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 SWABBING: BOTH AN ART AND A SCIENCE
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 It is often necessary to remove fluids from an oil or gas well during routine operations. There are several methods used to remove fluid from a well bore. Swabbing is the simplest and most efficient way to remove fluid from an oil or gas well. It is one of the oldest methods used to accomplish this task as well as the most economical method.
A swab rig consists of a spool of cable on a pulling unit, a mast, sinker bars, swab cups and a lubricator with a flow tee and a pack-off. Fluids are generally collected in a swab tank next to the wellhead so that they can be monitored and measured accurately. Swab cups sized to the ID of the tubing in the well are attached to the sinker bars and lowered into the well on the cable. Fluid is tagged and the depth is noted. The cups are lowered into the fluid column to get under a certain amount of fluid. This fluid is then pulled out of the well by hoisting the cable and swab cups. The pack-off around the cable is energized to keep fluid from leaking out of the lubricator. Click here to read more about swabbing operations from Mark Barton, Operations Project Manager.
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PROCESSING FACILITIES DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
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 Processing and delivering hard found production is paramount to our clients' growth and success in today's domestic E&P business. Brammer Engineering has been designing, building and operating a broad range of production facilities and systems for over 48 years. This service offering can be a part of the total operations of a well or property or it can be an independent, stand alone service.
In the last five years we have completed many projects in East Texas and North Louisiana. We have also worked on several projects across all regions of Texas and Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Ohio. We are currently involved in a large frac water pond system project in Oklahoma as well.
More specifically we have built seven Central Delivery Points (CDPs) with capacity to handle upwards of 60 mmcfd with room for expansion. We've installed production facilities on over 190 wells and constructed in excess of 90 miles of gathering system; greater than seventy percent (70%) of this being six and eight inch steel pipe. We have also layed several miles of poly and flex pipe for saltwater gathering and disposal systems. Relative to saltwater disposal, we have designed and constructed two private disposal systems and three commercial systems, the largest of which has the capacity to handle a continuous off load rate of up to 75,000 bsw/d. All of these facilities are built to our customer's standards while also meeting the applicable local, state and federal standards which may apply.
We also have the in-house capability to negotiate and procure the right of way for any and all of the facilities that we design and construct.
If you have processing facility needs or questions that we can help you with, please don't hesitate to contact Stan Kunkel, Construction Project Manager, in our Shreveport Office.
For additional information about our facilities projects, click on the images below.
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FINALIZED NSPS OOOOa
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EPA finalized New Source Performance Standard 40 CFR 60 Subpart OOOOa which targets Methane and VOC emissions from Oil and Gas Sources.
The rule became effective August 2, 2016. The primary addition to the original NSPS OOOO regulation (also known as "Quad O") passed in 2012 involves a mandatory leak detection and repair program for affected facilities. Well sites and compressor facilities that are new, modified, or reconstructed after September 18, 2015 are affected facilities and must conduct LDAR (Leak Detection and Repair) surveys. Operators have until June 3, 2017 to develop LDAR Monitoring Plans and to perform the first required survey. Well sites require surveys on a semiannual frequency and compressor stations require quarterly surveys. These records must be included with the operator's annual NSPS OOOOa report.
If you would like more information about this new regulation or need assistance complying with the rule, please contact Will Ward, Environmental Manager.
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PERMITTING A SALTWATER DISPOSAL WELL (SWD)
Obtaining approval to drill a new Class II Saltwater Disposal Well (non-commercial), or to convert an existing well to an SWD, may seem like a daunting prospect to many operators. In our current industry environment, however, with lower product prices, it can make financial sense to potentially lower disposal costs by operating your own disposal well.
Once a well has been chosen for conversion, or a location chosen to drill a new SWD, the research phase of the process can commence. This involves searching for nearby production to determine that the interval in which you wish to inject is not a productive interval, as well as searching nearby wells to be certain that they were constructed properly and have sufficient casing and cement to protect our valuable underground freshwater resources. Once the appropriate research has been done, and the well or area is deemed viable for disposal operations, the application process itself can begin. This involves notice in the paper, testing of water wells as applicable, and a varied list of application documents and attachments. This is where the experience that Brammer has with such applications, as well as the relationships that we have with the Injection & Mining Department of the Office of Conservation, can be of great value to you.
Community wells are also a good alternative when multiple operators are operating wells within a relatively small geographic area. Not to be confused with commercial wells, community wells are shared by two or more operators without charging a per barrel disposal fee. The operator of record for the well forms an agreement with the other operator(s) who would use the well, and those operators then share in the cost of maintaining the SWD. Community wells require the same paperwork to drill or convert to an SWD, and also have an additional application form that is submitted. There must be an agreement between operators that the well will not be operated as a commercial well and no disposal fees will be collected.
While a fair amount of time is involved in the permitting process for an SWD, we can help manage this process and shorten the amount of time as much as possible by providing a quality application. Please contact Adonya Dryden, Regulatory Permitting Supervisor, for more information regarding permitting your own disposal well.
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Long May She Wave!
Washington, D.C.
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BROADCAST QUIP
"Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back to the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters."
- Abraham Lincoln
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