Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters can pose a major hazard to energy wells. By disturbing the earth around the well, these events can release sediment into the well or cause the gas to leak. Natural gas wells travel thousands of feet under the earth’s surface, so gas well inspection is critical following a natural disaster. Follow these tips for the safest, most efficient inspection possible.
- Cut Off Power: If possible, cut off all power systems before inspection. If any electric lines were damaged during an earthquake or any water made contact with wires, you want to avoid making contact with this potential dangerous grid. If you spot any electric issues, you can then handle repairs safely.
- Check For Blockages: If any surrounding earth dislodged into the gas well, it’s important to inspect for blockages that could impeded gas flow. A deep well camera from a credited well inspection camera supplier as well as an impression block are both suitable tools for this.
- Inspect Gas Quality: Natural disasters and any sort of severe weather can cause sediment to fell into the gas well, potentially lowering the quality of the gas. Your company may have to take extra steps to purify the natural gas or oil.
- Use A Downhole Camera: As mentioned above, a gas well camera is a great tool for well inspection. This is especially true when human safety is at risk. To avoid getting too close to the well and to inspect every detail of the well, look into the options provided by a well inspection camera supplier.
- Continue Inspection: The effects of the natural event may not happen immediately. There might be some residual issues, so be sure to inspect the well in the days following your initial inspection. You might find additional damage or altered earth.
Staying detail oriented and prioritizing safety will ensure that the entire inspection goes smoothly. To avoid any error, be sure to have an inspection procedure on hand at all times. It is also important to have a person or team of people in charge of this process.
