WorldWide Drilling Resource

33 JUNE 2014 A Post From The Patch by Donald Hughes Wor ldWide Dr i l l i ng Resource ® welcomes back Donald Hughes as a contributing writer. It is tornado season, so all rig hands will want to be a little more vigil about current weather forecasts and where you may want to escape if in danger. Most of the major energy companies in this area of tornado alley (Northwestern Oklahoma) have underground shelters installed during the preparation of new drilling sites. After drilling and well com- pletion, the shelter will be dug up and placed on a new lease before drilling operations begin. In the spring of 1979, while work- ing for an oil and gas drilling contractor, an F4 tornado hit one of our drill sites. The rig was rated to drill about 8000 feet with 4½-inch drill pipe with a 12- foot substructure. It was drilling about 3800 feet when it was struck, completely destroying the derrick, drawworks, and drill engines. Luckily, none of the rough- necks were killed or seriously injured. Three of the four hands rode it out in the doghouse which was elevated to the height of the substructure and was blown over. The fourth hand ran for shelter in the cellar (an area below the substructure and dug out about five feet below ground level where the blowout preventer is located). He said while holding on to the I beam, his legs were flapping like a flag in the wind. Before everyone took cover, the drill operator pulled off bottom while the other hands set the slips. So although the rig was destroyed, the hole and the drill pipe were not. The drill pipe snapped above the slips when the derrick went over, allowing the down hole portion of the drill string and substructure to remain intact. Within 12-14 hours, a head was welded to the drill pipe and a mud pump attached, allowing the hole to circulate while all the debris was cleared. Another drill unit was brought in three days later. All of this stirred up the old debate which continues today on what was best: set the slips and be almost certain you will save the drill string and hole, but may lose the derrick; or pull off bot- tom and hold the weight of the drill string from the derrick making it more stable and wind resistant, but also risk- ing losing everything. What would you do in a similar sit- uation? Let me know, I am sure I can keep this debate going for a while longer. Donald Donald Hughes may be contacted via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Celebrate Flag Day with WWDR ! June 14, 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®