Different Platforms For Oil And Gas Exploration

The options available for oil platforms today have allowed drillers to explore and extract oil farther offshore and at greater depths. The depth of the oil reserve from the surface of the ocean would determine what type of platform would be most suitable.

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A fixed platform is usually built for oil reserves that are up to 1,500 feet deep into the ocean. The steel stronghold is anchored onto the seabed to support the deck above the water where the drilling equipment and crew quarters are set. It is primarily used for shallow but large oil deposits.

For exploration at shallow depths, a modification to the fixed platform is a jack-up rig, where the structure is similar, only that the height of the legs can be adjusted once the floating platform is towed to different locations and then raised from the water surface.

Floating production systems such as semisubmersible rigs are used for depths up to 6,000 feet. The semisubmersible rig floats offshore on hollow columns which, when filled with water, would partially submerge the rig that is held in place by anchors or computer-coordinated thrusters.

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Subsea systems such as drill ships submerge platforms directly on the seabed that is 7,000 feet deep, siphoning oil to the surface through pipes.

Primera Energy LLC, a leading oil and gas company based in Texas, is founded and headed by Brian Alfaro. Learn more by visiting this Twitter account.

The Advantages Of Fracking

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Today’s energy producing moguls are concerned with finding ways to power the planet and make life easier for its inhabitants. With so much concern over the conservation of natural resources and the practice of sustainability to the environment, the demands for energy are increasing while the means to produce it are not as abundant as they used to be. Here is where fracking finds a special place in America.

Fracking, otherwise known as hydraulic fracturing, is the method of forcing fractures in a rock layer by means of fluid that is put under pressure. Today, it is used as a way to extract oil and natural gas from shale, which are then used as energy sources.

Apart from it being a very effective way to harness hydrocarbons from the earth, fracking has made it possible for consumers to pay for oil at 20 percent lower than what it would have been otherwise.

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This has further translated into to realities of economic proportions. Because of this, there has been a significant reduction in the dependence on foreign oil. The U.S. now doesn’t have to spend undisclosed amounts of money to other countries whose interests might run contrary to it.

Fracking has put the oil and gas industry atop a critical list of employment opportunity providers in the country today. The industry offers high-paying jobs, pays taxes diligently, and extends the benefits to rural and agricultural communities all over the country.

It is through alternative energy production means like fracking that America has regained the strength to become independent in terms of energy more than ever before.

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Safety First: Keeping Oil And Gas Workers Safe

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The oil and gas industry is crucial to the nation’s economic and industrial progress. It has led to the rapid expansion of production and significant growth opportunities in business. With the demand for oil and gas increasing, as well as the discovery of recoverable reserves, continuing expansion is projected for the industry.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), from 2003 to 2010, more than 823 workers in the extraction field suffered fatal accidents on the job. This rate is seven times higher than the number for all US industries.

Jobs in the oil and gas industry are fraught with safety hazards and adverse conditions that make the workers susceptible to injuries and fatalities arising from motor vehicle accidents, contact injuries, explosions and fires, falls, confined spaces, and chemical exposures.

To reduce or eliminate unfortunate incidents in the workplace due to these hazards, there are safety rules that should be enforced.

The first line of defense is the sound design of engineering controls. Anything hazardous in the equipment or processes should be removed or replaced. If this is not possible, the workers must be kept safe by isolating or enclosing the hazard.

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Appropriate work practice and administrative controls should also be implemented, as the second line of defense. For instance, the use and communication of proper procedures, regular maintenance and inspection, work schedule and training, and good housekeeping, are all processes directed towards the maintenance of safety.

The last line of defense is the enforcement of wearing personal protective equipment while on the job.

Brian Alfaro is the founder and president of Primera Energy LLC, a previous awardee of the Eagle Ford Excellence for Safety Performance. Visit this blog for more discussions about the oil and gas industry.

Digging Deeper: Accessing The Buda Limestone Formation

Just below one of the most productive shales in Texas is another treasure trove of crude oil. One layer underneath the Eagle Ford Shale is the Buda limestone formation, a sedimentary rock formation that is said to be twice as thick as the Eagle Ford in some areas.

This could mean that the Buda limestone potentially contains much more crude oil and hydrocarbon than the Eagle Ford. Current studies of the formation have not yet yielded definitive statistics.

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Like its neighbor above, the Buda limestone needs to be drilled horizontally. But since the formation is already fractured naturally, it costs much less to drill and complete a well. There would be no need for expensive chemicals and sand mixtures to extract crude oil. And the rig models needed to dig the formation are less costly and more readily available.

Several companies have already tapped into the opportunities present in Buda limestone since the start of the decade. And it could not have come at a better time as the discovery of the abundance of crude oil in Buda came during a period of high oil price, and companies were looking to slash the cost of oil by increasing the supply.

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Brian Alfaro is the founder and president of Primera Energy LLC, an oil and gas company headquartered in Texas. The company provides its shareholders with the highest quality, unconventional shale prospects. To read more about the company and the industry, follow this Facebook page.

Texas: The Oil Star State

A combination of inexhaustible reserves and innovative technologies have propelled Texas to the top of the list of energy-producing states. In the U.S., the Lone Star State leads in oil reserves. It produces the highest amount of oil, natural gas, and lignite coal. The state also yields more wind power than any other state.

Even globally, Texas is an energy powerhouse. According to the American Petroleum Institute, the state ranks second in the world for natural gas production and seventh in oil. In 2015, an average of 3.4 million barrels of oil per day was produced, which is almost the same output level of known middle eastern major oil exporters Iran and United Arab Emirates.

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As oil and natural gas production from shale has flourished, incomes have been raised, and utility rates were reduced. These have allowed Americans to save an equivalent of $1,200 in real disposable household income.

The boost in energy production has also helped the establishment, reopening, and expansion of businesses in the chemical and manufacturing industries. These have led to an industry output of $37 billion and the creation of 81,000 permanent jobs back in 2013, according to then Governor Rick Perry.

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With Texas continuing to fuel the nation’s hydrocarbon production, supplying 20 percent of the U.S. oil output, continuous economic progress, less reliance on foreign oil, and energy independence as a nation is on the horizon.

Primera Energy LLC, an oil and gas industry leader in Texas, is helmed by Brian Alfaro. He has hopes for the nation to be self-sufficient in energy and fuel supply. Learn more about energy by following this Twitter account.

Hydrofracking: Changing Economies

The oil and shale industry has been in decline these last few years, according to market experts. societal concerns on climate change and the potential effects shale gas extraction on the ecosystem have been turning off consumers. This has prompted oil and shale companies to seek alternative means of extracting shale.

One of these methods is hydrofracking, which is an improved form of fracking. The process of hydraulic fracking forces shale rocks to produce gas by injecting a certain area with high amounts of pressure. The process has had unexpected impacts to economies.

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There are environmental concerns about the process. Technically speaking, hydrofracking does not emit harmful gas to the environment. Machinery can dig deep into the ground and extract the energy source directly. However, scientists are unsure whether this may weaken the rocks below and cause unforeseen effects. These alleged environmental effects are still to be fully studied but already have shifted the way economies are handling their natural gas perspective.

Hydrofracking is expected to support local economies and lessen reliance on foreign oil. This has political implications. This method of extraction means that each country could technically support itself in case of a global crisis. Government agencies are working closely with local oil and shale companies to ensure that no political affiliations are made in the manufacture or production of shale gas.

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Despite hydrofracking being a relatively new process in the oil and shale industry, these two implications are being heavily discussed by those involved in the market. Current forecasts are not clear and determinedly noncommittal.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends in the oil and shale industry by liking this Brian Alfaro’s Facebook page.

The Role of Natural Gas in Reducing Coal Dependence

Of all the fossil fuels, coal is by and large the most easily accessible and also most sharply criticized. Coal is known for producing copious quantities of noxious fumes and greenhouse gases. The continued use of coal in power generation across the world remains one of the major stumbling blocks in achieving key goals in air pollution.

 

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And coal’s effects are evident in daily life. Old industrial cities in the 19th century were known to be shrouded in thick layers of smog and soot. Even today, working in close proximity to power plants that run on coal is a known health hazard, contributing to a whole array of respiratory diseases.

It would be strange, then, for the primary contender for replacing this most noxious of polluters would be another fossil fuel source. To the surprise of some, natural gas holds the key to ending coal dependence. Natural gas produces the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions among the fossil fuels, and developments have made natural gas a more readily available and economic fuel source.

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The growing volume of natural gas plants has already made a visible impact toward greater sustainability, thus making possible a wide-scale decommissioning of coal-fired power plants in recent years. Already, an unprecedented number of coal plant closures has significantly contributed to meeting and exceeding emission reduction goals set out in the Waxman-Markey legislation. Meanwhile, watchdog organizations like the Sierra Club remain optimistic that further reductions can be achieved, provided the continuation of current trends.

Brian Alfaro helms Primera Energy, LLC, a Texas-based energy company dedicated to innovative and environmentally sound methods of petroleum and natural gas exploration and extraction. Visit this blog for more updates on the energy industry.

A Better View of Horizontal Drilling

People often think of drilling as going straight down through the ground. However, in oil extraction, there is a method more efficient than vertical drilling. Horizontal drilling is the process in which the well changes direction horizontally at a depth. The drilling will start with a vertical process first then turn horizontally at a certain entry point. This technique can reach and collect more energy with fewer wells. It is known to be the best strategy for drilling shale rocks.

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Although this type of drilling has a more intricate process, it has been proven by geological research that it yields more benefits than the conventional one. Targets and reservoirs that cannot otherwise be reached through vertical drilling can be tapped through the horizontal method. It can reach natural oil deposits trapped in tight shale formations located more than a mile below the ground.

Another benefit of horizontal drilling is its ability to reach large areas with just a single drilling pad. When this directional drilling is combined with hydraulic fracturing, it can convert unproductive shale rocks into reservoir rocks. There are more benefits such as: installing underground facilities, sealing out-of-control wells, and improving the productivity of wells.

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Primera Energy LLC is a company that uses a horizontal drilling process along with other innovative techniques. Brian Alfaro is the President of this company. Visit this page to read more articles about the energy industry.

Methane: Key Facts On Natural Gas’ Principle Component

Methane is the principal component of natural gas, itself a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon compounds that frequently form around coal and petroleum. Natural gas is looking to be a promising transitional fuel. The growth of natural gas power throughout the United States alone has helped it begin the transition away from heavily polluting coal.

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Although natural gas is the primary source of combustible methane used in energy production, methane itself is a common byproduct of many industrial and agricultural processes. Much methane itself is produced from flatulence produced by cattle farming and from the decomposition of waste in modern sanitary landfills. Ways of harnessing methane produced elsewhere have been in place. Gas extracted from landfills and agriculture, for instance, have been used domestically for energy production in the same way as natural gas.

On its own, methane is a very potent pollutant, even more so than the exhaust it produces during energy production. In general, environmentalists feel it safer to burn the methane than to let it escape into the atmosphere. Domestic natural gas consumption and flaring have been done in response to this, and the growth of natural gas production offers both an economic solution to natural gas along with a few potential concerns. To keep off methane pollution modern plants have to keep facilities sealed tightly to prevent leaks.

Methane can be burned in conventional steam turbine energy systems as with coal and petroleum. Today, however, plants dedicated to burning natural gas utilize special systems that burn the gas more effectively, producing more power from fuel gas in the process.

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Brian Alfaro and Primera Energy are dedicated to minimizing the ecological impact of their oil and gas exploration operations in Texas. Visit this Facebook page for more on his company’s commitment to sound energy production.

Earthly Origins: How Is Crude Oil Produced?

Petroleum is used to power homes, cars, and businesses; but where did it come from?

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Natural gas and oil make up petroleum. The word petroleum means “rock oil” in Latin. Petroleum is a fossil fuel made naturally from (prehistoric) decaying plants and animal remains. Petroleum is a mixture of different molecules, including hydrogen and carbon that exist as liquid or vapor. It can be found in offshore wells, deep seas, and caves.

Petroleum is generated over millions of years. For petroleum generation or production to occur, organic matter like dead plants or animals must accumulate in large numbers. This organic matter will then be deposited along with sediments (rocks). Sediments and organic material that are now formed as source rocks will be buried in the absence of oxygen. Without oxygen, the organic material in the source rock will be transformed into petroleum. Source rocks like shale or limestone are an excellent source of petroleum.

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Natural gas is found next to or near petroleum. The oil is then transported for fuel distillery. There are technologies used to liquefy natural gas so it can be transported in tanks. There are more than 100 countries that produce both oil and natural gas. Technologies that help find sources of petroleum are now advanced. There are still oil and gas reserves to be discovered—in deeper basins and remote areas.

Primera Energy LLC is headed by Brian Alfaro. The company operates on the Eagle Ford Shale in Southern Texas. For more petroleum news and facts, follow this Twitter account.