The Fizzies

This is a wellhead sample taken this morning on a recently reworked well where the gas to oil ratio has mysteriously taken a sudden, big jump upwards. I believe this is related to primary cement integrity and behind pipe communication with an overlying gas cap. That isn't really important; what's cool, I think, is in the graduated cylinder where the same was collected we're seeing a beautiful example of gas "expansion" underway. Watch the gas bubbles breaking out of the two fluid phases, oil and water. When this Alka-seltzer like event is over and the gas has bubbled out, the OWR will likely to be about 65%.

It was.

After 60 years of paying attention it never, ever ceases to amaze me the new shit you see that you've never seen before in the oilfield. It's a blast being around this stuff because you are constantly brain-stimulated and intellectually challenged. Imagination often lends itself to enlightenment. Things you might have learned 40 years in a text book need to be dug out again. Structure maps need to be re-drawn, budgets tweaked, reports made with things highlighted in yellow and with stick-ems everywhere. Sometimes you just need to think about stuff going on downhole the Viking way before making up your mind. That is, once drunk and once sober.

Hey, sometimes it can help!

Ultimately most of it all becomes explainable; sometimes not. Sometimes it will drive you nuts trying to understand what just happened, or why, and all you can do is close your eyes, take a deep breath and just say, f@#k it.

Don't let anybody EVER tell you they have the oil business all figured out. They don't. It's dark down there and hard to see.