Document rxddw196g3vQoGXQ5R9LqBwZ7

FILE NAME: Drilling Specialties (DRSP) DATE: 1972 Aug 31 DOC#: DRSP016 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Observations of Mud Systems at Drilling Operations - Harold W. Brown to S. Smith fa i - August 31, 1972 lCNk5^_. inteh-office cobhespondence / subject: Observation of Mud Systems i BAHTLESviLLE. Ok l a h o m a at Drilling Operations Mr. Shofner Smith 743 FPB S ASB 0007QA O n Tuesday and Wednesday, August 29 and 30, 1972, H. M. Barrett, G. 1. Slater L. L. Kidd and I visited numerous drilling operations in Southwestern and ' Western Oklahoma. Bill Barrett planned the trip and Glen Slater who is well acquainted with the location of rig operations conducted the' tour. Glen was the contact at each location. In many instances he was personally acquainted with the tool pusher, driller on tour or the mud engineer. Though approximately 20 rigs were visited, only one was running over a Phillips hole so it was necessary for Glen to obtain local clearance for us. Even though several rigs visited were drilling tight holes, in every instance we were granted permission t o look the operation over. The purpose of the. trip was to observe mud handling techniques in general and specifically how those operations using Flosal were handling the material. It was also our -objective to determine if the handline of Flosal was hazardous. B We observed in considerable detail mud systems in use on shallow holes and deep holes by small rigs and large rigs, by poor boy contractors and by the more sophisticated.contractors. There was little difference in the mud houses at all operations. In each instance, housekeeping was poor. In some cases, it was very bad. However, this does not imply it was hazardous. Probably a compliance officer would object to the housekeeping, however, it is doubtful that there were any health hazards. ' Most of us who have been apprehensive about Flosal probably based our concern due to prior experiences in mud houses where sack mud was being opened and added .hurriedly and in large amounts by one or several roughnecks. Under those conditions, the roughnecks were covered with mud dust, the floor was covered with several inches of mud and cluttered with empty sacks and the atmosphere was so dusty it was diffi cult to see and breathe. Bulk muds have eliminated much of the handling of sack muds by roughnecks. Muds and mud additives injected at hoppers by roughnecks usually isn't a large volume operation and with a little more emphasis on house keeping could be very clean. At most of the rigs observed, a 55-gallon drum with an eductor type hook-up is used instead of the conventional hopper. This permits placing the sack material down inside the drum when dumping. The drum will hold several sacks of mud or additive so the material is well confined. Mild materials are not spilled and walked through around the drum. The eductor pulls the materials slowly Into the system without any dust or residue. On one occasion Flosal was being added. The roughneck opened.and poured a sack of Bentonite into the drum, then opened the sack of Flosal 3nd poured it into the drum, then added a sack of Bentonite on top of the Flosal. Mo visible dust could be seen during this process. Certainly the Flosal was well isolated by the Bentonite. / - J CDD 255120 DSC 15396 Ml-. Shofner Smith 2 - At another operation where Fir.! ... , - ASB 000705 ' August 31, 1972 ' a a d f n o c S t a c t ^ f t i e ^ S hg T was visible above the d r u f r af f n"0'1 on hia hands or are thrown into an earth -Tin , locations, all refuse -in i when hole is c c m S e t S ! ^ WhCh ^ covered with e S t i S " ! y/ *** he no dust tobd sacks "luidoaejr r/pHrZ3 ^ ? * h<wr = * =: l" 2a,3KAs?3ss ssg^j*-g.-* ons * TM 'o S , s poor housekeeping in the n,rt v^ 23 we Vlsited. would find so manv there was no L l p r o ^ ^ T o t h "" * guard rails. Only one had +o,-i i ,rf zt was only token }fc!f some serious which ... a oilet facilities. We detected* *&* ^ a CQmPlianoe * * the , soae ^ them needed D r illin g Com ^a^has a t r l ^ Wrse than th e P r b lS i j T ? TM S the* co n d itio n s, ra id lio n d o lla r r ig Xat rig wortong on a deep h o le ^ Ve3tfatlnS- Parker " K s ? A U * shovel to ^ S s t L ^ d l t ^ b T * " ld ?**? *** young roughneck w ithTM + ZV be:Lng m ixed in a h iPh \ ^ T v T , 1 01 drum and use a small du?f yao * . ec*w Probably it would bp a ^ ^ a ^k^le effort the z j z z r t s ? * . A A i s s s t 'a a , - a - t s r i i s s Ss-K- Sksr r one we have seen is'the ^ TM t o r c o s t f g . ^ ^' b ^ ^ and >lWt liouSE"Jlnf " 5 " "*"' M5a> oSitai.% SS5'JTM " * 5 K W "Sg,,T ^ ` s s s a S J ^ A A S I . prove Flosal is ac t J n i v i.Ho"ev?i` unless the atmosphere i ! m '" +d be 30 Improvement not b.iiev. Plosal S S d be S a^ f hthe S p h e r e * % and tests If Flosal is contaminating t h e ^ n ! ? * reaSOn for aocoJ,Ip U sh^ f h^ ^ cles> do any person handling Flosal cSuld b* r?r^ 2 self. However, this too v TM , ^ ' vxt-1} just a little effort UaJJ_^' Further, r D s0 15397 CDD 2 S 5 1 2 9 Mr. Shofner Smith -3 - Ass 000706 August 31, 1972 It is my considered opinion, based on observations made at drin ' that generally mud handling techniques, includine t dr^ m g operations, primarily through housekeeping practices. However 1 be imProvecl presently a health hazanl exists. However d "ot beli^ c that need to be answered. They ares ' h e solne questions that 1. Even though little or no dust is visible whe* ft , used, we need to document whether or not airh r ^ ^ v 13 belng excess of exposure limits dst! T h o r n e fibers in "o asbestos cement, r ta siaalar material containing asbestof'shali ^ ^ v e d from bags, cartons, or other containers in which a* . wxthout being wetted, or enclosed or vwrtiUte/so prevent effectively the release of airbor^Tasbestos fdb am excess of the limits.......... n asDestos fibers 3. What is our Company responsibility when FLosal >,* , b y a contractor working for us? ls belng used. HWB:ee ' cc: H. M. Barrett S, I. Slater I*. L. Kidd Harold W, Brown . 786 FPB ' ` Station 5 4 1 5 DSC 15398 CO/> ?Ss J3 o