Australians have been crossing the Great Divide to seek their fortune in the outback since the arrival of the First Fleet. From the early explorers to the gold miners and cattle barons who followed them, the search for fabled riches has become part of bush folklore. 

These days though the story has shifted, it's all about the mining giants and their attractive employment packages that are the lure. Multi-million dollar mines capture the headlines, but it's the search for new resources that drives the investment. 

In Australia's oil and gas exploration industry the bonus is that the discovery of new fields also holds the promise of energy self-sufficiency.

Oilfield services company, Halliburton has been at the centre of Australia's oil and gas exploration for half a century. Born in the heady days of America's 'gusher' oil boom at the beginning of the 20th Century, Halliburton has grown from an American, family-owned enterprise to become a driving force in the global search for oil and gas. 

With the surge in exploration, Halliburton has recently added 21 new Kenworths to its fleet. 

Peter Hede, Halliburton's Roma (Qld) district manager and Greg Baldock, the maintenance manager, oversee Halliburton's day-to-day operation. 

Peter started with Halliburton at Roma in 1991. At the time, investment in Australian exploration was at a low point. Today Roma is the busy home base for over 100 people and 40 trucks.

"The first Kenworths were C500s, then came the T900s," Peter said of Halliburton and Kenworth's long association. "We've gone with Kenworth based on how well they perform. They've been brilliant - no dramas at all. 

"Halliburton trucks can be found wherever exploration is being undertaken with the Roma trucks travelling as far as Karratha in WA, Mt Isa in Queensland and as far south as Sydney and Wollongong.

The majority of the new T658s and T659s were ordered without sleepers as many of the sites have accommodation. The trucks fitted with sleepers are generally on the frac (hydraulic fracturing) operations.

These crews are mostly involved in long haul operations to sites where accommodation is not always available. 

"By not fitting a sleeper it allows us to locate toolboxes, dunnage trays and spare tyre racks behind the cab," Peter explained. 

Halliburton's focus on worksite accident prevention goes beyond its "One Is Too Many" corporate mantra to involve all aspects of its operations. It's here that Kenworth's user friendly design fits well with Halliburton's remote and often difficult conditions. 

"They have great access, good solid steps and well-positioned grab handles," Peter added. "I'm an old diesel mechanic from way back and Kenworth have always been and still are a great truck to work on - solid and simple. 

"Our Kenworths very rarely let us down and that's essential for Halliburton's operations.

"Remarkably, Halliburton works its trucks for anything between 15-20 years before turning them over. With that longevity in mind, it's the overall operating costs and reliability factors that's the largest influence on the purchasing decision. Greg Baldock is Halliburton Australia's maintenance manager, a complex job that isn't made easy when equipment is scattered throughout Australia. 

Failures in these sometimes remote, inaccessible locations can shutdown exploration and very quickly become an expensive headache. 

"It's vital we have the best equipment for the job ... on the job," Greg said. "That's where it's critical to purchase the best, most reliable product that suits our needs. For us that product is Kenworth."

Having been with Halliburton for 16 years, Greg says he's seen just about the worst that outback operations can do to damage exploration equipment. While some of Halliburton's older Kenworths wouldn't have much more than half-a-million kilometres on the clock, according to Greg they're all hard miles.

"It might be crossing the Gibber Flats at Moomba, or the dust and corrugations at Jackson ... our trucks have a hard life. 

"Despite the extreme operating conditions, Halliburton expects its trucks to be ready to move when and where its clients require.

"Exploration and drilling is big money, and we cannot let our clients down.

"The fact that Greg can specify a Kenworth to suit Halliburton's unique requirements is a huge advantage to the company. 

In particular, Halliburton require a long wheelbase prime mover as many of its trailers protrude well forward of the kingpin. The longer wheelbase also allows the trucks to carry a higher fuel capacity. 

Almost unique to outback Kenworths, Halliburton spec some of its trucks with air-suspension on the drive. According to Greg, the oilrig pumps can be easily damaged by rough roads and without air-suspension; they may not survive the drive. 

"We have standardised on Kenworth's T659s," Greg added. "They're a strong, rugged truck. As well, the guys like the T659s because it's a driver's truck that they can depend on. 

"They've proven themselves and are as simple to operate and maintain as our previous T650s."