Adam Rutten

Webster Drilling and Exploration

Driller and Mechanic

Adam Rutten trained as a car mechanic but joined Webster Drilling and Exploration 11 years ago, inspired by the prospect of working overseas.

Since then, he has participated in projects in Papua New Guinea and throughout the Pacific and New Zealand, ranging from smaller jobs that require only a hand drill to working on big oil rigs.

The SWAIS2C project is his fifth season on ice, following projects for New Zealand’s Scott Base and the American McMurdo and Palmer stations. His work in Antarctica spans geotechnical drilling for construction and scientific drilling for climate research.

With a young family, the long periods away from home are an added challenge, but he enjoys working in extreme conditions and the team work required to solve problems in remote locations.