Last month in this space, I started by saying “drillers have a lot to talk about.” I went on to discuss a few projects I found interesting and to suggest that drillers should let people know about the projects they work on—the ones they take pride in.
Industry creates profit and products we can all use, but it often comes at a significant cost. The positive outcome of hydraulic fracturing is the discovery of more usable natural gas, but one frequently mentioned downside is the way water is used in the process.
Crossing underneath the Mississippi River using horizontal directional drilling sounds like it could be something out of a driller’s fairy tale. Pipeline owner, Boardwalk Louisiana Midstream, made that fairy tale a reality.
I have a soft spot for human achievement. We engineer, drill and tunnel ourselves out of some of the hardest problems imaginable. This month, we write about a project that installed a pipeline for brine under the Mississippi River.
A quick introduction: When I found out I had the opportunity to contribute to the Tech Topics column for The Driller, I was excited to share the perspective from a provider of drilling services, drilling equipment and performance tooling. I hope that my contribution provides insight to the base of educated readers and drives discussion in the exploration drilling market.
If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that I have recently written about methods to develop well screens or at least the formations that surround them.
Many times, I’ve been contracted by companies to critique their business, crews and equipment. I spend time in the office, I travel with the field crews for a few days and then I provide an evaluation to the company.
One of the scariest terms an environmental driller may face is IDW (investigation derived waste): the solid and liquid material generated by the drilling activity.
Over this past year, California has experienced one of the worst droughts on record with attention focused on the upcoming irrigation season and what effect it will have on reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. Recently, the areas most affected by the drought have received much needed rain and snow, but from all indications, it will fall short of the large quantities of water needed to sustain the 2014 growing season.
Professor Joseph Dellapenna of the Villanova University School of Law has been at the forefront of domestic and international water law for over three decades. His career has spanned the globe from China to Jerusalem to Portugal and beyond, involving his expertise on topics like water management, the Constitution and international law.