Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Emerging technologies enable Gas Field Services to not just reduce risk on site, but remove it altogether (Source: LinkedIn)

Stephen Burt is the type of business owner who juggles more plates than he’d like to admit.

But it’s his determination to fill in the gaps, try new things and take others on the journey with him that has earned him a reputation as a business to watch in the Queensland METS scene.

Stephen is a Managing Director at Gas Field Services, a Mackay-based drilling and workover services company that works primarily in the gas and mining industries.

Earlier this year his company was named the winner of the Safety Initiative Award at the Queensland Mining Awards and Queensland Mining Contractor of the year.

The judges stated that Gas Field Services’ clear focus on investing in innovation made a major impact in moving exploration methodology forward.

Having entered into the safety, production and innovation categories at this years’ awards, Mr Burt received top honours for his hands-free drilling rig imported in 2017, the first of its kind in Australia.

“These machines demonstrated how we can create a safer environment for our crews and eliminate risk altogether”

“With the hot weather approaching, these rigs are ready to shine because we have completely eliminated all the manual handling that you have with traditional drilling rigs,” Mr Burt said.

“So, by the end of the day our crews aren’t completely exhausted and suffering from fatigue which is a huge win-win for everyone.”

Mr Burt has seen the mining industry transform its exploration business to focus more on environmental preservation, so he decided he would get ahead of the curve by bringing in new technologies.

“Both our clients and staff embraced the idea of doing something different that improves both safety and production.

“The key to innovation is to have employees embrace what you’re doing and are willing to give it a go,” Mr Burt said.

“Part of embracing change is acknowledging that every step of the journey won’t be a success, but believing the mission makes sense both for the business and the industries in which we work is essential.”

“The perception of the coal industry is changing, so companies need to do the right thing to make sure environmental impacts are managed while still being able to capture the value of our natural resources,” Mr Burt said.

With the mining industry taking on a new direction, Mr Burt also changed his business strategy to embrace emerging technologies ranging from water recycling to electric vehicles.

“Our company is constantly looking at opportunities over the next five to ten years.

“Within the next 2-3 years, we’re aiming to have a completely electric vehicle fleet utilising both solar and gas produced power.

“A dream of ours is to have a fully electric truck fleet delivering water while using renewable energy,” Mr Burt said.

“This is where we see the world going and we want to do our part to build this vision in Mackay.”