our diverse team shares a common quest for knowledge. Knight stands out for its high level of competence. Our customers trust us for our technical expertise on various subjects, whether it’s API recommended practices for BOPs, the nuances of EMI inspection, or the benefits of phosphate coating. We have the know-how and best practices to manage our assets from cradle to grave.”
Knight Energy Services’ quality management system is world-class. It goes beyond documents on servers; for Knight, quality is a way of life for every employee.
“Our team always seeks solutions to customer requests. We don’t accept ‘no’ as an answer before exploring all alternatives,” Ogilvie says.
Experts in Drilling & Completion Tubulars
Knight Energy Services needs every bit of its expertise to tackle its customers’ challenges.
“The industry is evolving rapidly, changing the way we do business,” Gross says. “Today, long laterals and U-turn wells put extreme loads and rapid wear on the drill pipe. Previously, these assets could last over 10 years; now, tubulars can wear out in as little as two years. Oil companies are pushing for greater efficiencies, subjecting equipment to much higher loads, especially in challenging curves and long laterals. Even in the best circumstances, a joint of pipe in the curve and lateral section of a well is under significant stress compared to a joint of pipe in the vertical section, necessitating more frequent replacements.”
The rental business has changed, and Knight has to find ways to preserve its inventory, as Gross points out.
“Our customers understand the importance of caring for the equipment, but managing and tracking thousands of joints of drill pipe is challenging,” he says. “This ties back to our relationships with customers and vendors, who trust us to maintain our equipment and provide support when things don’t go as planned. We constantly strive to improve our processes and work with customers to benefit both them and Knight’s assets.”
Those assets include a wealth of intellectual property.
“We own and maintain several pieces of intellectual property, including the Megaton shock tools and our X-1 whipstock,” says Ogilvie. “This IP is managed and manufactured at our flagship facility in Broussard, Louisiana, which holds ISO9001 certification, 3 API monograms, and multiple proprietary licenses.”
Alongside Knight Energy Services’ IP, Gross notes that another key difference is the meticulous attention paid to tracking products throughout their lifespan.
“Today, we track our products from cradle to grave. It’s not easy, but that’s how our industry is changing,” Gross says.
Focused on the Future
Despite the industry’s changes, Knight’s focus remains steadfast.
“We are an oilfield service company, and my background is in sales, so Knight focuses on the customer,” Gross explains. “We ensure the customer gets what they need, ensuring our quality, service, and inventory meet their needs.”
Looking ahead, Gross has ambitious plans for Knight Energy Services.
“We are backed by Voyager Interests, led by David Watson. We are extremely excited and grateful to be with Voyager, who acquired us two years ago. They bring oilfield experience and opinions, not just financial backing,” Gross says. “We intend to continue growing our market share and inventory, supporting our customers and operators in the future.”
Regardless of the company’s growth, Gross is committed to one thing.
“We will continue to focus on who we are—a drill pipe and downhole rental tool company,” he says. “We will stay focused on what we do best.”
