Well Tender Duties

[FROG MAN]

It seems I now have the duty of Well Tender on my property. Last good man quit and the small time drilling company has said from the main line tap is my responsibility. I guess since I am a free gas customer not making them any money it's my problem.

 

The old gas well was drilled back in the sixties with an old spudder rig. I remember back as a kid she would roar when you blew the water drip on ocassion.Nowdays I blow the water valve weekly through the winter months and she has little pressure and not much volume.I bet the main line pressure is less then 50 psi.One of my questions is can I use a air guage,compression tester, or buy something from the local hardware store to check line pressure at the input and output of the high pressure regulators?

 

Last winter the old well was making more water then gas and we fought gas on and off for weeks before getting the company out to swab the well. My well runs three houses on my property Dad's,Mine,and my Daughters so I maintain the plumbing to all three.From the pickup tap located 50 ft from the well we go into a small seperator tank with a mix of antifreeze in it. The output of that tank goes into another small overflow tank the one with the blow valve on top.From there we are tee connected to the two high pressure regulators.Mine is the blue high low regulators on the left. The other high regulator goes to my dauthers house via the yellow line going under ground. Her low pressure regulators is at her house before entrance. Dad's low regulator is after her tap in the picture.Don't laugh at the plumbing in the picture I need to do some cleanup work I know.

 

When things are really bad like last winter the regulators freeze off daily. They had to be taken apart and cleaned by our local well tender last year who also serviced the water seperator tank.This year guess thats my responsibility.All this Marcellus drilling in WV have the local well tenders running to the Big Money Companys for Jobs.I had to reset Dad's regulator yesterday. It was a cold night followed by a quick warm period during the day and the regulator shut off.Mine has been going off about twice a week since Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m580/ggrabose/Falls%20Mill/PC250974.jpg

[Hummingbird]

Good Golly, what a jumble f%^$

 

It probably won't be too long and that well will be more than you want to maintain, $ wise.

[FROG MAN]

Lots of these old country wells were adandoned.Free gas is great when it works. This fightening cold weather is a real pain. I have spent a few nights with the pipe wrenches while Ramona held the light. Gettin to old for that sh##. There is a pumping station about a 1/4 mile up the hollow pushing gas up the mountain. It really sucks the pressure down on this tributary line from our well. I have a gas furnace,gas hot water heater,gas clothes dryer,gas space heater,and if I could find a carb conversion kit I would run my backup generator from gas. If that well shuts down I will probably sell out and move.

[bill in mn]

How cool is that .I had no idea you could tap right off the well like that. I live 7 miles from a nuclear power plant and everything in my house is electric. Years ago the plant paid for all the schools and cities elec. but now the can't because everyone pays for it not just our town.It wouldn't be fair or so they say.

[RandyR]

I don't know anything about these systems, but the thought occurs to me that I might get a small tank and pump into the tank when the gas is flowing freely, then rig a switch mechanism to run off the tank if the well head isn't giving adequate pressure.

[FROG MAN]

Bill thats how it's done when a landowner has free gas in WV. Not sure how healthy it is this is raw gas with heavy moisture content.The seperator takes out some of the moisture and dirt. I just hooked a 0-30 psiG acetelyne guage to the seperator blow valve. Should be the same as line pressure but I'm measuring 6 psi from a brand new guage. I was expecting 50 psi? This goes to the input of the high pressure regulators? Looks like my line pressure is down maybe the well is shut in? I might blow the water drip again and check it there?

[pickinfred]

if I could find a carb conversion kit I would run my backup generator from gas..

 

Gerald here is a link to..U S Carburetion Kit Center in Summersville WV

Should be just over the hill from you......also my neighbor got a kit for his generator in Gassaway.

http://www.propane-generators.com/a-c_kits.htm

 

The pressure at the gas well on my place was near "0" until I partially closed the output valve which solved my problem. It seems the gas company was trying to maintain a vacuum on all the wells in this area with a compressor located a couple miles away.

They must want a quick return on their investment!!!

 

Fred

[FROG MAN]

Fred

Are you talking about a valve on the main line? I was just outside looking for one between me and the pump station. In back of the picture is the green chart recorder plumbing and up that hollow is the pump station.I just checked the well and it's singing with valves open but that pump is sucking down the pressure.

[FROG MAN]

OK found one at the base of the chart recorder. That one will do until I can look further. Me and the dogs need to take a walk soon.

OK found another main line valve up the hollow about 20 yards. 6 PSIG is more then enough pressure to run everything just seems low from the well head. Going to watch it for a while and keep a log of line pressure.

Edited December 26, 2011 by FROG MAN

[pickinfred]

 

OK found another main line valve up the hollow about 20 yards. 6 PSIG is more then enough pressure to run everything just seems low from the well head. Going to watch it for a while and keep a log of line pressure.

 

I think this valve is the one I would spend some time with.

[Yammer Dan]

Hey Gerald. I heard one of those seperators blew over in Raliegh County yesterday. Said you could hear the explosion for miles. Be carefull with that thing!!

[Hummingbird]

Hey Gerald. I heard one of those seperators blew over in Raliegh County yesterday. Said you could hear the explosion for miles. Be carefull with that thing!!

 

yeah - be careful,

 

I think gas pressure into homes is restricted to around 3 psi ?

[FROG MAN]

In house pressure is about 11 ounces. Dan my well is a pop corn fart compared to those ground shakers there drilling today. In another 10 years you and I will be setting in the middle of a Marcellus Eutiga field covering WV with pin pricks. Enough power to blow a chunk out of the Earth. It's been good to know Ya.My neighbors are signing contracts like crazy and the rigs are moving in.Paying $5K an acre for a lease is good money. I doubt the blast from a well explosion will stop at my borders No Tresspassing signs.

[FROG MAN]

OK I'm good.The well has two valves at the well head.I thought both operated the same way and the well was fully open. WRONG one of the valves is clockwise for open the other is counter clockwise for open. The well is basically shut in with one valve barely open allowing trickle pressure out to keep me running. psig was down to 4 lb this weekend. A little work with a cresent wrench got me more pressure though the well is basically still shut in I got what I need 12 degrees tonight.

[pickinfred]

Gerald the next time you are going to the well area, if you would take along a camera, a picture of that well head would be nice to see. May just be the difference in the company, area or the year the wells were drilled, but the well on my place is different from yours......I'll post a pic later.

Really makes no difference as long as the gas flows. The 2K savings in heating each year helps to get more miles on the RSV in the summer!

Nice you're staying warm!

Fred

[Yammer Dan]

Mountainer Gas bought out the little company we had here. Price has more than doubled in last two years. Fellow came by to change the meter out. I asked him Whats the matter the old one not charging enough?? He didn't care for that and wanted to get smart about it.

[pickinfred]

They changed out meters in this area, said the reason was to make reading the meter and billing easier but some of my friends said comparing previous years month for month the cubic feet usage is now more:confused24:

If you keep your old bills Dan......you may want to compare.

[FROG MAN]

16 degrees here when we left for town. Came back this afternoon and found my gas off. Well Tenders had shut the well in and main line pressure down to 2 lb. Like to pulled something in my back but I cracked open the valve got it back on with enough pressure to hold. Actually I had to kick the pipe wrench not enough ump to open it my back said NO. You think they would leave enough pressure in main line to keep the locals running.