Update! GreaseBook now reduces the number of ‘false anomalies’ and enables you to set much ‘tighter’ trending alarms in the monitoring of your Oil, Gas, and Water production levels.

Basically, as opposed to comparing the historical running average production against today’s production, we’ve changed the anomaly alarm structure by enabling you to compare the historical running average against the last several days of production.

How does this help you as an operator?

First, with the old way of oil well monitoring, many operators were experiencing ‘false anomalies’. Basically, they would be alerted to an issue when there was in fact, no issue at all.

This could’ve been due to a well cycling twice on some days and only once on others. Or, in some cases, a stripper well that may have produced nothing at all.

That’s now been addressed.

Please note, this ability to compare two sets of production numbers will enable you to configure a much tighter (potentially ‘truer’) trending alarm for those higher production flowing wells, too.

As a good rule of thumb, we recommend starting with a 20% variance for both Oil and Gas, a 30 day moving average count, all compared against 3 most recent average days…

To get on board with our new trending alarm set-up, log in to your Exec Dash at http://execs.greasebook.com.

Go to ‘Administrator’ Tab > and click, ‘Company’. Once you’ve got your variances and days the way you want them, be sure to click ‘Save’.

Also, to be sure you’re set to receive these types of production alerts by clicking ‘Users’ > then ‘Executives’ (both of which fall beneath the ‘Administrator’ tab…)

Now, find your name, and check any of the following three alerts:

Oil: Production >X% Change

Water: Production >X% Change

Battery Sales Meter > X% Change

Once you have your anomalies set the way you like, click “Save” and then sit back and let GreaseBook alert you to any inconsistencies in your production!

As a kicker, GreaseBook will even display the % variance in your anomaly alerts…

Traditional paper gauge sheets and production reports got nothin’ on the GreaseBook!

Side note: once you’ve addressed the alert and the issue has been resolved, clearing the anomaly by clicking the red Authorize? button notifies your team that everything has been taken care of!

We look forward to your feedback n the comment section below…

We just wanted to throw out a BIG “thank you!” to the Oklahoma Marginal Well Commission for putting together the Lease Pumper Handbook for pumpers, gaugers, and well tenders everywhere…

For those of you unfamiliar with the Marginal Well Commission, their mission is to define, identify, and evaluate the economic and operational factors of marginally producing oil and natural gas wells, and to ensure that appropriate efforts are made to extend the life of these wells…

With 500 some-odd pages on the topic of “oil lease pumping”, the handbook is a great introduction for the beginner pumper — or, the one-off app company that’s breaking its back to make great software for operators and their pumpers 🙂

MWC has posted PDF hot-links to every chapter here

**UPDATE! As of 7/3/2013, links are broken… most likely due to MWC being absorbed by the OERB — anyways, we hate to see such a useful document go away, so until we hear something, we’ll post it here:

Lease Pumpers Handbook

Also, oilfield.com has scraped and re-posted the contents of the pumper’s handbook, which can be viewed by clicking here

Enjoy!! (… ’cause we certainly did!)

iMessage lets your new iPad send and receive SMS-like text messages, and MMS-style multimedia messages just like a phone. Instead of a phone number, however, it uses your wellhead pumper’s email address, and it only works with other Apple devices, like other iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, and the recently released Messages for Mac beta.

(Also, see our post: Oilfield Apps: GreaseBook, and other complementary oilfield apps for the (smart) independent operator)

Before you can start using messages, and sending texts, photos, videos, voice memos, locations, and contact cards, you need to set it up.

How to check and see if iMessage is already set up
If you set up your new iPad using iCloud, there’s a chance iMessage will have automatically been turned on and configured for you using your iCloud email address.

Launch the Messages app 

If it works, and you see the screen below, pick a Contact to message and you’re good to go.

How to set up iMessage

If iMessage isn’t set up already, or if you want to use a different Apple ID (for example, if you use a different Apple ID for home or work, or for family and personal, or for iPhone and iPad), you’ll need to set it up Air Blower.

Note: You’ll need an Apple ID to use iMessage. This can be your iCloud ID or your iTunes ID if you have them. If you don’t have an Apple ID yet, you’ll need to create one first.

If you want all your devices to get the same iMessages at the same time — i.e. if you want your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and or Mac to all show you iMessages from the same account, make sure you login with the same Apple ID on all your devices. If you want to keep each device separate, so friends can choose to iMessage you on your iPhone or iPad, make sure you create and login with different Apple IDs on your different devices.

1. Launch Settings
2. Tap Messages in the sidebar on the left
3. Toggle iMessage to On (if it isn’t already)

4. Toggle Send Read Receipts to On (if you want people to be notified when you’ve actually seen, not just received their messages)
5. Tap Receive AT if you want to change the email address associated with your iMessageaccount, or add additional email address to your iMessage account (for example, work and home).

6. You’ll need to Login to the new address, if it’s an existing Apple ID. If not, Apple will ask you to register it with them as an Apple ID.

7. Toggle Show Subject Field to On if you want to add an email-style subject line to your iMessages.

How to activate iMessage
iMessage is a service run on Apple’s servers, and the first time it connects it needs to activate and register the Apple ID you’re using with the device you’re using. The way it does that is by having you login with your Apple ID. If the connection is ever lost for some reason, it may ask you to do it again.

If for some reason it looks like iMessage is stuck on the Activation screen, wait for a few minutes, then try the following, in the following order:

1. Turn iMessage off and then on again, wait a few minutes
2. Turn Airplane mode on and then off again, turn iMessage off and then on again, wait a few minutes
3. Make sure your iPad is on Wi-Fi, reboot your iPad, turn iMessage off and then on again, wait a few minutes
4. Wait and try again later — Apple’s servers can get overwhelmed or experience outages just like anyone else’s

If none of that works, jump into the iPad help forum, or call us at 1-855-PUMP-OIL and we’ll troubleshoot with you. That’s it. Once iMessage activates you can send and receive texts and multimedia messages with your pumpers just like SMS and MMS.

(1) On the left side of the Calendar page, you will see a Reminders section. You can add a new Reminders category by clicking on “Edit” located next to the Calendars title and then clicking on the “+” icon next the Reminders title
.

(2) Give your new Reminders list category a fitting title
.

(3) Once you have named your new list category, you will see the sharing icon next to the name. Clicking on the icon will bring up a dialog asking you who you would like to share the new category with. Enter the e-mail address of the individuals you would like to share with. Keep in mind, you can only share a list with other iCloud users (don’t worry… once we get your Pumpers set-up, they’ll all be iCloud users)

(4) After you have sent the invitation, you can opt to restrict users access to the list to only viewing capabilities, or leave it at the default of both view and edit.

(5) If you would like to receive e-mail alerts when someone adds a new item to the list, you can open up the share settings for the category again, and check the box located at the bottom of the dialog.

Should you ever wish to stop sharing the category, simply revisit the settings dialog and click on the “Stop Sharing” button.

Here are some examples of Reminders we’ve seen to help keep Pumpers on track:

Weekly Reminders:

• Walk completely around the pumping unit and observe it in operation.
• Stop at good observation points to watch assembled parts for one complete revolution, looking for unusual motion and vibration and listening for noises.
• Check to see that the white line on the pitman arm safety pins is properly aligned.

Monthly Reminders:

• Check the fluid level in the gearbox if there is evidence of a leak
• Lubricate worn saddle, tail, and pitman arm bearings
• Circulate tank bottoms
• Chemical Treating
• Well Testing

Still others (we’ve seen a lot…):

• Inspect tank battery/storage tanks and production equipment (gaskets, hatches, welds, piping, valves, gauges, and safety devices) for leaks, corrosion, and paint condition.
• Inspect the berm for presence of contaminated/stained soil, excessive vegetation, proper equipment, and signs.
• Inspect truck loading area (lines/drip pans, valves, and berm) clean master to ensure valves are secure and in good condition. Check for bull plug oil spills and standing water & oil in drip pans.
• Inspect leasehold areas between wells and tank battery for corrosion, leaks, pitting, flaking, damage, and proper support.
• Inspect roads and field ditches for evidence of puddles of crude oil or produced water.
• Check for any leaks on chemical, helicopter game sale fuel, and lubrication containers and make sure they are stored properly.