Digging Deeper - HPHT Wells Gain Momentum
Oil wells and pipelines are popping up in places in the world that at one time would be inconceivable. Deep in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa, high pressure high temperature wells are pumping oil from deep within the earth’s core, thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. This relatively new technology is allowing oil companies to reach places that were once out-of-the-picture. Formulated and coined the name HPHT wells, this specialized well was effectively only a pipe dream, excuse the pun. Wells of this nature only truly became a practical means of accessing oil in the mid to late 90's. Through revolutionary design advance HPHT wells gained the ability to fully withstand great depths, extreme pressures, and intense temperatures. Threaded and coupled joint connectors, partnered with solid steel casing deep sea oil wells are able withstand unbelievably harsh conditions.
These days HPHT wells are able to withstand pressures in access of 10,000 psi and temperatures reaching well above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, conditions that are associated with such great depths and so close to the Earth's core. Ultra-HPHT and extreme-HPHT, such as that designed and operated by Claxton Engineering, are able to handle pressures greater than 12,000 psi. This fresh well design is meant to aid in the drilling of the deep trenches of the North Sea. As these wells gain popularity, revolutionary design improvements make them more affordable and practical; oil companies aren't going to be holding back on where they choose to drill next.
While these improvements raise the bar in safety and guards against disaster, disasters do happen, on occasion. As we witnessed this summer in the Gulf of Mexico, when disaster strikes, it strikes hard and swift. The result of a busted pipeline or a leaky well is devastating to local flora and fauna populations, water quality, and local economies. Reparations for such travesties against nature and humanity continue to be loosely enforced, never truly compensating those who lost livelihoods to the hands of a multi-national corporation that has very much else on the mind but profit.
Why are these players in the oil industry able to continue their increasingly aggressive efforts to extrapolate a dwindling resource for the Earth? Digging deeper and deeper into the ocean floor disaster will almost inevitably return, possibly, to a point of disarray that is un-repairable. Of course, the answer is to the question? Why is this able to continue? Are huge profit margins and an international dependence on a limited resource? Increased safety measures on existing HPHT wells is one thing; but safety measures to increase drill depths and the overall number of deep ocean oil wells across the globe is hardly an effective way to prevent future accidents.