The Way I See It

While driving home from far western Kansas today I saw a drilling rig not far from Kinsley, KS, so I stopped to do some photos since I hadn't been around a rig for many years. I did a lot of work in the oilfield while going to college, and worked on a rotary 36 years ago during that time, in addition to driving cementing, acid, logging, perforating trucks, and 18-wheelers, and doing welding, working in a shop tearing down and rebuilding oilfield motors and pumping units, and so on.



I found this crew of roughnecks working the rig. These guys do the work involved in drilling the hole.



While there, they "made a connection," which means they added another joint of drill pipe so they could go deeper. They were around 2,800 feet, and heading for well over 4,000 feet deep. Of course, there is no guarantee they'll hit oil. It could be a dry hole, with a lot of money spent to find that out.



This is a well that is pumping not far from Ulysses, KS, and what is hoped for on each hole that is drilled.