Law shapes much of what we do. For writers, law affects what we can publish. We can’t, for example, libel people by printing accusations not supported by facts. Laws and government regulations also govern drilling, whether drillers go after water, turn to the right in search of oil or gas, or run horizontally installing fiber optic lines.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have revolutionized natural gas production in the U.S., projected to rise 44 percent from 2011 to 2040 largely due to these technologies.
In the '50s, we were drilling oil wells in southeastern Kansas. It was a convoy when we moved equipment to another drill site. The drill usually took the lead, then the next most likely to have a problem followed. The pickups tailed behind to assist with any problems.
I read in the news the other day that America may pass Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of oil and gas. This certainly comes as a pleasant surprise to those of us who lived through previous booms and subsequent busts. It’s kinda like the old West Texas bumper sticker that read, “Lord, give us one more boom, we promise not to waste it away,” or words to that effect.
Fall was deceptive this year in the Bakken. Last year, the first frost was Sept. 15. This year, it was in the first week of October. But now, it is in full swing. Twenty degrees is a pleasant day, and it gets as cold as an ex-wife occasionally. I spent one memorable night on a rig floor recently at minus 17 degrees.
Enteq Upstream, which offers systems for measurement while drilling (MWD) and directional drilling, has merged its Extended Exploration Technology (XXT) and KM Services (KMS) units into a new Enteq Drilling division.
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