Click here to listen to the Audio verison of this story! The shale revolution 20+ years ago opened a new era of production for the United States and the Permian Basin in particular—while still leaving the vast majority of the oil in the ground. Over the years, engineers have worked on opening up […]
Everything Old is New Again…
The oil and gas industry has historically evolved as a business sector that welcomes the implementation of innovative ideas and then makes the most of the ensuing improvements. Much like compounding interest in the financial sector, drilling mud technology has undergone improvement, with the next best idea building on the previous. While oil-based drilling mud […]
The Art of Control
Most days for a well control company are pretty quiet. They’re helping an E&P plan safety procedures for a new pad or doing well safety training for another client. Generally they’re working to prevent or reduce danger on the well site. But, much like a community’s firefighters and EMTs, when that emergency call does come, […]
Spudding In
Recollections of the old “Fort Worth Spudder” and other early-day portable drilling machines. This photo shows what appears to be a stripped-down framework of an old Fort Worth Spudder. See other photos for comparison. by Bobby Weaver Probably the most recognizable imagery related to the oil field is a towering derrick. That was especially true […]
Well Disposed
The entity known as a “disposal well” is a vital element in the oil and gas industry, one that is not so well understood as it should be. By Hanaba Munn Welch If oil and gas wells had an official pecking order, saltwater disposal wells would be somewhere at the bottom of the list. […]