While doing site-prep work in oil fields, no contractor wants to be that guy – the one who’s holding up a bunch of other contractors from completing their respective tasks. That’s why Zimny Oilfield Services LLC invested in a 2005 Vermeer RT650, made by Vermeer Manufacturing Co., to quickly and efficiently dig trenches used to convey frac water or other materials around drill pads in North Dakota.
“The Vermeer trencher lets us dig trenches about 10 times faster than the skid-steer we used to use,” says Jason Ronsberg, manager of the company, based in Lansford, N.D. “With a skid-steer, it sometimes takes four or five passes, depending on how hard the ground is.
“But the trencher does the job in just one pass,” he continues. “That allows us to get in and get out quickly, which means people aren’t waiting for us to move all the other equipment onto the site. Time is money, so that’s pretty important.”
Established in 2008, Zimny supports oil field operators in a variety of ways, including installing pit liners, hauling water and providing septic and portable restroom services. But the company started out with – and built a reputation on – its trenching services, which served as an entry to other customer offerings, Ronsberg says.
“We generally charge a little more than most companies, but we get the work because of how much quicker we are,” he says. “We built this company based on our trenching service, so our business comes directly from the trencher. We get hired because we own that piece of equipment.
“It’s been one of the pieces of equipment that keeps us as busy as we are,” he adds. “It gets our foot in the door, and then when the guys that hire us see how good a job we do with that trencher, it provides opportunities to provide them with our other services.”
The rubber-tire RT650 features a DEUTZ 76-hp, four-cylinder diesel engine; hydrostatic ground drive; a 60-inch maximum digging depth; a digging-width range of 6 to 16 inches; a 72-inch-wide, 14-inch-high backfill blade; and a backhoe with a 180-degree swing arc, a 159-inch reach and a maximum digging depth of nearly 90 inches. A steerable rear planetary axle provides a tight turning radius for better maneuverability in tight quarters, and the operator’s station rotates 90 degrees for added comfort.
Ronsberg says Zimny crews dig trenches deeper than other contractors – 3 feet compared to 1 to 1 1/2 feet – which they can do easily with the powerful trencher.
In addition, the trencher frees up a crew member because its backfill blade efficiently cleans up excess excavated dirt along the trenches. With a skid-steer, an extra worker with a shovel would normally do that work, Ronsberg says.
“The blade takes care of flattening out all that excess dirt much faster than someone shoveling it away by hand,” he notes.
Oil field drilling is a year-round job, and the trencher really earns its keep in winter because it’s not deterred by frozen ground.
“In winters around here, the ground is really, really hard, so you need that kind of strength and power to dig here,” Ronsberg says. “Plus, at a lot of these sites, they have to put down rock, gravel or scoria, which gets really solid and hard. When it gets to that point and the ground is frozen, a skid-steer just doesn’t cut it.”
Ronsberg also praises the Vermeer’s durability, pointing out the machine is working in the field three to four days a week. The company trenches about 10 to 15 drill pads a month, he says. “We haven’t had any issues with it,” he says. “The only thing we’ve had to do is replace teeth every two months or so.”
Where would Zimny be without the Vermeer trencher?
“That’s not something I’d like to think about,” Ronsberg says. “We’d be way behind, that’s for sure.”
As well as be “that guy” that no one wants to be at a busy drill pad.
