A tubing injector head, includes a main body adapted for mounting on a well. A pair of gripper chain supports are mounted to the main body. Each gripper chain support has an upper chain sprocket at an upper end and a lowe r chain sprocket at a lower end. A drive motor drives the upper chain sprocket to move a gripper chain along a bearing surface. A tubing channel is positioned between the gripper chain supports. Telescopic cylinders are provided for creating relative movement of the gripper chain supports, while maintaining the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface in parallel spaced relation. The telescopic cylinders move the gripper chains into or out of engagement with tubing positioned in the tubing channel.
