Eckel Manufacturing Co.

Eckel Manufacturing Co., Inc. engineers, designs and manufactures hydraulic power tongs and hydraulic power units for the oil and gas industry from its facilities in Odessa, Texas. Founded in 1958 by Emery L. Eckel, the company builds more than 40 models of hydraulic power tong and ships to more than 100 countries, supported by international agents. The line spans sizes 2-1/16 through 36 inches and is built for land and offshore drilling rigs and well servicing.

Product lines

Tongs are offered for all facets of drilling, well completion and well servicing, and are engineered for the operational torques that premium connections require:

• Tubing tongs, including narrow bodied dual tubing tongs for running two strings side by side in the same well
• Casing tongs
• Drill pipe tongs, with sliding heads for make-up and break-out at higher torque levels
• Riser tongs
• Hydraulic backups, including the Tri-Grip backup
• Diesel and electric hydraulic power units
• Tong positioning equipment

Tong models and tubular ranges

Design and safety features

Several features are available on specific tong models and power units:

• Radial Lock Door, a patented latchless door locking system (US Patent 6,279,426) that locks when torque is applied
• Hydra-Shift speed shifting, which changes the hydraulic motor between high and low speed without stopping rotation
• Torque Turn Control Systems, which monitor torque values during connection make-up
• Integrated safety door interlock, patented cam biting and quick change slide heads
• Sliding heads with wrap-around dies, symmetrically spaced to distribute load on thinner wall tubulars

Die options include coarse tooth dies, pyramid fine tooth dies and True Grit dies, the last used on corrosion resistant alloy and fiberglass tubulars where reduced marking of the tubular is wanted. Published technical material covers tubular corrosion, stress-corrosion cracking, CRA running procedures, remote operation and hazardous locations.

Manufacturing and certification

The Odessa manufacturing and heat treating facilities cover 140,663 square feet and house design tools, numerically controlled machines and heat treating ovens. The company states that essentially every part is designed and manufactured there. Registered operations at 8035 and 8101 North County Road West are ISO 9001:2015 certified for manufacturing, repair service, design, testing, distribution and domestic and international sales. New equipment carries a one year limited warranty covering defects in material and workmanship.

Leadership and reach

Terry L. Eckel has served as president since 1987. The company received an Export Achievement Certificate from the US Department of Commerce and Texas Senate Proclamation No. 662, which cites exports to over 70 countries. Sales and support run from the Odessa headquarters and a Gulf Coast office, with regional representatives in Algeria, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala and Italy among others.