400 – 5th Avenue SW, Suite 1000

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About Us

Our Story
Our Team
Our Responsibility
Health & Safety

Our Story

ENSIGN IS A GLOBAL ENTERPRISE, PROVIDING A UNIQUE EDGE IN OILFIELD SERVICES.

We’ve grown to be one of the world’s largest and technologically advanced oilfield service providers.

We are defined by our inspired thinking and our culture of achievement, delivering a superior customer experience and trusted, reliable performance. Our premium services include contract drilling, directional drilling, underbalanced and managed pressure drilling, rental equipment, well servicing and production services.

Established in 1987, our operations now extend from Canada and the United States to Latin America, the Middle East and Australia.

Over the past quarter-century, we have built a reputation as technology innovators. We were the first in Canada to drill a horizontal well and the first in the world to employ PLC technology, now the industry standard, on an automated drill rig. Those are just two of the many innovations that have kept us at the forefront of technology.

Our History

1987

Ensign incorporates as a company

and is soon operating four drilling rigs and two well service rigs in Alberta, Canada.

1993

Ensign lists on the toronto stock exchange.

1994

Ensign enters the U.S. oilfield services market

with the acquisition of a 19-rig company operating in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S.

1995

Ensign launches its proprietary

Automated drill rig (ADR®).

2002

Ensign enters the international arena

with the acquisition of an Australian oil company with 23 drilling rigs and five workover rigs in Australia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and New Zealand.

1996

Ensign has the second-largest drilling rig fleet in the Rocky Mountain region and is continuing to expand into major U.S. plays.

2005

Ensign continues to build its drilling fleet

with the acquisition of a company with 11 drilling rigs and three workover rigs. Ensign also expands into the Libyan market with the acquisition of three drilling rigs.

2011

Ensign expands its services

to the important oil and natural gas resource areas in the southern U.S.

2014

Ensign releases the next generation in walking rigs –

The ADR® 1500s.

2015

In an industry first, Ensign releases the

Automated service rig (ASR™) 150.

2018

Ensign expands its geographic exposure

into well-structures basins, after acquiring Trinidad Drilling ltd.

2020

Ensign consolidates its operations in Kuwait and Bahrain

acquiring the remaining 40% ownership in the joint venture Trinidad Drilling International.

2021

Ensign strengthens its position in Canada

by acquiring Nabors’ 35 land-based drilling rigs in Canada.

Ensign publishes its inaugural Sustainability Report

2022

Ensign sells its Canadian directional drilling business

to Cathedral Energy Services Ltd. 

NOW

Ensign continues to strive to deliver the best service quality and performance available in the market.

Ensign Board of Directors

N. Murray Edwards

Mr. Edwards has served on the Board of Directors of Ensign since 1989 and had acted as Chairman of the Corporation’s executive management committee throughout this period.

Mr. Edwards is an investor and corporate director. Prior to December 2015, he was the President of Edco Financial Holdings Ltd, a private management and consulting company. Mr. Edwards is currently a Director and Chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Limited, publicly traded company and one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers in the world. He is also a Director and Chairman of Magellan Aerospace Corporation, also a publicly traded company. Mr. Edwards has a B.Comm. from the University of Saskatchewan (Great Distinction) and an LL.B. (Honours) from the University of Toronto.

Robert H. Geddes

Mr. Geddes has served on the Board of Directors since March 2007.

Mr. Geddes has been with Ensign since 1991 and is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation, a position he has held since 2007. He has acted as Vice President Canadian Drilling from 1999 to 2004 and President Canadian Operations from 2004 to 2006. He is a past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC), past Chairman of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta.

Len O. Kangas

Mr. Kangas has been on the Board of Directors of the Corporation since 1990. Mr. Kangas currently acts as chair of the Corporate Governance, Nominations and Risk Committee and sits as a member of the Health, Safety and Environment Committee.

Mr. Kangas is a retired businessman and oilfield marketing consultant with over 40 years of experience in oilfield servicing, transportation and related businesses. He was the President of Mar-Len Enterprises Trucking & Rental Company, from 1992 until 2006. He has also served on a number of community and non-profit boards.

Barth E. Whitham

Mr. Whitham has served on the Ensign Board of Directors since March 2007 and is currently a member of both the Audit Committee and the Health, Safety and Environment Committee.

Since 2004, Mr. Whitham has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Enduring Resources, LLC, a private Denver-based company with exploration and production operations onshore United States. Prior to that he served for 10 years as President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Westport Resources Corp., a public upstream oil and gas company listed on the NYSE. He has a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering, an MSc in Economics from the Colorado School of Mines, and is a Registered Professional Engineer. He has sat on the Board of Directors of Intrepid Potash Inc., a Denver-based public company trading on the New York Stock Exchange, since 2008. In 2024, Mr. Whitham was elected Chairman of Intrepid Potash Inc.'s Board.

Gary W. Casswell

Mr. Gary Casswell joined the Board of Directors on December 4, 2017.

Mr. Casswell has over 35 years of experience as a senior executive in the onshore and offshore drilling industries. His industry career most recently included tenure as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Northern Offshore Ltd., a Bermuda-based offshore drilling company. Prior to that, Mr. Casswell acted as the Vice President of Eastern Hemisphere Operations for Pride International, a Houston, Texas based drilling company that was acquired by Ensco plc in 2011. Mr. Casswell has lived and worked extensively throughout the Middle East, including in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman, and has extensive experience in the United States land drilling market. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Long Beach in 1980.

Darlene J. Haslam

Ms. Darlene Haslam joined the Board of Directors on March 17, 2022.

Ms. Haslam operates a private accounting practice providing accounting consulting services to small and medium sized businesses. She is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Public Accountant and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. From 2019 until January 2022, Ms. Haslam was a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of Providence Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company specializing in messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine therapies. She is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, where she has served as a director since 2013. Ms. Haslam has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary.

Karl A. Ruud

Mr. Karl Ruud joined the Board of Directors on November 1, 2023.

Mr. Ruud previously held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer and board Director of Akita Drilling Ltd. for over 10 years until his retirement in 2021. He has also served as board Director and for two tenures as Chairman of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (“CAOEC”) for a combined 20 years of service. Mr. Ruud has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta.

Donna J. Carson

Ms. Donna Carson joined the Board of Directors on December 7, 2023.

Ms. Carson brings a wealth of experience in accounting and strategic business insights and planning. Ms. Carson received her designation as a CGA accountant in 1992 and brings over 31 years of experience, including years with various oilfield service companies. Currently, Ms. Carson, CIRP, LIT, CPA, CGA, is a Senior Vice-President at MNP Ltd. She also currently sits on the Board of Directors for Money Mentors.

Meet our Leadership Team

Robert H. Geddes

President & Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Geddes has been with Ensign since 1991 and is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation, a position he has held since 2007. He has acted as Vice President Canadian Drilling from 1999 to 2004 and President Canadian Operations from 2004 to 2006. He is a past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC), past Chairmen of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta.

Mike Gray

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Gray joined Ensign as Corporate Controller in 2015 and was appointed Chief Financial Officer effective October 2016. Mr. Gray obtained his B.Comm (Distinction) and Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan, and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta. Prior to joining Ensign, Mr. Gray spent the majority of his career with a multinational professional service network before moving onto a mid-size energy services company where he held the position of Corporate Controller.

Michael Nuss

Executive Vice President - United States Operations

Mr. Nuss began his career with Ensign in 1994 and currently holds the position of Executive Vice President United States Operations. Prior to his current role, he acted as the General Manager of Business Development for Ensign’s U.S. operations from 1995 to 2003, Area Manager from 2003 to 2006, Vice President of Latin America from 2006 to 2011, and Vice President of U.S. and Latin America from 2011 to 2016. After obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Business & Finance from the University of Wyoming, Mr. Nuss began work with Amoco Production Co. holding various operational roles for 7 years. He is a past member of the IADC Executive Committee and held the position of Regional Vice President for the organization from 2000 to 2005. X

Brent Conway

Executive Vice President - International Operations

Mr. Conway joined Ensign in December 2018 as Executive Vice President International Operations, shortly after the acquisition by Ensign of Trinidad Drilling Ltd. Mr. Conway was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Trinidad from March 2017 until it was acquired by Ensign, after having served as its President since 2012 and as Chief Financial Officer beginning in 2001. Mr. Conway holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Haskayne School of Business and obtained his CPA designation in 1996. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and attained his Certified Directors designation in 2013.

Eldon Culshaw

Senior Vice President - Canadian Operations

Mr. Culshaw began his career with Ensign in 2018 and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Canadian Operations. Before joining Ensign, Mr. Culshaw worked for various, large-cap Oil and Gas Producers, where he held various operational and managerial roles for 18 years. He obtained his B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering at Montana Tech and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).

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Corporate Responsibility

While we provide oilfield services to meet the world’s growing energy demands, we understand our role begins within the communities we operate in. Our unwavering commitment to operating safely, responsibly, and ethically has made us an industry-leader in corporate social responsibility

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Corporate Governance

Operating in a transparent and ethical manner is key to maintaining the longevity of our business and delivering consistent, long-term value to our shareholders.

Ensign’s Board of Directors currently has four (4) committees, all of which are comprised of independent members of the Board of Directors. Those committees and a summary of their mandates are as follows.

Board of Directors Mandate
Board of Directors Chair Description
Majority Director Voting Policy

Code of Conduct

Ensign’s Code of Conduct includes such topics as employment standards, conflicts of interest, and the treatment of confidential information and trading in the Corporation’s shares, to ensure that the Corporation’s business is conducted in a consistently legal and ethical manner.

Code of Conduct
Supplier Code of Conduct
Modern Slavery Report
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Committee Summaries

Health & Safety

We are committed to building and maintaining a best in class safety culture, through safety and training programs designed to improve safety performance, raise awareness of the importance of safety in our operations, and minimize the impact of our operations on the environment.


Every one of us, from management through to entry level, is responsible and accountable for HSE at Ensign.


  • We comply with all applicable laws and relevant industry standards of practice
  • We continuously evaluate the HSE aspects of our equipment and services
  • We believe that effective HSE management is good business and we are committed to the continuous improvement of HSE management practices
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Driving To Zero

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Ensign’s goal is to Drive to Zero® – zero safety incidents, zero injuries, zero days off work due to injury. Driving to Zero® means accepting that every incident is preventable and focusing on the operational discipline to achieve zero incidents and injuries.

Our tools and processes have resulted in an increasingly safety‐aware workplace culture and safer operations overall.

Unique to Ensign, our Global Risk Management System (GRMS) captures data from all our operations so performance metrics can be trended, shared and analyzed down to rig level, ensuring every Ensign employee in every location around the globe is actively engaged in best in class safety practices.

Sometimes the most important work we can do is to stop working. Our Stop Work Authority procedure encourages our crews to proactively identify and intervene to stop the unsafe behaviors and conditions that can lead to workplace incidents and injuries.

EnCAAP is a tool to that improves communication between our leaders and their teams in order to better execute core tasks consistently and effectively. It requires that teams effectively engage with each other when they plan tasks and transition to work to ensure safe execution. EnCAAP also helps to identify performance gaps in operational and safety systems and behaviours.