Brine	Transfer	Line	Integrity:	

Temporary	&	permanent	line	installa6on	&	tes6ng	

alterna6ves	

Eddy	Biehl,	CEO		

Stonebridge	Opera6ng	Co.,	LLC	
Transfer	Lines	Applica6ons	

• Pad-to-Pad	

• Storage	(Impoundment)	to	Pad	

• Pad	to	Treatment/Disposal	

• Disposal	&	Treatment	Facility	Lines	
Types	of	Brine	Transfer	Lines	

• Temporary	Lines	

– Lay	Flat	

– Poly	Pipe	

• Semi-Permanent	&	Permanent	

– HDPE	or	other	plas6c	

– Steel	

– Fiberglass	
• Temporary	Water	Transfer	Lines	

– Process	&	procedure	dominate	current	methods	

• Con6nuous	metering	of	volume	input	&	output	

• Regular	sta6c	pressure	tes6ng	throughout	the	job	

• Con6nuous	monitoring	&	patrol	of	lines,	pumps	&	facility	

• Double-wall	systems	are	in	development	

– Key	Elements	for	Success	

• Fluid	Compa6bility	with	pipe,	pumps,	manifolds	&	other	

equipment	

• Use	of	temporary	containment	systems	at	connec6ons	

• Standard	procedures	(wriSen	SOPs)	for	each	method	

• Training,	training,	training	

Integrity	Monitoring	
• Permanent	&	Semi-Permanent	Lines	

– Construc6on	design	dominates	current	methods	

• Corrosion	is	a	key	issue	

• Lined	steel,	fiberglass,	poly-pipe	&	reinforced	poly-pipe	are	

op6ons	

• Double-wall	or	containment	piping	is	an	emerging	standard	

– Design	Considera6ons	

• Fluid	composi6on	&	proper6es,	now	&	through	6me	

• Pressure	&	volume	requirements	(reinforced	poly	limited	in	size)	

– Key	Elements	for	Success	

• Stabilize	or	treat	fluid	at	input	to	system	

• Standard	procedures	(wriSen	SOPs)	for	each	method	

Integrity	Monitoring	
Our	Experience:		

HDPE	Containment	Piping,	Reinforced	Poly-Pipe	Transfer	Lines	

Advantages	

• Readily	available	crews	(&	lower	cost)	for	installa6on	of	HDPE	

• Compe66ve	pricing	on	reinforced	poly	

• Familiar	to	regulators	&	crews	

Disadvantages	

• Limited	sizes	available	for	reinforced	poly-pipe	

Double-Wall	Systems	
Experience	as	contractor,	not	operator,	includes	two	systems:	

Pressured	Air	

• Difficult	to	seal	system	

• Requires	air	compressor	

• Tolerances	are	difficult	to	measure	&	monitor	

Unpressurized	Fluid	Detec6on	

• U6lized	lined	concrete	pull	boxes	as	monitoring	sumps	

• Simple	float	sensors	to	detect	fluid	level	

• Requires	tes6ng	&	monitoring	of	boxes	

• Power	&	data	communica6ons	can	be	supplied	with	parallel	conduit		

Double-Wall	System	Integrity	Monitoring	
2016	Oil	&	Gas	Bust	

How	do	we	get	out	of	this	place	&	what	is	on	the	

other	side?	

Is	this	a	replay	of	1986,	1999	or	2008?	

Or	is	it	something	altogether	different?	
Working	gas	in	storage	was	2,493	Bcf	as	of	Friday,	March	18,	2016,	according	to	EIA	es6mates.	This	

represents	a	net	increase	of	15	Bcf	from	the	previous	week.	Stocks	were	1,017	Bcf	higher	than	last	year	

at	this	6me	and	846	Bcf	above	the	five-year	average	of	1,647	Bcf.	At	2,493	Bcf,	total	working	gas	is	above	

the	five-year	historical	range.	

A	warm	winter	&	brim	full	storage	is	a	near	term	problem	
2016	is	different	than	1986	because	of	increasing	NG	demand	
Primarily	because	of	this...and	it	is	only	going	to	get	beSer	

Most	analysts	think	it	takes	around	800	rigs	to	meet	long	term	demand.	
Rotary Rig Report

As reported to IADC by Baker Hughes

Rotary Rigs Actually Making Hole

For the week ending 25 March 2016

Country This Week Last Week Last Month Last Year

United States 464 476 502 1048

Canada 55 69 175 120

International Rotary Rigs Running

Monthly Average for February 2016

Region Current Month Change From Previous Month

Europe 107 -1

Middle East 404 -3

Africa 88 -6

Latin America 237 -6

Asia Pacific 182 -11

Each	week	we	set	new	record	

lows	for	the	number	of	rigs	

working.			

Drilling	efficiency	cannot	

make	up	for	no	rigs	turning	to	

the	right...	
How	do	otherwise	smart(?)	analysts	miss	the	idea:		

we	don’t	drill	holes	for	fun???			

No	rigs	=	No	wells	=	Falling	Produc3on	(eventually)	
NG	Prices	are	poised	for	a	recovery....but	it	may	be	next	year	

The	Appalachian	Basin	is	the	primary	source	of	the	oversupply	of	NG-U6ca	
And	especially	the	Marcellus	are	a	huge	new	resource,	drowning	the	market...	
But	ul6mately	the	big	beneficiaries	of	increasing	NG	demand	over	the	long	term		
EIA	Projects	a	25%	increase	in	annual	NG	produc6on	over	the	next	25	years	

...nearly	all	from	shale.	That	implies	800+	NG	rigs,	up	from	less	than	200	today	
So	where	do	we	end	up?	

• More	like	the	50’s	&	60’s	than	the	80’s	&	90’s	

• Huge	new	resource	&	technology	to	exploit	it	

• Rela6ve	Price	Stability	with	Growing	Demand	

• Increasing	market	share	for	the	northeast	

• Resource	base	&	proximity	to	markets	

• Not	a	boom	but	a	business	similar	in	size	to	

the	2012	to	2014	era	for	the	foreseeable	

future	
Other	resources	on	Oilfield	History	

Two	Books	Everyone	Should	Read:	

• The	Prize:	

The	Epic	Quest	for	Oil,		

Money	&	Power	

By:		Daniel	Yergin

• The	Great	WildcaSer	

The	Story	of	Mike	Benedum		

By:		Sam	Mallison

• Oil	and	Gas	Museum		Parkersburg	WV	

• American	Petroleum	Ins6tute	-	Petroleum	

Museums	

• Drake	Well	Museum	

• The	Early	Petroleum	History	Index	

• Gas	Maps	Plus	

• Independent	Oil	&	Gas	Associa6on	

• Interstate	Oil	&	Gas	Compact	Commission	-	

Museums	Dedicated	to	the	History	of	Oil	&	

Gas	

• Oil	History	Central	-	Petroleum	&	Natural	Gas	

• Oil	History	by	Samuel	T.	Pees	

• Oil	&	Gas	Museums	and	Restored	Gas	

Sta6ons	

• Oil	Well	History	Resources	-	by	Bill	Tremel

• The	Petroleum	Museum,	Midland,	Texas	

• Steam	and	Gas	Compressor	Sta6ons	in	

Weston	and	Grantsville,	West	Virginia	

These	links	can	be	found	at	oilandgasmuseum.com