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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: WesternGeco unveils latest seismic equipment and HRDS, a self-contained, hydrocarbon recovery and disposal system Company’s new X-Vib and Tucker Sno-Cat have all-rubber track drive systems, which leave a minimal environmental footprint Amy Marie Armstrong PNA Contributing Writer
WesternGeco of Alaska gave the public an up-close look at the latest in seismic equipment during an open house at the company’s offices on International Airport Road in Anchorage in mid-December.
Touted as more environmentally friendly, the six-passenger Tucker Sno-Cat made in Medford, Ore., and the X-Vib manufactured by Input/Output Inc. in Alvin, Texas, both feature all-rubber track drive systems.
The rubber tracks leave a minimal footprint, said Bruce Clulow, area manager at WesternGeco. “In a continuous effort to reduce the environmental impact of seismic, we have made a significant investment in rubber tracked vehicles over the past 3 years.” Aside from lower ground pressure — approximately six pounds of compression per square inch, the rubber track systems provide increased mobility, especially in deep snow conditions.
“Before, we would have to use a bulldozer to push some of the snow out of the way,” explained John Davis, operations manager. “We shouldn’t have to do that with these.”
Davis also said work crews will save time and money during exploration because they will be able to immediately drive to areas where they want to shoot seismic without previous site preparation. He also said the 26-inch rubber track systems on the Sno-Cat and the 36-inch rubber track systems on the X-Vib will reduce slipping and sliding.
The X-Vib weighs a little more than 87,000 pounds and carries a price tag of $750,000. WesternGeco has 10 of the machines it plans to use during the 2002 oil exploration season beginning in January.
The Sno-Cat weighs 12,600 pounds and utilizes air bag suspension. The Series 1644 that WesternGeco will use features a wide cab — 10 inches wider than previous models. Another four inches was added to the cab height giving passengers more headroom.
HRDS invented in-house WesternGeco officials also unveiled their latest in-house innovation called hydrocarbon recovery and disposal system or HRDS. Its design is currently being submitted for patent.
HRDS is a self-contained on-site waste-processing unit that is loaded onto a sled for transportation to tundra work areas. It houses a two stage regulated charged air incineration system that recovers hydrocarbons from snow.
“We call it the scrubber,” said Bill Sands, equipment supervisor at WesternGeco Alaska operations. “It basically cleans the snow that our vehicles have come in contact with.”
Despite the use of vehicle pads, some amounts of motor oil, diesel and transmission fluid do contaminate snow in work areas, Sands explained. Rather than continuing the costly and risky process of shipping contaminated snow to the company’s base camp in Deadhorse, Sand said the HRDS unit would help WesternGeco adhere to increasingly tighter environmental regulations.
Contaminated snow is placed in the HRDS’s snow melter then transferred through an oil/water separation system and then to a storage tank. From there, the clean filtered water is used for laundry at the jobsite.
The HRDS unit is capable of processing 41 to 55 gallons of used oil per day. That is much higher than the estimated 7.5 gallons of hydrocarbons produced by contaminated snow on seismic crews during one season, according to data gathered by WesternGeco engineers.
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