MOL introduces the biggest rigid oilfield truck currently built in Europe today

MOL CY NV, independent manufacturer of trucks, trailers and refuse collection vehicles revealed their latest generation HF8066 rigid oilfield truck at the IAA show taking place today in Hannover, Germany. The 6×6 all-wheel drive truck is the largest the company has ever built with desert terrain capability and is expected to see service during 2019 in the oil and gas fields of North Africa and the Middle East.

Manufactured at the MOL CY facility in Staden, Belgium, the new HF8066 stands over 4 metres tall and over 14 metres long, enabling a gross vehicle weight of 80 tons. The flat bed is equipped with a retractable fifth wheel, enabling coupling to a trailer with a remarkable gross combined weight of 230 tons.
Mol HF8066
Specific to an oilfield truck is the solid front bumper, the so-called ‘cow catcher’. It does not really serve for catching cows but it allows to push another truck from the convoy through difficult off-road conditions. Another particular requirement of these desert trucks is their capacity to work efficiently at temperatures of over 50°C (122°F), drilling for oil goes on without interruption.

Martin Mol, CEO at MOL said, “No other rigid truck currently built in Europe can offer the payload and desert terrain capability of our new HF8066, offering a new capability to meet the huge logistical demands of setting up drill rigs in remote locations. The Cummins 15-litre X Series engine is an ideal power match for the truck, providing the deep reserves of torque needed to traverse sand dunes and other challenging terrains. We are delighted to present our HF8066 truck for the first time at the IAA show, allowing visitors the opportunity to see this unique type of truck up close. “
Cummins motor
Powering the biggest demands the best, and that’s why MOL use both the X15 on-highway and QSX15 off-highway versions of the Cummins 15-litre heavy-duty engine. With up to 625 PS (460 kW) at 1800 rpm and a peak torque available of 2779 Nm at 1000 rpm, the engine provides all the strength and durability needed to haul up to the 230 tons GCW of the HF8066. The latest version of the X15 engine will meet Euro VI low emissions standards in 2019 without the need for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and utilize simpler wastegate turbocharging, bringing the benefit of easier cooling in the harsh desert heat and easier maintenance.

Fit for purpose
Drillings have to be carried out in very remote places. The drilling rig is taken on the spot, set up and after some six weeks on average, it is taken down again to be transported to the next location. That requires an enormous logistic capacity, not only because of the drilling rig, but also for the general energy supply and the accommodation of the crews who are staying in the desert for weeks on end.

These transports occur on difficult hauls that are generally not appropriate for usual commercial transport. The trucks need not only have excellent off-road capacities, but also high carrying capacities on their chassis; indeed, the desert does not know any restrictions as to weights and dimensions. Separable parts are often transported as one unit without dismounting.
Mol HF8066
The MOL oilfield trucks have a 6×6-drive configuration. The torque convertor, the powershift transmission and the planetary reduction axles increase and transfer the torque, generated by the engine, to the wheels. Mother Nature gave the camels big feet to keep them on top of the sand instead of sinking into it. The same principle is applied on the MOL oilfield trucks. They are fitted with single mounted high flotation sand tires having a large ground contact area, low-pressure ratio on the ground and high load capacity. In addition, a semi-automatic tire inflation system is fitted to gain traction in the soft sand by lowering the tire air pressure and creating a larger area of contact between the tire and the ground.

The trucks are built according the KISS principle, means Keep It Simple and Straightforward. A long and wide platform is mounted on top of the tough chassis and is equipped with a powerful winch, mounted just behind the driver’s cabin. They have been designed to load and to unload their cargoes, called ‘skids’ in the technical jargon, without any external assistance. For this purpose, the platform is provided with a liftable mid-roller and a roller at the rear side. The steel cable of the winch is fastened to the cargo. When winding up the cable, the cargo goes up along the inclined rear bumper, made of thick steel plate, and rolls over the roller onto the platform. For unloading, the mid-roller is lifted, the skid rolls down and is further lowered by reeling off the winch cable.
Mol HF8066
The former generation of Oilfield trucks were also equipped with gin-poles that were raised up with the winch and were used in operational position as a rudimentary crane to lift and move charges. The latter function has passed into disuse and has been replaced by the much more powerful telescopic cranes.
Mol HF8066
The truck is equipped with a retractable fifth wheel, used for coupling a trailer. As such, the truck will serve as a tractor.

Fit for purpose and entirely built in house – a MOL speciality thanks to its expertise and deep vertical integration.

Some technical features:

About MOL CY
MOL CY is a Belgian independent and leading provider of custom-made trucks, trailers and refuse collection vehicles. The history of MOL CY goes back to 1944. Production takes place in Staden and at ITK in Kachtem, a daughter company of the MOL CY, together employing more than 400 people in about 70.000 square meters of workshop grounds. The company continues to grow. There are currently actively looking for some 20 additional employees.

Tekst: Mol.
Foto’s: Mol, Martin Vonk en Alex Miedema.

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