JAMES VAN BLARICUM

In addition to compressing natural gas, compressor stations also usually contain some type of liquid separator, much like the ones used to dehydrate natural gas during its processing. Usually, these separators consist of scrubbers and filters that capture any liquids or other undesirable particles from the natural gas in the pipeline. Although natural gas in pipelines is considered ‘dry’ gas, it is not uncommon for a certain amount of water and hydrocarbons to condense out of the gas stream while in transit. The liquid separators at compressor stations ensure that the natural gas in the pipeline is as pure as possible, and usually filters the gas prior to compression.( signal oil and gas company )

Arcasolve™ is lower hazard and does not suffer from injectivity or wettability problems.

signal oil & gas company

Plateau - Level of peak oil or gas field production; it is always followed by declining level of production. james van blaricum





Most of the world moves on petroleum–gasoline for cars; jet fuel for planes; diesel fuel for trucks. Then there is petroleum for running factories or manufacturing goods. That’s why the price of oil is so important. Oil prices have declined for the fourth straight year in a row. (In 1994, the price of a barrel of oil was $15.50.)( james e van blaricum )


Condensate wells are wells that contain natural gas, as well as a liquid condensate. This condensate is a liquid hydrocarbon mixture that is often separated from the natural gas either at the wellhead, or during the processing of the natural gas. Depending on the type of well that is being drilled, completion may differ slightly. It is important to remember that natural gas, being lighter than air, will naturally rise to the surface of a well. Because of this, in many natural gas and condensate wells, lifting equipment and well treatment are not necessary.

james van blaricum
There are two basic steps to the treatment of natural gas liquids in the natural gas stream. First, the liquids must be extracted from the natural gas. Second, these natural gas liquids must be separated themselves, down to their base components. james e van blaricum




DTI - Energy Charter Treaty (ECT)( signal oil & gas company )

Shale shaker - Drilling mud passed over to sieve out cuttings.

signal oil and gas company

Associated Gas - Natural gas associated with oil accumulations, either dissolved in oil or found as a cap of free gas above oil in reservoir. signal oil and gas company





We count on our cars to get us where we want to go, when we want to go. That sense of freedom is important to us, but we also want to be sure we do our best to conserve natural resources for future generations.( james van blaricum )


Arcasolve™ is a patented acidizing method which uses acid precursors (which are not themselves acidic) in combination with a catalyst. The catalyst acts on the precursors to produce organic acid (normally acetic acid) in-situ following placement of the Arcasolve fluid within the wellbore or rock formation.

james e van blaricum
Gasoline - Mixture of lighter liquid hydrocarbons used chiefly as a fuel for internal-combustion engines. Produced by fractional distillation of petroleum; by condensation or adsorption from natural gas; by thermal or catalytic decomposition of petroleum or its fractions; by hydrogenation of producer gas or coal; or by polymerisation of hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight. signal oil & gas company




To satisfy our appetite for petroleum, the United States has become increasingly dependent upon other countries for petroleum. In 1994 we purchased 45 percent of our petroleum from other countries.( james e van blaricum )

As mentioned, there are three main types of underground natural gas storage facilities. Specific characteristics of depleted reservoirs, aquifers, and salt caverns may be found below. Essentially, any underground storage facility is reconditioned before injection, to create a sort of storage vessel underground. Natural gas is injected into the formation, building up pressure as more natural gas is added. In this sense, the underground formation becomes a sort of pressurized natural gas container. As with newly drilled wells, the higher the pressure in the storage facility, the more readily gas may be extracted. Once the pressure drops to below that of the wellhead, there is no pressure differential left to push the natural gas out of the storage facility. This means that, in any underground storage facility, there is a certain amount of gas that may never be extracted. This is known as physically unrecoverable gas; it is permanently embedded in the formation.

james e van blaricum

Aquifer - Underground zone of permeable rock saturated with water under pressure. james van blaricum





Natural gas processing consists of separating all of the various hydrocarbons and fluids from the pure natural gas, to produce what is known as ‘pipeline quality’ dry natural gas. Major transportation pipelines usually impose restrictions on the make-up of the natural gas that is allowed into the pipeline. That means that before the natural gas can be transported it must be purified. While the ethane, propane, butane, and pentanes must be removed from natural gas, this does not mean that they are all ‘waste products’.( signal oil & gas company )


Platform - Fixed structure resting on seabed or piled into it.

james van blaricum
Aquifer - Underground zone of permeable rock saturated with water under pressure. james e van blaricum




Benzene - An aromatic hydrocarbon present to a minor degree in most crude oils. (Products manufactured from benzene include styrene, phenol, nylon and synthetic detergents).( james van blaricum )

We cannot use crude oil in the state it’s in when it comes out of the ground. The process is a little more complicated than that. So, how does thick, black crude oil come out of the ground and eventually get into your car as a thin, amber-colored liquid called gasoline? Let’s find out.

signal oil & gas company

Circulation - Techniques for bringing cuttings from bottom of well bore to surface by continuously pumping drilling mud down through drill-string and up annulus during rotary drilling. signal oil & gas company





The tubing head is much like the casing head. It provides a seal between the tubing, which is run inside the casing, and the surface. Like the casing head, the tubing head is designed to support the entire length of the casing, as well as provide connections at the surface, which allow the flow of fluids out of the well to be controlled.( signal oil and gas company )


Laying pipe across streams or rivers can be accomplished in one of two ways. Open cut crossing involves the digging of trenches on the floor of the river to house the pipe. When this is done, the pipe itself is usually fitted with a concrete casing, which both ensures that the pipe stays on the bottom of the river, and add an extra protective coating to prevent any natural gas leaks into the water. Alternately, a form of directional drilling may be employed, in which a sort of ‘tunnel’ is drilled under the river through which the pipe may be passed. The same techniques are used for road crossings - either an open trench is dug up across the road and replaced once the pipe is installed, or a tunnel may be drilled underneath the road.

signal oil and gas company
Preventative Maintenance - This involves the testing of valves and the removal of surface impediments to pipeline inspection. signal oil and gas company




Arcasolve™ can be used for a large number of acidizing applications including damage removal, completion and stimulation of horizontal wells, matrix acidizing, fracture acidizing, gel breaking and stimulation of natural fracture networks.( signal oil & gas company )

Fluids used in the fracture acidizing process (pad fluid, acid or additives) can be detrimental to well performance following the job. This can be due to clean up problems or a reduction in the formation permeability adjacent to the fracture.

signal oil and gas company

Although not originally designed as a fluid for acid fraccing, the opportunity for Arcasolve™ in this application could be very significant. james e van blaricum



Although research has improved the odds since Edwin Drake’s days, petroleum exploration today is still a gamble. Geologists study underground rock formations to find areas that might yield oil. Still, even with advanced methods, only about 33 in every 100 exploratory wells have oil. The rest come up “dry."( signal oil and gas company )

Deep-Water Discovery - An offshore discovery located in at least 200 metres of water.

signal oil & gas company

Does it make a difference what car I drive? - More fuel-efficient vehicles can save gasoline. A highly fuel-efficient vehicle could potentially cut gasoline use in half or more. How much depends on the vehicle and driving habits and needs. If a less fuel-efficient car requires 20 gallons of gasoline a week compared with 10 gallons for a highly fuel-efficient vehicle, more than 500 gallons of gasoline could be saved annually. signal oil and gas company



In addition to the four processes above, heaters and scrubbers are installed, usually at or near the wellhead. The scrubbers serve primarily to remove sand and other large-particle impurities. The heaters ensure that the temperature of the gas does not drop too low. With natural gas that contains even low quantities of water, natural gas hydrates have a tendency to form when temperatures drop. These hydrates are solid or semi-solid compounds, resembling ice like crystals. Should these hydrates accumulate, they can impede the passage of natural gas through valves and gathering systems. To reduce the occurrence of hydrates, small natural gas-fired heating units are typically installed along the gathering pipe wherever it is likely that hydrates may form.( james e van blaricum )

In addition to water, oil, and NGL removal, one of the most important parts of gas processing involves the removal of sulfur and carbon dioxide. Natural gas from some wells contains significant amounts of sulfur and carbon dioxide. This natural gas, because of the rotten smell provided by its sulfur content, is commonly called ’sour gas’. Sour gas is undesirable because the sulfur compounds it contains can be extremely harmful, even lethal, to breathe. Sour gas can also be extremely corrosive. In addition, the sulfur that exists in the natural gas stream can be extracted and marketed on its own. In fact, according to the USGS, U.S. sulfur production from gas processing plants accounts for about 15 percent of the total U.S. production of sulfur.

james van blaricum

Use of oil-external emulsified acids may be limited by the increased frictional resistance to flow of these fluids down well tubulars. signal oil & gas company



Environmental Management Systems (EMS) - A process that examines environmental factors and activities or processes that industry uses.( james van blaricum )

Pliocene - Fifth and most recent division of Tertiary period on geologic time scale from about 12 million to 2 million years ago.

james e van blaricum

Oil - Mixture of liquid hydrocarbons of different molecular weights. james van blaricum



Pig - Device for cleaning a pipeline or separating two liquids being moved down pipeline. (Intelligent pig - fitted with sensors to check for corrosion or defects in pipelines.)( james e van blaricum )

Compensator - Keeps drill-sting stationary while semi-submersible and derrick move.

signal oil & gas company

Secondary Recovery - Recovery of hydrocarbons from a reservoir by increasing reservoir pressure by injecting gas or water into reservoir rock. (see also Primary and Tertiary Recovery.) signal oil & gas company



Aerial Patrols - Planes are used to ensure no construction activities are taking place too close to the route of the pipeline, particularly in residential areas. Unauthorized construction and digging is the primary threat to pipeline safety, according to INGAA( signal oil and gas company )

To satisfy our appetite for petroleum, the United States has become increasingly dependent upon other countries for petroleum. In 1994 we purchased 45 percent of our petroleum from other countries.

signal oil and gas company

Capping - Tightly closing a well so that hydrocarbons cannot escape. james e van blaricum



In certain instances, however, specialized equipment is necessary to separate oil and natural gas. An example of this type of equipment is the Low-Temperature Separator (LTX). This is most often used for wells producing high pressure gas along with light crude oil or condensate. These separators use pressure differentials to cool the wet natural gas and separate the oil and condensate. Wet gas enters the separator, being cooled slightly by a heat exchanger. The gas then travels through a high pressure liquid ‘knockout’, which serves to remove any liquids into a low-temperature separator. The gas then flows into this low-temperature separator through a choke mechanism, which expands the gas as it enters the separator. This rapid expansion of the gas allows for the lowering of the temperature in the separator. After liquid removal, the dry gas then travels back through the heat exchanger and is warmed by the incoming wet gas. By varying the pressure of the gas in various sections of the separator, it is possible to vary the temperature, which causes the oil and some water to be condensed out of the wet gas stream. This basic pressure-temperature relationship can work in reverse as well, to extract gas from a liquid oil stream.( signal oil & gas company )

Signed by 45 governments and EU in Lisbon, Portugal on 17 December 1994.

james e van blaricum

Natural gas can also be formed through the transformation of organic matter by tiny microorganisms. This type of methane is referred to as biogenic methane. Methanogens, tiny methane producing microorganisms, chemically break down organic matter to produce methane. These microorganisms are commonly found in areas near the surface of the earth that are void of oxygen. These microorganisms also live in the intestines of most animals, including humans. Formation of methane in this manner usually takes place close to the surface of the earth, and the methane produced is usually lost into the atmosphere. In certain circumstances, however, this methane can be trapped underground, recoverable as natural gas. An example of biogenic methane is landfill gas. Waste-containing landfills produce a relatively large amount of natural gas, from the decomposition of the waste materials that they contain. New technologies are allowing this gas to be harvested and used to add to the supply of natural gas. signal oil and gas company



Gas Sampling - Routine sampling of the natural gas in pipelines ensures its quality, and may also indicate corrosion of the interior of the pipeline, or the influx of contaminants.( james van blaricum )

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) - Nitrous Oxide contributed 5% of direct global warming potential from UK national greenhouse gas emissions in 1990.

james van blaricum

Arcasolve™ can be used for a large number of acidizing applications including damage removal, completion and stimulation of horizontal wells, matrix acidizing, fracture acidizing, gel breaking and stimulation of natural fracture networks. james van blaricum