Daniel Ortuño pulled a small piece of Texas history from a shelf in a building at the University of Texas at Austin. The yellowing piece of paper said that on Dec. 19, 1951, John L. Boyd began drilling a 1,350-foot-deep oil well through 17 layers of shale and limestone in Crockett County in southwest Texas.
As drillers, we use many chemical compounds on a daily basis. Drilling mud, acids and surfactants are all items utilized in the drilling industry. Many of these chemicals can be potentially hazardous to our health.
Nearly three years later, you have to know what to look for. It takes a hard look at the flood plains over the banks of the Kalamazoo River to see the effects of an incident that covered the southwest Michigan area with oil.
My awareness of water-related issues has gone up ten-fold since I joined The Driller in November. I think a lot about water, how we consume it, how we get it and how precarious it can be as a resource. So, I jumped at the chance to explore these issues in the field with the Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources (IJNR).
Spring has made its long-awaited debut, so I’m sure business for many of you (at least in the northern climates) will pick up soon. But, just because you’re busy out in the field, it doesn’t mean you can’t take The Driller with you.
Fred McAninch, the "Rig Doctor," spoke at the recent Michigan Ground Water Association convention. The Driller sat for an interview with him before his presentation to get his tips on getting the most out of a rig.
