FYREROK RESERVOIR CONSULTING

For my 2019 Summer internship, I worked as a Junior Flowback & Water Transfer Technician in the Oil & Gas industry. My job was to maintain water tank levels to ensure that the SandX didn’t overflow and also to make sure that all the working tanks always had enough water. Every 15 minutes, I would take tanks measurements and pump water from the SandX to the working tanks. And every 30 minutes, I would report these numbers to my supervisor. By the end of the first week, my supervisor had given me full responsibility for managing all 7 water tanks levels, pumping water accordingly, ordering water trucks, and lining up and unloading said water trucks. Additionally, I also assisted with flowback rig-up and rig-down set-ups as well as the assembly and disassembly of flowback pipelines. Lastly, I assisted with other miscellaneous tasks such as changing the sand-catcher socks, replacing washed-out joints/valves, and greasing valves.

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Every day at work amounted to a 13-hour shift and required everyone to be alert at all times. Working night shifts, I would get to work at 5:00 PM and leave at 6:00 PM. The “uniform” was typically fire-resistant overalls, a hard hat, impact gloves, safety goggles, and steel-toe boots. The sun would shine bright over the hilltop and day shift workers can be seen in their positions. Water is being pumped into one of the six wells that are present on the pad. Our crew’s job is flowback. We take all the water and sand that is coming out of the well and organize it into separate tanks but before this can happen, everything must go through a junk catcher. This is the first step where big rock sediments and corroded seals are trapped. Next, everything passes through a manifold which then leads into the SandX, a storage space for sand and water. Water is regularly pumped from here into the working tanks - around 26 times a day. This is where we worked surrounded by six other crews providing their respective services to pump/drill this well head.

Seen above is a picture of a standard flowback manifold and I have marked it to make it easier to understand my point. Generally, one side of the manifold is shut and fluid flows through the other. This is done so that once the side being used washes out, it can be shut down and can undergo maintenance. Since the junk catcher only catches big pieces, sand flows back with the fluid through the manifold. A washout occurs either when the sand has corroded the iron from the inside or if a nut is loose. A nut being loose is a more dangerous situation. Above, I have marked the first place a washout might occur in orange and the second place in yellow. I have also marked with a sad face where you absolutely must not stand since it will be the first place of impact if a washout was to occur. Working with a 3-inch manifold and 5000 PSI of pressure imposes a lot of danger. This high pressure is equivalent to that of being hit by two medium-sized cars. That is why we make sure all the nuts are bolted tightly and the iron is regularly inspected for corrosion. More importantly, if someone doesn’t need to be in this area, it is best advised that they stay clear.

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While working, I realized that there was a real concern for safety, and in a conversation with my supervisor, Kody, we talked about the importance of communication in this line of work. He told me communication is one the most important things for a smooth operation since there are six to seven different service companies working together. This would mean that every action without communication could have a negative consequence on another service company’s machinery/equipment or the project itself. For example, while taking my tank measurements, I use a dry rag to clean the measuring stick before each reading. If I was to drop this rag into any tank, the pumps would have to be shut down and the whole operation will halt until the rag is removed. Another example would be if I slack off and the water tanks pumping water run dry. In this case, the pump will push air down the well. This can lead to a huge explosion since the gas will be able to

interact with the oxygen in the air. The examples are endless, but this conversation with Kody taught me to always be clear with my communication.

This internship experience taught me a lot. Not only did I gain hands-on field experience and develop my communication skills, but I also learned how to safely manage multiple tasks under immense pressure for 13 hours a day.