Any ideas

  Any ideas as to why a accumulator on the suction side of a pump would blow off the top half shearing 48 1/2" hardened  bolts off in the process. It happened while wireline was equalizing in preparation to making a run down the hole.

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2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 12, 2013 at 11:12pm

That's what was rolling through my mind, J-O...after I read through all of this. Strange thought...but WHETHER it be sabotage or just plain 'loose standards SINK ships'...it all boils down to this -- x2 TIMES?!...

*CHINESE BOLTS that simply are SUB-PAR are ***NOT ACCEPTABLE...and hopefully, IF anything IS done with this WAKE-UP CALL...

SHADY PRACTICES such as THIS ***WILL*** get changed - before it is TOO LATE!...and This Was Your Life - Chick Tract is the result.

NO ONE wants this for ANYONE, I should hope....

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness. 

Permalink Reply by Bob Jenness on May 13, 2013 at 12:31am

The above discussion, with very few changes, could probably have been plucked from internal correspondences in the Deepwater Horizon case.  Just substitute BOP for Accumulator, etc.  Reliability and Safety are quite well understood disciplines, and work extremely in other equally complex technological pursuits such as Railway, Aviation, Electric Power, Telecom, etc.  BP now knows this after losing BILLIONS from years of insufficient diligence.  XOM has known this after losing BILLIONS in Alaska.  This is not just a "Mechanical" or "Human Factors" failure.  It's a Corporate failure.  To fix it, find somebody from one of those places where it's working, give him one week to fix the bolt inventory problem (hint, the aviation industry does it with plastic bags, labels, computers, and close government regulation), then put him in the lowest executive management office that manages BOTH Operations and Revenue and profits.  In the meantime, please let us all know which corporations are involved, so we can make sure they don't get any new projects anywhere near where we live.  

Perhaps even GG could do a consultancy and fix this problem, then he wouldn't have time for all these long posts (just kidding on the posts, but you seem to understand the quality problems here, GG :-)

2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 13, 2013 at 1:19am

CORPORATE FAILURE.

***Shouldn't have happened in the FIRST PLACE. Industry standards. Chinese Dreams - THEY ARE promoting THIS very thought/mindset across their country.

Either WE will toughen up - or THEY will 'eat US(A) for their lunch and I think THAT is what their plan is...

***NO ONE takes your power from you - you 'give it AWAY'. Think about that - a VERY TRUE statement. THAT is what's called 'being AmeriCAN', folks/friends!!!

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness. It takes the cash to 'pay the rent', BUT it's HARD to 'pay the rent' if you end up dead from an ACCIDENT that should NOT be having to even be 'dealt with' in the FIRST PLACE...hmm.....

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on May 13, 2013 at 1:34am

The low pressure side where the accumulator is not designed for High Pressure, it should never see HP except for moderate pressure for perhaps a initial hydro static test for leak checkage.

 Consider this the manifold acts as  distribution gathering and final discharge into the line going to the well. On the low pressure side a shut off valve is on the manifold LP a 4" rubber hose (much like you see of fire trucks) then heads to the pump unit, connects to the steel, another shut off valve, then into the suction side of the pump the accumulator is between the shut off valve and the pump intake,  the accumulator could have only sustained HP by a back pressure due to human error where the HP side of the pump received HP by not having its HP discharge valve closed or the valve malfunctioned allowing HP to back flow into the pump.  Since this was at the wire line stage usually pumps that are to be serviced are taken out meaning both HP & Suction valves are closed and the pressure is bled off the pump, then both intake and discharge connections are physically disconnected. 

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 13, 2013 at 1:41am

Need a diagram BPW.

Your doing a great job of trying to explain things but a picture's worth a thousand words as they say.

How about a double check valve assembly between the low pressure and high pressure side - not just a single check valve - a double check valve - building in protection redundancy - cheap insurance so to speak.

Do it to protect domestic water supplies all the time.

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on May 13, 2013 at 1:08am

 Na I would rule that out as it is a 24 Hr  usually 24 hr 7 days a week till done..It could be done but it would be hard to blend in and in that area close to the iron would be more difficult as it is monitored for leakage during use and the area is busy while pump repair is performed.

 If anti fractivist wanted to do sabotage there are other means without being even seen with even more costly damage possible.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on May 13, 2013 at 1:25am

Not pointing fingers and / or saying it's only the crew at the well head to be concerned about BPW.

Maybe it's a buyer or a supplier of equipment / parts / fittings / connectors / nuts & bolts that's to be faulted or suspected.

It's hard to know what motivates crookery.

Perhaps it's as simple as saving bucks by cutting corners or perhaps it's malicious.

It's a complicated and many times crooked world we live in.

2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 13, 2013 at 1:41am

Money, honey --- FOLLOW THE MONEY!!! ***It's ALWAYS 'the MONEY'!!!

MONEY talks, Frack well pop! POP goes the weasel...remember THAT song?

It DOESN'T NEED to be (stupidly) 'complicated'...but the CROOKED choices that get made - no matter by WHOM...are NOT ACCEPTABLE, J-O.

NO EXCUSES. As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness.

I've never asked, but WHAT x2 wells did this happen at - WHERE? It would be good for all to know themselves. I now ask: who, what, *WHERE*, when, why...all I ask is WHERE? Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on May 13, 2013 at 3:13am

 That at who, what, when, where, why I am not at this time going to say. However the WHY it happened to some extent is being processed in this thread. 

 Although I might be nice, to nice at times, I always try to give a opportunity for a solution before a war takes place that halts progress to solving a problem.   

2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 13, 2013 at 4:21am

Reasonable. No problem ALL of us are 'nice' and ALL of us have our 'tough hides' that we need to protect/cover. I'm sure that with all of tis hoop-la, that the 'WHERE' will be known soon enough (x2 places>?). I can only say this, Billy - when/IF (and hopefully NOT again...) there DOES happen to be a 'next time'...it will ALL 'come out in the wash (and THAT will be in 'frack water', I'm sure...do get a chuckle outta' that joke...).

Just hope that things get 'cleared up' soon...for ALL concerned, BUT unfortunately, things that run along these lines ARE ongoing...because things just WEREN'T 'done right' in the first place. FGollow the money...and YOU are NOT 'just labor' - YOU & your bro's are the reason that things ARE 'getting done' at all...the 'shirts' don't get their hands dirty - NOT like you & your fellow workers are - DO THEY?

YOU'VE got to 'be the ball' here, Billy - YOU & your constituents (co-workers) because believe you/me - NO ONE is going look out for you & yours but YOU. (and THAT unfortunately should be blatantly obvious to YOU from how things are handled concerning 'SUB-PAR' CHINESE BOLTS - did YOu 'ever think' that this would happen?). Do DO your own 'due dilligence' for YOURSELVES. That's all. I have no axe to grind - one way or the other, but I would rather not end up hearing of any G/O tragedies that COULD have been avoided. I believe that YOU are of the 'same mind' in this respect. You'll call the right shots - or you won't. What will be will be.

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness.  James Burke Connections III #5 - Life is No Picnic - YouTube

Watch this when you get a chance to 'take a load off' & just need a 'logical break' - IF you so choose. To each their own. I don't work/experience what YOU experience WITH your 'work'...be smart for yourself (and our buddies) - and THAT is not 'jumping the shark'....

2z248p19vqnh9Permalink Reply by 2z248p19vqnh9 on May 13, 2013 at 1:36am

I understand what you are saying here, Billy. I've seen/witnessed' the security at the well near the well near my area. It is good, so that solves that concern.

Those CHINESE BOLTS are what are the bother, then - EVEN if what happened WAS due to a 'pressure gauge/valve' scenrio. I'm sure that it bothers YOU greatly, too - bein' the MAN in the 'line of fire'. THAT is not right. Glad you are still here you share about it.

Reading your 'write'...were you military, or just a smart hunter - or both? Makes my mind a little uneasy just thinking about WHAT ELSE there is that 'you guys' don't know about in THESE ways...it's GOT to bother your mind.

THAT is why I mentioned AA (Alcoa) - go to the library & READ that chapter #4. Here is the title "The Power of Habit' by Charles Duhigg. I'm telling ya' (and I recall saying somewhere back that the ***to the company - you are 'disposable' - and NOW it's OBVIOUS) - just like that Frack fluid you pump in & get back out +.... THIS should make you more aware.

You'll get mad at my saying that 'the company DOESN'T CARE about you - and NOW it 'plain as the nose on your face' obvious.... Get mad at THEM for endangering YOU & your crew - THEY didn'tdon't 'do right' by YOU all (but they SURE shaved a 'couple-a-bucks' for themselves & will just NICELY say, "OOPS"...now THAT in Jesse Drang's pet words IS  ***JUMPING THE SHARK***.

---------------

WILL they get this problem fixed? Mighty uneasy it makes me FOR you all.

HOW do you know what will be next, and where? Think about it - x2 (TWO TIMES this has happened?). Even YOU made the flippant remark of 'third time's'...you know what you said/thought. WELL - that MAY unfortunately end up being right, and we pray that it is NOT.

As one light lights another, nor grows less - so nobleness enkindles nobleness. Be kind to everyone because EVERYONE's got it tough.

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on May 13, 2013 at 1:52am

I'm guessing that this is a company related issue. If it were a design flaw in the pump, there would be more incidents across the industry. It may be a lack of training, poor managerial over site, documentation, maintenance, or more. Sometimes guys in big companies get complacent or over confident.  Like the BP Moncando well, old timers will say, "I've been doing this for years and never had a problem, we don't need all that safety crap." And newer companies often don't have the experience in quality control that is needed.

This is why I always say there is a role for government to play.  Better inspections and reporting would help reduce or eliminate these things. And require monitoring by independent, third party safety company.

Maybe this is an opportunity for Billy and some other experienced, knowledgeable people to start a consulting company specializing in safety and compliance issues.  Contract with the operator such as Range or CHK to make sure all subcontractors are in full compliance with all gov regs, company policies, safety and reporting, maintenance, reporting, documentation, employee training, and more. This would protect the operator from liability issues arising from accidents, protect workers and the environment, and help the industry's reputation.  Are there such companies/consultants out there now?

Last, these incidents should be reported to the OSHA, the proper state environmental and regulatory agencies, and the operator of the site before someone gets hurt or killed.

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