When Drilling goes wrong

I would say you're looking at a mix of media and cover your ass settling in. I find it interesting in the article that Transocean says the employees have the ability to stop work if they are in a dangerous situation. If that's the case, why didn't they stop work after they had the problems with the supposed order from BP? Sounds like it was their responsibility and prerogative to do so and they didn't.

 

BP does indeed have a stop work program if anyone on the crew feels that something is wrong.

The ass covering seems to be endless........

 

Truthfully, though, how often is such a stop work program ever actually used?

If you saw something that you thought was unsafe and brought operations to a halt would there be repercussions on you in the real world?

Honest question. I'm not trying to stir $#!+, I'm trying to get a feel for how things actually work in the trenches.

 

If it is possible to happen every time a well is drilled, why is there not a back up plan?

 

I wouldn't want to be 'that guy'...

This story, whether completely true or not, does make me think that someone will be 'dying on the sword' for BP. Scapegoat or not, I think that some (poor bastard?) will be going down just so that the company can attempt to save face. Especially having the AG involved investigating possible "criminal charges". :wow:

I just hope that BP takes good care of his family after they throw his ass to the wolves.

 

So, I come home from a nice evening ride, turn on the tv, and the first thing I hear is the well may be fuctup below the seabed. And the vessel collecting the oil is at capacity.

Chaotic:
Does the collecting vessel seperate the oil from the seawater or is that done later?

 

Before anyone challenges my previous post I just wanted to preface it by saying that I also work for a multi-billion dollar corporation (not in this field, thank god). I don't doubt for a second that more than a few of the thousands of decisions made every day at the corporate level are made 'first and foremost' for the benefit of the corporation (and shareholders). Get behind schedule and/or over-budget and everything else be damned...

Not saying that it's right or wrong (or even truly playing a role in this drama). But it's real...

 

No. The whole basis behind the "STOP" program is that ANYBODY can use it and there ar no repercussions. The company ITransocean in this case) will always stand behind thei employess for stoppingan operation they believe is unsafe.

 

I meant a kick or blowout is a possibility in every well drilled.

 

I honestly don't know. I have never been involved with any type of cleanup vessel (thankfully).

I have to think it will be transported to shore and seperated there, but that is just a guess. The rigs have huge oil/water seperators, i dont know if the boats do.

Sorry i cant give a better answer.

 

More sensationalism and things taken out of context. When i read those type of things, im like

 

Aside from the sensationalism what about some of the technical stuff?

They said the decision to displace the formation with water, instead of mud, was a sticking point. Is there an instance when that wouldn't be safe?

The guy said the kick was giving them 3,000 units. Is that high?

 

Where I am the STOP program is used all the time with no repercussions. If someone has a concern it is their responsibility to bring it up.

 

Working for DOE, I see this encouraged daily and enforced occasionally if there is even a slight deviance from the planned work that may be even remotely unsafe. Just a routine part of operations here.

 

I have no experience offshore or drilling for oil, just gas on land...maybe it's different but 1,500-3,000 units doesn't seem excessive. The last job i was on we got a kick of 10,000 units that cut the mud weight by 2 lbs. As far as I know the only action they took was picking up off bottom and circulating for about 2 hrs to get the mud weight back in line.


Thanks again to Chris for keeping up with this thread. I've worked in the field for over two years and learned Quite a bit from this thread...granted I do just sit in a trailer and watch computer screens and movies most of the time.

 

Chris,

You have done so much and dedicated so much time answering questions here that I hate to ask, but...

can you watch the following video from about :50 on and describe what is happening? I have watched it about 10 times and dont get how it works.

I wont link for fear of a ban but it is on Youtube and it is called "The worlds fastest roughnecks"

If you are too busy that is cool.

 

It looks like they are extending the pipe to drill further down. Whatever they are doing, they are damn good at it and I would want no part of it.

 

They are "making a connection". The pipe is spinning, drilling the hole and once that particular joint/stand is drilled down, you have to get another one to drill deeper.

That is VERY small operation. That is a land rig that uses small pipe and small tongs (the tongs are the red things they are putting on the pipe to hold/turn it).

I did that job (roughneck) for 2 years except we had much larger pipe and tongs. Yes, it is very dirty and strenuous. After those 2 years, i worked in the Derrick for 18 months doing this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CvNlJVwWi0

Look up at the top and you can see a guy standing on the end of a platform (called the "monkey board") throwing the pipe in the elevators. But again that is a small operation, when i worked in the Derrick, we used larger pipe.

Wanna put on some size?...sling tongs and shove pipe around for 12hrs a day. I weighed 172lbs when i started offshore and after 3-4 years of Roughnecking and working Derricks, i weighed 205lbs while having the same bodyfat content.

Granted, i worked out hard in my off time and had some help from umm, supplements...but most of it was from work.