Oilfield Awareness

  Awareness is easily the single most important method for staying safe in the oilfield. Being aware of a hazard allows you as a worker the opportunity to make choices to protect yourself from that hazard. If there is a hazard that you are unaware of then...

Does H2S Affect Rod Lift?

  HOW DOES HYDROGEN SULFIDE AFFECT ROD LIFT? Rod lift wells are designed to produce three basic fluids: oil, water, and gas. FLUID EFFECTS Oil is the most favorable of the three fluids for rod lift to produce. Aside from oil being the primary income stream for...

Why E&Ps Need Local Services

“We always try to use the local guy,” is one of the many lessons that Junior tried to explain to me during my first year in the oilfield. Junior managed rig operations in the Kermit, West Texas field office and—through three decades of oilfield work—had seen all the...

Oilfield Communication

  TRANSFERRING INFORMATION SafeLand training contains a great deal of information about how to work safely and effectively in the oilfield. Topics within the SafeLand orientation include many topics from oilfield driving and excavations to wellsite arrival and...

What is experience?

One requirement that the oilfield job seeker will undoubtedly encounter is that of the minimum or ideal experience level. Listed directly on the various job board postings will be the requirement of a minimum level of experience, measured in years. They may also...

What is a glycol unit?

NATURAL GAS AND IMPURITIES The pure natural gas that we all use is, in San Antonio, almost 100% methane (CH4). It is important that the natural gas we burn is pure because it gives a correct and consistent amount of heat while minimizing the pollution produced....

Pull ups v Lace ups; which is the best boot?

Oilfield workers need good quality boots to do their work safely. These boots come in two varieties: pull up boots and lace up boots. Pull up boots are taller and do not have laces. They are called “pull ups” because to put them on you just pull the collar past the...

Sleep deprivation kills

The most dangerous position in the oilfield is behind the wheel. Oilfield work has a reputation for being dangerous due to working with heavy equipment and explosive wells. These are certainly hazards, but the biggest killer in the oilfield is driving. We’ve discussed...

CPR in the Oilfield

WHAT IS CPR? Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a first aid technique that is meant to continue circulation when the heart is no longer able to. When properly done and quickly administered, CPR saves lives. If a person’s heart stops then their survival rate will...