In the United States, there are more than 900,000 active gas and oil wells. Because of the vast number of wells and the increased production of domestic natural gas in the United States, it’s important now more than ever for workers and their executives at gas and oil extraction sites to be involved in the prevention of injuries and environmental damage.

The ignition caused by motorized equipment during servicing, drilling, and the production of operations can result in the result in fires and explosions. According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 823 workers involved in gas and oil extraction were killed on the job between 2003 and 2010.

How can you involve yourself in the health and safety of your gas and oil extraction workers?

Safety Gear

Many injuries and fatalities experienced by workers were often caused by being caught in-between or in heavy machinery or being struck by heavy machinery. Therefore, as in any construction field or workplace, it’s essential that you as an executive are providing your workers with efficient safety gear that enables them to be seen by other workers.

High-visibility vests, jackets, pants, and helmets that are reflective in the respective light should be readily available and worn by employees in the gas and oil extraction areas at all times. By wearing high-visibility clothing you will reduce the risk of harm to your workers significantly.

Emergency Borehole Camera

Having an emergency borehole camera on hand, as well as additional cameras such as a high pressure camera in order to withstand the pressurized systems of the well, is as important as supplying high-visibility clothing to your workers. A gas well inspection is necessary to determine the safety of the well in addition to the safety of your workers.

An emergency borehole camera, and an understanding of borehole camera specifications, will be able to identify potential hazards in a gas well. An emergency borehole camera is also able to be used in the event of a borehole’s need of repair.

The safety risks for those workers involved in the operation of gas and oil extraction sites are vast. Therefore, it’s essential for employers and executives to be knowledgeable of safety hazards and concerns and to know how to address them. All employees should wear high-visibility clothing while working on-site and emergency cameras should be available in the event of needed repair or possible danger.

Natural gas and oil are some of the most commonly used commodities in the world, with 96% of the products Americans use on a daily basis containing something created with natural gas. Because of the important nature of these resources, there has been several measures taken to ensure that they are extracted safely, and efficiently.

Some of these measures are things like well inspections, either an oil well inspection or a gas well inspection. These can be done with well inspection cameras that allow one to see inside of the piping, to inspect their integrity.

These cameras are generally high pressure cameras or high temperature cameras, sometimes a combination of both depending on the wells resources. The inside of a well can sometimes have pressures equal to, or exceeding, 15,000 PSI. Having technology to resist these pressures is key.

Gas well cameras are used in gas well inspections, which have certain aspects that are judged and evaluated. These aspects can be applied to oil and water wells, too.

Here are some of the aspects of a well inspection that are considered universal:

Experience Of Organization

This generally depends on if a company is hiring another organization to do the well inspection for them. A certain list of requirements is expected in these cases, and they must operate under the following parameters:

1. Knowledge of local, regional, state, and federal laws concerning well inspection, pump installation, and a number of other practices.
2. Aware of all safety protocols in any given situation related to the job, or it’s working conditions.
3. A technical knowledge of, or experience with, any pumps or connected components related to the well.
4. Some understanding of both natural and mechanical threats to water supplies nearby.

These are just some of the things that an individual needs to know prior to the well inspection starting, whether that be a gas well inspection, or a water well inspection. When the inspection actually begins, a number of other requirements come into account.

Inspection Requirements

A qualified inspector hired to operate a high pressure camera and perform a well inspection must complete the following:

1. Determine the parameters of a well’s usage, whether it be for human, such as water, or technical purposes, such as oil or gas.
2. Visually inspect the wellhead.
3. Inspect, both physically and visually, the well system itself and its working components. These include, but are not limited to, water heaters, storage tanks, and filtration equipment.
4. Record information regarding the systems inspected, as well as suggest for maintenance and a drafted schedule for future inspections.

These are just some of the parts of a well inspection, no matter that is a gas well or a water well. If you have any questions about well inspections, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help.

Almost everywhere on the planet, the shallow ground (the upper 10 feet of the Earth’s surface) maintains a nearly constant temperature between 50 degrees and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. However, above the surface it’s a different story entirely. Geothermal cameras are a great tool for measuring temperatures through images that would otherwise remain unseen when taken by a typical camera. Here are some answers to common questions about geothermal cameras.

1. 1. What are geothermal cameras used for?
      Geothermal cameras were originally invented and utilized to display geothermal imaging during the Korean War by the military, but they’re since been utilized by many other fields. Nowadays, they’re often used by firefighters to help see through smoke, locate fires, and find people amidst a fiery blaze. Law enforcement officials use them to investigate crime scenes, find suspects, and assist with rescue efforts. Electricians often rely on geothermal cameras to find overheated components and prevent faulty wiring. The industries that use geothermal cameras are virtually limitless.

1. 1. What exactly do geothermal cameras see?
      Geothermal camera manufacturers design their cameras to see infrared radiation, which is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that we cannot see without the use of specialized equipment such as geothermal or high temperature cameras. This equipment has the unique ability to detect both the hot and cold energy given off by different objects.

1. What are some of the different features available from geothermal camera manufacturers?
   Like many digital devices and gadgets, geothermal cameras are available with a range of features, from basic to advanced models. Standard models typically measure the temperature of whatever is focused at the center of the lens. Some features enable the user to choose more than one crosshair and focus it at another part of the lens in order to compare the similarities and differences between the two or more temperatures displayed. Some of the most advanced models even offer a variety of color styles, ranging from black and white, rainbow, iron, and more.

Ultimately, geothermal cameras are a useful piece of technology with a wide range of available features. For more information about the latest geothermal cameras, high temperature cameras, and high pressure cameras, contact Hitwell Video.

Geothermal energy taps into the heat naturally created by the Earth to generate electricity. The idea is simple: there is a large temperature gradient between the Earth’s surface and the deeper regions of the planet’s crust. There are a few ways to transform this heat into electricity, but the most common method involves steam. As water seeps into the crust, it’s turned into steam, which is captured by geothermal plants to spin turbines that generate electricity.

The United States is a leader in installed geothermal capacity, and geothermal plants in eight states produce more than 3,300 megawatts. However, one country puts us to shame, and that’s Iceland.

For years, Iceland has used geothermal energy as their primary energy source. Now, the country has undertaken a large green energy project that is the first of its kind.

In April, engineers there drilled the world’s deepest geothermal well. Because this well is located on a volcano, there is incredible potential for geothermal energy. In fact, the temperatures at the bottom of this well are so extreme that water exists in a supercritical state, which means it acts like both a gas and a liquid. This also means the well has nearly limitless potential as a geothermal energy source.

The well, which was dug at the HS Orka geothermal field in Iceland, reaches a depth of 2.7 miles underground. The project was part of the Deep Enhanced Geothermal System for Sustainable Energy Businesses (DEEPEGS) project, and the goal is to create a more powerful source of clean energy. While this project can have numerous benefits, there are plenty of risks with such a deep well, including magma contaminating the water and volcanic rocks that can cause the drill to get stuck.

“We just have to see…whether we are able to tame this monster,” said Hjalti Pall Ingolfsson, a member of Iceland’s Geothermal Research Group.

The work by the DEEPEGS team was helped in part by IMAGE, which is a European Union funded project with the goal of improving methods to assess and drill into geothermal areas. In any geothermal project, special geothermal cameras are required to assess the potential of new wells. As more countries make green energy a priority, the field of geothermal imaging is evolving fast.

“Often the earth is compared to the human body,” explained Dr Jan-Diederik van Wees, from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and one of the lead scientists on the IMAGE project, to Horizon Magazine. “It’s very hard to simply expose it, you need to rely on a few holes you make from the outside.”

However, it is important to note that these geothermal sites, especially one this deep, require special high temperature geothermal cameras for downhole well inspection. Geothermal imaging is crucial as a way to analyze what exactly is happening down in the Earth’s crust.

Using a geothermal camera for wells can be an exceptionally helpful in harnessing this powerful, green energy source.

If you have any additional questions about geothermal imaging, please contact our professionals today.