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 Environmental
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Drilling Rig
Safety Efforts Improved Through Mechanization and Planning
The drilling industry has made
great strides since the early 1990s in safety planning. It
is now a team effort involving company and contractors,
employer and employees. Much can be learned by open
discussion of both incidents and near misses. Issues such as
recovering from an incident, making up lost work time, and
analyzing what went wrong are much more costly, with respect
to both time and profit, than preplanning that would likely
have prevented an accident. |
Safety
success grows from a strong “reporting” culture. Care must
be taken that safety incentive plans don’t indirectly
discourage reporting. Environmental management programs by
nature often integrate with safety programs.
Excerpted from “Mechanization, Collaboration Enhance Drilling Rig Safety,”
Oil & Gas Journal, June 16, 2008, pp. 24-28.
New Hybrid
Technology Efficiently Treats CBM Produced Water
Aqua EWP,
LLC (Aqua) and joint venture partner Redwine Resources, Inc.
(Redwine) recently field tested a new process, termed EWP
X3, in Redwine’s coalbed methane (CBM) operations in the
southern Atlantic Rim in Wyoming. The process is a hybrid of
Electro-DeIonization (EDI) and Capacitive DeIonization (CDI)
technologies. CDI removes dissolved salts using electrodes
that are charged with opposing polarities. EWP X3 uses
hybrid electrodes composed of activated carbon, nano-materials
and a semipermeable coating. Well established in commercial
and industrial applications, the unit’s low initial and
operational cost, ability to handle some fines, low power
consumption, small footprint and portability make it very
attractive for CBM applications. Beyond cost, the process is
environmentally attractive since harsh chemicals are not
used. This unit differs from other CDI/EDI systems in that
it provides three different ion flow mechanisms, which means
regeneration times are shorter, there is a greater
concentration of contaminants in the wastewater, and power
consumption is 25% less than prior systems.
Initially, CBM
wells in the southern Atlantic Rim trend can produce
1,000-1,250 bwpd with salinities ranging from 2,500 down to
1,200 total dissolved solids (TDS). A typical water disposal
well (WDW), which could cost $1 million, would only have
capacity for eight CBM wells.
Testing shows that the process
can reduce the TDS of up to 95% of the produced water to
surface discharge standards. Having only to dispose of 5% of
the produced water, a WDW can handle many more wells.
Testing in the Morgan Run field in southwestern Wyoming, the
unit processed 410 bwpd and achieved a TDA
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reduction of 80%
with 83% water recovery. The unit is flexible enough to
handle 15% more flow and still achieve a 60% reduction of
TDS. Redwine plans to drill 12 more CBM wells in the area
this year, bringing the needed total water processing
capacity to 10,000 bwpd. Plans are to employ a larger,
full-sized version of the unit.
Excerpted from “Low-power
Capacitive Deionization Method Shows Promise for Treating Coalbed Methane Produced Water,” World Oil, April 2008, pp.
231-234.
Safe Hot
Oiling Operations
Call this PTTC’s safety
moment if you will. It may not be required as much during
summer months, but hot oiling is a fact of life in the oil
patch. Being common doesn’t mean one can afford to get
careless. Pete Sandel, the Association of Energy Service
Companies’ safety and membership consultant, outlined the
following and many more tips in a recent article.
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When
arriving on location, park the truck crosswind to upwind,
ideally at 45 degrees to the wellhead or battery.
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Use
required personal protective equipment, obey all warning
signs.
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Place a fire extinguisher 20 feet from the
operating console in a readily accessible location.
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Operator should remain in the vicinity of the hot oil unit
controls at all times during pumping and heating operations
and have a clear view of the wellhead or battery during
operations
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Be aware of what type of line (steel, poly,
etc.) is in use and where the fluid is going.
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When
starting, inspect the truck and all system components for
safety of operation. Check all unions, hoses, and
connections, including wellhead and/or battery connections
for abnormal wear and tear and leaks.
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At the conclusion of
any hot oil unit operations, make sure all wellhead or
battery valves are left in the proper position.
Excerpted from “Safety Talk—Tips For Operation of the Hot
Oil Unit,” Well Servicing, March/April 2008.
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IADC Rig
Safety Statistics
Total Recordable Incidence Rate (TRIR)—# of
incidents in a workforce of 100 per year
US Offshore = 1.4 (95% of offshore rigs)
US Onshore = 5.1 (66% of operating land
rigs)
Reference points for other industries (OSHA):
Construction = 5.1,
Manufacturing = 6,
Real estate = 3.3
Excerpted from “Oil, Gas Safety
Statistics Mark Progress,” Oil & Gas Journal, June 16, 2008,
pp. 26-27.
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Mechanization that removes workers from hazardous situations
reaps great benefits. For example, automated pipe-handling
systems allow workers to control all operations remotely for
applications such as casing, drill pipe, and tubing. Power
tongs, remotely operated pipe alignment systems and systems
such as Weatherford’s “Over-Drive” system, which allows
remote casing connections, casing reaming and running, and
drilling operations, are prime examples of mechanization.
Where mechanization is not possible, extra planning can bear
fruit. For example, in the case of Transocean and their
offshore operations, each lift and tool used to perform the
lift is assessed before beginning work. Video and
photographic aids are used to demonstration safety
techniques. Transocean even employs a “Dropped Objects” Team
to minimize incidents and their causes. Improvements in
lifting that still requires manual intervention have come
more from changes in procedure than mechanization. |
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