Thief Hatch... will it kill you in the end ?

almost 3 years with Nabors now C&J Conoco finally realized the risks they were incurring by having us climb 32 steps up 32 steps down & reacurring incidents with H2S monitors going off at non H2S wells & even being careful at the hatch when your in the middle of following Conoco procedure meaning Wood back temp 2 thief samples & 1 thief gravity & temp wind directions 25 ft high change rapidly so there's no real escaping fumes or vapers but now we only climb the tanks to switch production or read meter if the Rock is reading correctly...less exposure but still exposed...working here is by far easier for me then when I was in ND so can't complain other then the flip'n spiders & their super industrial webs & snakes accckkkk & this creatured scared the BJesus out me yup

 

we asked for a pressure relief valve the driver could open at the top of the stairs to vent the pressure away from us, before opening the hatch... the pumpers and drillers were all for it, but the EPA said no, that the gas must be trapped, and captured... yet it was okay to release all that gas when we opened the hatch.

Yep typical government response.

 

I was at the meeting with the producers, and the EPA, and it was the EPA that would not allow the valve at the top of the stairs to be opened to vent the excess pressure. Anadarko was already building their tank batteries with the valve and pipe stand in place.

 

You can buy it or not, I was there.
The EPA rep said, a driver may not close the valve when he leaves, and all the gas will be vented...
Our answer was, the driver may not close the hatch, also.... still did not sway them.

Yea, and that have to capture the gas as we load, into the flare stack system, does not work when the flare stack has more pressure. Typical Government regulations, that really do not improve safety, or air quality, just keeps 1,000s of people employed pushing papers around.

 

Nope trucks still say Nabors...we're keeping our same shirts they're just changing out the Nabors patch for a C & J patch....we're still all over we have more leases then when can keep up with so no lay offs as of yet...but things are getting more stricter & by the book so the short cut takers are having to tow the line...most the times James has already left the yard by the time I get in but when I see him I'll tell him

 

And at what part of this industry have they NEVER talked out of both sides of their mouths...and we have never had clear cut rules as they change their minds as quickly as the wind changes direction..it's a vicious cycle and we the revenue makers for all the pencil pushers will continue to be under THEIR thumbs as long as morgages need to be paid mouths need to be fed so we show up clock in & piss & moan cuz that's our only frustration release

 

We were doing mostly wells without having to climb tanks. Getting our levels from a screen or a site glass on side of tank and working the oil off the truck and also hooking up a vent line. I was soooo relieved not to be be exposed to fumes anymore.
They now have me doing alot of old oil leases. So it's back to trying not breathing fumes again. I had not heard the posted story, but have heard over the years of people found dead because of it. A couple of years ago I refused to do two high producing gassy leases. Both of these had contractors pass out. One actually passed out after he got to the lact a few miles away.
This article is very sad.
Imo some people detox much better than others so remain unaffected.