Our nation’s oil and gas industry has made immense technological strides in the last ten years, making the extraction of resources more efficient. Drilling techniques like hydraulic fracturing have allowed mining operations to lead today’s energy boom in the United States.
This increased production requires increased protection. In addition to regulations by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many fracking operations have set their own industry practices and standards to protect their fracking operations.
Here are the best ways you can achieve greater efficiency in your operation.
Employ Highly-Trained Experts
At BTL, we know that a company is only as good as its team members. Each employee within your operation should have the level of training that makes them a valuable professional in their position.
Your team should also include safety managers and instructors for additional security, or at the very least, have one on call. It’s worth building relationships with a few safety experts that are readily available just in case there is an issue at a drilling site that requires help from an experienced expert.
Utilize Blowout Preventers
In a nutshell, blowout preventers are a series of valves that turn a well off and stop the flow of chemicals and water. These preventers help your operation to steer clear of potential explosions and injuries.
Unexpected blowouts can occur from high-pressure gases and oils. Blowout preventers help limit any potential damage while reducing your pressure levels and bringing them back to normal.
Well Casings and Frac Liners
Every well drilled requires casing to hold it open and prevent leaks from occurring. Casing protects both the water and land in your area from any fluids that might escape your well.
In fact, this study on NPR has found that water contamination linked to shale gas extraction in Texas and Pennsylvania was actually caused in most cases by faulty well casings, not by hydraulic fracturing. The hydraulic fracturing process itself has not been linked to releasing methane; rather, it is issues around a well’s integrity that allows gas to leak out into aquifers.
Adding a frac liner built from sturdy, long-lasting materials ensures absolute and total containment for your project.
Continued Testing
Regular testing should be conducted both before and during your drilling process to ensure the proper protection and capability of each drilling site. These test runs are conducted to check for any potential problems that might arise in your operation.
This is a great way to ensure that potential leaks are caught and dealt with effectively. With continued testing, workers will be able to track the flow of a leak to its source and be able to plug it before too much liquid escapes.
Bond Logs
A cement bond log helps document all evaluations of the integrity of cement work utilized for a well. This ensures that when cement is injected through your wellbore and rushes to the annulus between the steel casing and rock formation, your new well is protected. Most drillers today use cement bond logs to keep track of the durability and strength of each cement casing.
Sensors and Monitoring Systems
Sensors and tracking systems are also installed to monitor levels and keep them within a safe zone. It’s generally worth investing in a comprehensive rig monitoring system that can convert your rig site data into well site knowledge, as this will improve the speed and accuracy of decision making on your project for a higher level of operational efficiency. A comprehensive monitoring system consolidates pressure, volume, and temperature measurements while tracking and mud logging data. This gives your personnel immediate access to essential data that dictates your operation’s performance.
Here are some of the most popular sensors used by oil and gas industry workers:
- Heave sensors
- But depth sensors
- Bulk sensors
- Fire alarms
- Flow in and flow out
- Gas detectors and alarms
- Rig air pressure
- Rig water pressure
- Torque sensor
- Pit volume sensors
BTL Liners | Oil and Gas Containment Experts
Remember that while no safety procedure can be 100% foolproof, there are many ways you can protect the overall health of your workers as well as the citizens around your work site.
In fact, when studying 4,000 wells, the Shale Resources and Society Institute at the University of Buffalo discovered that there have only been 25 cases of major equipment failures. That’s below 1%, which isn’t a statistic that’s shared often in the media today.
For those unexpected moments when your equipment does fail, BTL Liners has you covered. Our containment team employs a thick, double-scrim reinforced polyethylene (RPE) material. This high-strength, industry leading product, can be prefabricated and installed quickly. This makes it a cost-effective alternative to traditional liners. Our American-based business has grown to be a leading supplier of geomembrane containment systems worldwide. To learn more, please contact our team.
