A Calgary firm has developed an app that shows the drilling rig status, called PetroFeed. It’s a huge hit in the App Store. It allows users to see the status of all drilling rigs across Western Canada. The CEO and founder of the firm, Ashley Dunfield, said the app is free but won’t say how many copies have been downloaded. He said previously, the information accessible in the app was only available through desk top applications, and it was expensive.
According to Professor Bob Schultz, who is with the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business, says that PetroFeed uses a tried-and-tested business model amongst Internet startups, but at some point will have to provide a chargeable service. This is what will determine the firm’s viability long-term.
The app lets users see rig locations and statuses, provides driving directions to rigs, and filter results to see what rigs are doing and where they are. Users can see detailed information like job information, statistics, and more. The app covers all the rigs in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, in real time. A promised update says that soon the app will also include details about people and companies.
