The Winchester 1873

Despite its promise of land and wealth, the American West was an unruly place for early pioneers. Gun-toting wanderers, cattle rustlers, and trigger-happy lawmen were all out to stake their claim.

The Industrial Revolution was running at full-steam, and further permeated the Western frontier with the building of the Union Pacific Railroad and invention of the Morse telegraph.

While there is no doubt that advancements in travel and communication brought progress and order, we’d like to attribute the taming of the West to a much cruder, more rudimentary advancement in technology: the Winchester 1873 Repeating Rifle.

Billy the Kid adopts new technology, sports his Winchester repeating rifle…

Popular with ranchers, lawmen, and outlaws alike, the Winchester 1873 gained notoriety due to its portability and effectiveness. The Industrial Revolution also introduced the scaling of precision machine parts, which reduced prices and made the lever-action rifle accessible to any man who desired one.

Winchester knew that fast loading times and ease of use would make this rifle a surefire hit, but its fame as “The Gun that Won the West” wasn’t solidified until inventor and rival industrialist Sam Colt made his decision to chamber his infamous “Peacemaker” revolver for the same size ammunition. The bearer of the Winchester rifle could now carry the same round for both his rifle and his pistol.

The Industrial Revolution opened new frontiers, which made for very exciting times. However, Billy the Kid and the Dalton Bros didn’t have all the fun… just look at all the advancements that are helping us to explore new “territory” in the oil & gas industry.

Enter Oil and Gas Apps

Much like the Winchester 1873, today’s mobile devices are portable, effective, fast, and affordable. Rival mobile device makers are quickly filling the space, which means nothing but good things for the mobile user.

And, while slow response times in the oil field won’t get us shot at a high-noon showdown, there is no arguing that mobile devices can reduce downtime in the field, increase production life spans of oil & gas wells, and deliver the necessary production data to the people who add value to your company.

Belle Star hangs tight to what she holds dear…

The taming of the oil field is long overdue. The power, accuracy, and handling abilities of today’s smart phones and tablet computers offer the independent producer an opportunity to realize greater efficiencies and time saving techniques in both the immediate and long-term.

GreaseBook is blazing a trail toward increased production and reduced downtime for the independent operator. This bandwagon is poised for the big win — and guess what?

We want you on it.

When it comes to oil production reporting software, did you know there are some oil companies that are resisting the call to mobilize their workers?

They’re saying ‘No’ to connectivity, putting restrictions of the use of employee owned tablets and smartphones, and limiting the apps and efficiencies that consumer technology can provide.

It’s crazy, but it’s true!

Before we talk about the cost or security of mobile, we must first consider the cost of not doing these things…

Cost comes in many forms. It comes in the form of attracting the right folks. It comes in the form of limiting decisions. It comes in the form of innovation that doesn’t happen and collaboration that’s forced and rigid.

Yes, change is tough – it seems nearly impossible some days – and the future is not as clear as we’d like it to be, especially in this mobile world in which we’ve found ourselves.

However, these can’t be excuses for doing nothing. The change we see is no longer optional. The change we see is not a passing fad. The change we see will disrupt, destroy, regrow, and redraw business for both new and old operators alike…

We agree: the ‘Great Crew Change’ in the industry is just another headline in a trade magazine – that is, until one of these ‘kids’ works for you.

Connectivity is a paramount to this new group – without it they’re not whole. They function at a different level than the pen and paper crowd (ahem!) and they thrive. Friends, this isn’t about multitasking or chatting on Facebook or Instagram. This is about true dissemination of data, no barriers to answers and zero tolerance for latency of information from the oilfield (all through a stupid simple oil and gas app…)

As we look to drive down the costs of our operations, we must look to enable, not restrict. Provide the tools, provide the connection, provide the trust and you’ll receive the results you’re after. Think like the results-based companies who based themselves on open access to data, resources, and sharing. It attracts the brightest who attract the best who attract the brightest.

So what about the price – someone needs to pay for this right?

Yep. There’s most definitely a price to be paid. You need to allow connectivity everywhere, you need to equip your pumpers and staff with the right tools, you need to secure those tools and then you need to manage it all without seeming to command and control. That’s the price that must be paid.

The thing is, this price pales in comparison to the price we pay should we choose not embrace this mobile revolution — viva la revolución! Viva GreaseBook!

What does the Bill of Rights have to do with Oil Production Software?

The Bill of Rights was written to protect people from a strong central government by specifically listing the rights of citizens.

When building a company around the GreaseBook app, we saw a lot of things we didn’t like about how other software companies treated their clients in the oil & gas community.

Minimum term commitments, excessive training, overcomplicated software, and experience with a (foreign staffed) help desk were all fresh in our minds…

Much like our forefathers, we wanted to guarantee certain basic rights and liberties we feel are important to independent oil & gas operator.

So, we came up with a ‘Bill of Rights’ of our own!

Not only are our clients happy to sign this document, we’re also proud to run our business this way.

Check it out below — we’ve posted it for all the world to see…

Bill of Rights

The following limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property of GreaseBook’s clients. The Articles guarantee a number of professional freedoms and prevent misconstruction and abuse of GreaseBook’s powers, while our Amendments establish some rights to ensure GreaseBook remains an ongoing entity and continues to serve the oil & gas community.

Article 1: No operator shall be required to sign a minimum term commitment.

This amendment addresses your right to terminate your GreaseBook service at anytime, for any reason. Simply say “I quit”, square-up any outstanding debts, and walk away. (We couldn’t think of a more solid risk-reversal policy – if you can, let us know).

Article 2: Excessive training shall not be required, and no operator shall incur a training fee.

We felt from the get-go that if our software required training, we would have considered it failed software. Our product is intuitive. You’ll pick it up in seconds or minutes… not hours, days or weeks. We don’t sell you training because you don’t need it.

Article 3: No client shall incur fees for help desk calls.

At each of our client’s offices, we like to appoint one of your employees as in-house, resident expert. (We like to call them our GreaseBook “Bookies”). Your “Bookie” will serve as a liaison between GreaseBook and your company. Don’t worry: we give our Bookies lots of love (read: gifts)… they come to rather like their new title in their company.

So, what to do if a question pops up? Have your Bookie call 1-855-PUMP-OIL. Our help desk is free. We wanna help.

Article 4: No client shall ever be compelled to seek a 3rd party product or service, but shall enjoy the right to a comprehensive stand-alone solution.

What does this mean? With the exception of Microsoft Excel, you will be free from the maintenance or set-up of any peripheral product or service. Do what you do best (pump oil), and let us take care of the “other stuff”. No set-up or maintenance of your back-end servers. No consultants. No IT. Just login with whatever device you like, and go to work.

Article 5: No client shall be burdened by the task of installation of software updates.

All GreaseBook updates are delivered wirelessly, and load automatically. No CDs. No reminders. No hassles. No bull-ogna.

Article 6: The right of the client to keep and bear production data, shall not be infringed.

Your data deserves to be safe, secure, and accessible to you. You are the owner of your data — not GreaseBook. Your data is available for export any time you want it.

Article 7: Every client shall enjoy the right to full consideration of his/her input of how to increase the utility of the product.

Cool matters and usability rules the day. The good news is that GreaseBook isn’t just cool. It’s a flexible, multifunction tool that is changing the way we work.

We don’t think mobile workflows are an innovation in and of itself… we see it more as a catalyst for innovation. How can your company get the most from GreaseBook? We encourage (actually, we expect) our clients to tell us what features they would like to see in the product. As long as an operator’s idea increases the utility of the app for the majority of our clients, it’s not uncommon for an operator to see his suggestions & ideas come to life within a matter of weeks. (Yeah, we’re that fast).

Two heads are better than one. Five hundred heads are better than two. Your company stands to gain a lot in the form of shared ideas from other operators. The more operators that are involved in the development and use of GreaseBook, the more your company stands to gain in the form of great software.

So, help us help you: once you come to know us, and love us (… which you will), we hope you’ll allow us to come directly to you to ask for references of other owner/operators who may also enjoy GreaseBook. And, just so you know, we’ll never come to a client to ask for a reference unless they are 100% satisfied with the product.

GreaseBook now has dozens of independent operators and hundreds of pumpers using its app spread out over nine oil and gas producing States…

That being said, it’s not uncommon for service companies or independent operators to call and ask if we know any (good) pumpers looking for work. And, many times we can help out with these sorts of requests…

Anyways, we stumbled across what we think is a pretty cool set of data outlined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding wellhead pumpers the nation over…

We get pretty excited about this stuff, so we thought we’d share it with you!

The first photo outlines the concentration of Pumpers in the lower 48:

Next, we have the same map, only a little more granular. We think it’s cool to see how this coincides with specific oil plays…

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Side note: Now, lot’s of folks ask us what’s the appropriate amount to pay a pumper. This varies from State to State, as many pumpers are paid per well in Texas (as opposed to per lease due to well spacing laws in States like Oklahoma). Also, contract pumpers are generally responsible for their own tools, truck, insurance, etc…

While we think the numbers posted below are well below what we’ve seen (it’s not uncommon for a good contract gauger to make 6 figures…), it’s still interesting to check out how much salaries vary by locale…

Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

We take our oilfield app building very seriously — in fact, nothing excites us more than a lease operator telling us how much time the GreaseBook app saves him (even better, how many new wells or relief pumpers he’s been able to take on with the new time he’s found… cha-ching!)

Anyways, we work with operators and their pumpers every day, so think the above data is pretty interesting — we hope you found it as informative as we did…

Happy Pumping,

~GreaseBook

One of the best parts about hawking an oilfield app is that we get to talk to people from all over: Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico. . .

And, every so often, one of our users sends us a really cool oilfield app they’ve found to be especially helpful — David Umphres (a rock star lease operator from Giddings, TX) who pumps for companies like Trivsita Ops (Houston, TX), Cirrus Production (Enid, OK), D.O.G. Operating (Port Aransas, TX) is just such a user…

Now, weather reports are nice for anyone working in the field (pumpers, roustabouts, or any one working on a rig…)

However, it’s something all together different when you’re climbing up on those oil tanks when there’s lightning close by…

Lightning strikes 1000bbl storage tank…

Now, we’d heard of the Weatherbug app, but we had no idea it displayed lightning strike reports in real-time.

Check out the screenshot that David sent in from his app while in the field…

Our friend David is running his GreaseBook on an iPad, but the Weatherbug app is available for Android and Windows Phone platforms, too.

A BIG “thank you” to David for tipping us off to a great oilfield app!

And remember, when there’s lightning — stay off those tanks…

Here’s to safe operating,

~ GreaseBook

Got any great oilfield apps of your own? Be sure to post them in the comments below!

GreaseBook’s corporate outpost is in Oklahoma City — that being said, we’ll jump at any opportunity to pay a visit to our neighbors in Tulsa…

This week, we attended the Tulsa Oilfield Expo. It’s put on by Texas Classic Productions out of Longview, TX (we don’t hold it against ’em! ;-P)

Here’s a shot of the GreaseBook booth…

The folks at Texas Classic Production put on several shows: Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Houston, South Texas (San Antonio), and a Ark-LA-TX show in Shreveport, LA…

If you haven’t had a chance to attend one of their shows — do it!

The exposure to some of the new tech and ideas in oil & gas is great, and there’s still no replacement for shaking hands and meeting people face-to-face…

Thanks for a great show Tulsa!!

With the help of a great document we stumbled across online (see Lease Operator Jobs Done Right), we were able to come up with a few not-so-obvious reasons why it makes sense to be doing your production reports on your smartphone or tablet…

1. Keep good records. Write your gauges in a book — not on slips of paper. Maintain a safe place for run tickets (they’re hard to replace when they blow out of your truck!)

Finding info online about lease operators and the job of operating an oil & gas lease is tough. But, every once in awhile, we stumble across something we think is particularly informative… And, the folks at barnettshale.us have written just such a piece.

We work with lease operators every day trying to build a better app, but even we were able to garner a few gems from this article. While GreaseBook is in no way affiliated with barnettshale.us, it’s obvious they know their stuff (they’ve got lots of good stuff posted on their site, be sure to check’em out!)

Also, while the benefits of having an app automatically put together your production reports and submit your load tickets are obvious, there are a few not-so-obvious reasons on why it makes sense to be doing your production reports on your smartphone or tablet… curious in knowing more? Check this article out: How a Good Mobile App Makes For A Great Lease Operator.

Without further adieu, here’s some advice for any new pumper… enjoy!

Advice to a New Lease Operators on the Job

• Habit is the key to mastery of the trade of pumping oil and gas wells. Develop the habit of doing things right; if you do something wrong, do not repeat your mistake.
• Make your rounds as closely as possible to the same time each day; this simplifies record keeping and allows your employer to make certain assumptions as to the well being of his leases. One should break routine only when a recurring engine, compressor, or control valve problem fails of diagnosis – visitation at a different time of day may provide insight.
• Keep good records. Write your gauges in a book – not on slips of paper.
• Maintain a safe place for run tickets; they are hard to replace when they blow out of your truck.
• Turn in your weekly or monthly reports on time if you expect your paycheck on time.
• Gauge daily – even though every well on a lease is hitting the same as the day before, a flow line leak or dump valve failure could cost you your job.

• Be on the alert for leaks of every sort and report them immediately.
• Never smoke on the tanks; even a water tank may give off enough gas to put you in orbit.
• Do not be embarrassed to ask a more experienced pumper for help; most are proud of their knowledge and willing to share it.
• Do not carry a supply store in the back of your truck; leave the supplies for each lease on each lease.
• When you pack a stuffing box, replace all the packing, not just the top rubber. Replace the follower and brass ring if necessary, and examine the part of the polish rod liner that is only exposed when the packing is pulled.
• Clean up around the wellhead after a stuffing box leak. Bioremediate if necessary.
• Stay on good terms with the surface owner if possible; this applies even if you are the surface owner.
• Record tubing and casing pressures each day on flowing wells whether or not required by your reports.
• Keep a sealed jar for the deposit of run tickets at each battery.
• Work adjustable chokes daily to address plugging by paraffin, sand, or ice. Pull and inspect positive choke inserts if there is a marked change in flow pressures.
• Never apply open flame to any vessel or valve; obtain a piece of metal flex hose that will mate with the exhaust pipe of your truck and apply this heat to the frozen part.
• Never turn on a flashlight over a thief hatch.
• Keep your production foreman informed of what is going on, but do not wart him to death.
• Do not wear loose clothing; shirts should be tucked in and sleeves buttoned. Long hair should be tied in a ponytail and secured in your cap or under your collar. o Do not wash a running engine with gasoline or drip.
• Grease units at least monthly. Some operators may require weekly greasing, but this is generally a good way to destroy the seals. Check the gearbox oil weekly.
• If you do not understand a given set of instructions, ask the foreman to explain them to you. He knows that you are new, and does not expect you to know everything.
• Salt-water spills are more damaging to the environment than oil spills.
• Always disengage the engine and set the brake before greasing.
• Remember that not only the operator but also you yourself are legally responsible for ecological abuse.
• Do not park and take a nap near battery vent lines; you may wake up dead.
• Keep a window cracked when thawing compressors.
• Do not roll a tank with compressed air. Tanks should be circulated with a pump or rolled with lease gas, propane, or dry ice.
• Put your chemical in on time and use neither more or less than specified.
• Don’t be a “windshield” pumper. Get out at each well, look for leaks, and listen for squeaks.
• Do not bid more wells than you can service properly. Eighteen is enough for a new pumper, and thirty-six for an experienced one. More can be seen after properly if they have been drilled on close spacing on the same lease.
• It is just as easy to pump a deep well as a shallow one.
• When pumping through long flow lines, check pressure at the pumping tee often, particularly during winter months. Paraffin can be removed easily by hot oiling if not allowed to go to far.
• Check engine water and oil daily.
• Keep belts tight but not tight enough to knock out bearings.
• Be present when hot oiling or steaming is carried out.
• Always allow yourself plenty of room; call in a tank as soon as it is ready. Sometimes this will be contraindicated by the office due to scheduled work over procedures or fluctuating oil prices.
• Take time to service and repair your truck; this is as much a part of pumping as is gauging the tanks. You cannot pump if you cannot get there.
• When raising or lowering the rods using a clamp and knockout, have a friend accompany you. This makes the operation a lot easier, plus you might get knocked in the head. When bumping bottom for gas lock or trash, use a light tap only. Never drive off and leave a well tapping hard – the rods may back off.
• Keep weeds from around your batteries. This lessens the danger of fire and snakebite. Your truck driver or gauger will eventually refuse to run your oil if this is not attended to. The same thing applies to meter loops and chart changers.
• Pumping is about paying attention. Be as alert as if you were running a drilling rig or well service unit.
• Never put on belts with the engine or motor running. Use the palm of your hand rather than your fingers to roll the belts on. Keep your hands away from the sheaves.
• Put the back of your hand to an electric box before touching it – should the box be hot, this may knock you away.
• Use fuse pullers to change or remove fuses. Never, never pry out the fuses with a screwdriver. This practice has killed many experienced pumpers and will even more easily kill a new one.
• Many oilfield fires can be put out simply by closing valves.
• Never step out on top of an old tank or frac tank. You cannot swim in oil or salt water if you fall in; both oil and salt water release gas that will asphyxiate you in a matter of minutes.
• During winter months, drain all fuel and control gas scrubbers daily.
• Never displace oil, gas, or condensate through an ungrounded rubber or plastic line. Their movement through a nonconducting line creates an electrostatic charge on the outside of that line which will spark to ground and cause an explosion. Consider this when wearing wool, nylon, or polyester clothing while gauging or transferring fluids.
• Items that must be carried at all times include: gauge line, color cut, eighteen, twenty-four, twelve-inch crescent, shop hammer, gauge book, and pencil. Pumping wells require a screwdriver, pigtail, and supply of stuffing box rubbers. Spark plugs, spark plug wrench, combination wrenches sufficient to remove the magneto, lube oil, coolant, and a squirt can of gasoline are needed for gas engines. Electric motors require the possession of fuses, a fuse puller, and a multi-meter. Special insulated gloves can be purchased which provide some protection against electrocution.
• Never leave a handle on the sell or bleeder valve of a stock tank. Some foremen like to keep a flat plug in the sell valves as an added precaution to running a tank out on the ground.
• Keep an eye out for paraffin. Ask your foreman how to detect it.
• The good pumper knows why a well is off (parted rods, stuck pump, hole in the tubing, pump barrel, rings, balls and seats, gas-locking, trash, etc.). If you have not worked on a well service unit, you must learn how to diagnose these conditions. Talk with your foreman and with other pumpers, and you will soon find out what you need to know.
• Don’t carry around enough gasoline to blow your up your truck. A two gallon safety can is enough to supply your yellow dog.
• Check for rags stuffed in the bypass line before allowing a stock tank to bypass.
• The main thing to remember about valves is clockwise to close, counterclockwise to open. If you forget this, you will make a mess and you may get fired.
• As a new Lease Operator on the job, don’t be scared to ask questions!!

Hey Pumpers! What if we told you landing new wells as an oilfield pumper was a snap?

What if you could pick and choose your wells at will, letting go of wells that were off the beaten path in favor of those that were closer to home?

Well, as of now, it’s not a dream anymore.

Introducing the GreaseBook ‘Pumper Mesh’ – a directory for gaugers, pumpers, lease operators, well tenders and the like – designed to introduce YOU to companies operating in the counties in which you pump.

Hang your shingle out. Get introduced to Oil and Gas Operating Companies. Get your shot at more oil field lease operator jobs. All through the Pumper Directory. All at no charge to you.

Why do this for the Pumpers?

It’s just our way of saying “thanks” for being out on the front line of oil & gas.

To check out the ‘Pumper Mesh’ click here.

“I used to know a truck driver who worked for a oil purchaser company, they told him to steal his wages…” We cringe when we hear stuff like this. So, we thought we’d put together a short excerpt on how the digital oilfield keeps operators from coming up short…

(Please note: we’ve changed the names and a few minor details, but none of which detract from the story… )

One of the things we like most about our job is going out to the field and meeting with Pumpers. You meet all types — from kids just out of high school, to guys in their 60s who’ve been pumping for a better part of 40 years. We’ve met some real characters, and occasionally, one of these guys will tell us a story…

When GreaseBook first opened its doors, the oil & gas industry was unchartered territory for (good) oil field apps. We’ve talked to dozens of owners, engineers, and operations managers, and while we were quickly able to discover trends and understand how oil operators worked, the field perplexed us…

When it came to oil sales, it seemed the operator was coming up short.

We kept asking ourselves, “They have numerous equations for measuring liquids and gas in the field. They take into account variables like temperatures, BS&W, API, etc — but how can the methods used to measure liquids and gas be so precise, yet so inaccurate?”

We had a feeling that although the oil field was using volumetric equations to determine total oil sales (ie precision), a bias must exist in the equation. What’s a “bias” you ask?

A bias is a systematic (built-in) error which makes all measurements wrong by a certain amount. A few examples of bias:

• when a scale reads “1 kg” when there is nothing on it

• when you measure your height wearing shoes with thick soles

• a stopwatch that takes half a second to stop when clicked

Now, we realize that maybe there are certain aspects of the oil field that people just accept… But, GreaseBook is a young company, and we feel this entitles us to ask simple questions that may get us into trouble…

So, we started asking Pumpers questions like, “what’s the oil sales process like?”, “do you ever see a difference between the measurements on a run ticket and the measurements you take immediately before and after a run?”, and “do purchasers ever take more oil than they’ve recorded?”

And, wouldn’t you know, we began to get some interesting feedback…

Jason, a pumper who pumps around Kingfisher, Oklahoma, was particularly informative… Jason told us, “I used to know a truck driver who worked for a oil purchaser company, and they told him to “steal your wages”.”

Jason went on to tell us that, “I see it all the time… I’ll have 11’ today, and I’ll leave and come back tomorrow and they’ll call it 10’10”. Then, there’s the bottom gauge, they usually call it 1’4”, but then you can go down there and gauge it and it’s 1’3” or 1’2”…”

We asked Jason, “so, is this just part of the business?” And Jason responded, “well, i could call and say, “hey, that’s not correct… and in the purchaser office, they may correct it or may not. But, it’s my word against theirs… the operator loses most every time.”

Another (perhaps more chilling) story involved a ring of pumpers who jumped in bed with the truck drivers of one of the oil purchasing companies. For $500, these truck drivers would deliver a load of oil to a nearby lease owned by one of the Pumpers.

While we didn’t catch all the details, by changing out the choke size to conceal a drop in line pressure, pumpers were able to siphon off a large quantity of oil.  More interesting, it wasn’t the unsuspecting operators who caught them — it was the Texas Ranger Division. Someone caught wind of what was going on — not from decreased production figures on the grease sheets, but from some loud mouth at a local bar…

Had the operations management not been trapped in the confines of paperwork, had they been able to free themselves of this burden and have a more holistic sense of what was going on at their leases, these Pumpers wouldn’t have been able to get away with this.

These Pumpers were locked up for 6 months…

And guess what? They’re out pumping again.

“Who re-hires these guys?!”

“Were these operators too busy to do a proper background check?!”

Maybe a better question to ask is whether someone like this is pumping for you. . .

There’s simply too much going on folks. You can’t do it all… As much as that old mentality of “work harder” tells you you can get it all done, you can’t. You must work smarter. You must start to filter out the activities that aren’t adding to your bottom line. The paperwork you collect from the field does not add to the bottom line… it’s riddled with inaccurate measurements, and who loses because of it?

You do.

We have no intention of removing the human-ness from the oil field. Therefore, we “intentionally” left certain aspects out of the app… A certain amount of human thoughtfulness and intervention is still required. Whoever manages your production must upon occasion, still go look for himself or herself…

Free time pays dividends in more ways than one folks… Free yours, and prevent costly mistakes.

What do we do here at GreaseBook? Basically, we build toys for forward-thinking operators and their pumpers – oilfield apps for the iPad to be exact.

Although we can’t make your work play like a video game, we can help you better engage with your production properties (…a game of the best sort, where points scored is time saved and dollars earned!)

In this post, we’ve compiled a list of apps (we’ve observed some of our clients using) that function as perfect companions to those who work in the oil & gas industry.

Complementary Oilfield Apps

Through building oil production software of our own, we’ve talked with and observed hundreds of operators. And, we’ve noticed a trend of oil apps that engineers, operations managers, and lease operators have begun to rally around.

**Fair warning folks**: the 3 apps listed below are nothing ‘new’. In fact, most of you are probably already familiar with them. However, we’re not interested in presenting you with ‘new apps’… we’re more interested in presenting you with new ways to use these apps…

Our hope is that this post triggers you to think about how you could reposition many of the apps to facilitate your work flow.

Now on with the show!

Dropbox

The first app we’d like to mention is an old staple: Dropbox.

For those of you who either (1) haven’t heard of app, or (2) have been living on the moon ;-), Dropbox is basically a free file sharing service. We’ve seen many executives and engineers use the app to store and deploy important documents like well completion reports, workover information, and any other well history document to the field…

Basically, Dropbox allows you to “drop” any file that sits on your desktop computer into a repository in the cloud (it’s just like any other folder you save on your desktop, only this folder saves to the cloud and can be accessed from any other computer or smart device w/ the proper log-in credentials…) This enables you to share that file with other engineers, your operations manager, your Pumpers — or yourself (!) — in the field.

Oilies like this app because their files are always on hand for those impromptu visits to a well site. And, allowing field supervisors, pumpers and other field service personnel to access to certain files cuts down on those unnecessary phone calls email chatter, too (which we all like 😉 ).

For you non-techy folk — don’t worry, we got you covered. Check out this short video for a better idea of how the app can help you in both your personal life and at work:

Apple’s Reminder App

When talking with our clients, most of them ask why GreaseBook doesn’t offer a task or “to-do” list function within our oilfield production software app (we’ve gone into great detail about the reasons why in another post — if you’re interested, you can check it out by clicking here…)

The short of it is that there’s a wonderful (read: free) app developed by some of the best app designers and programmers in the world (read: Apple) that comes standard on every iPad. So why reinvent the wheel?

Without further adieu, let’s RE-introduce Apple’s “Reminder app”…

Many of you carry around this app on your iPhone or iPad and probably haven’t even realized it. Next time you break out your phone, be sure to check it out. Basically, by forming Pumper message groups in Apple’s Reminder app, oil and gas operators have an effective way to build and deliver daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists (e.g. drop soap sticks, pump maintenance, chemical schedules, gas chart calibration, etc).

Essentially, an operations manager can schedule a year’s worth of routine maintenance reminders, and walk away knowing that his pumpers are going to be reminded and held to these duties over the coming months…

Also, with the SPCC pumping out new regulations, it’s important to make sure your company stays compliant. How does the Reminder App help your company stay compliant?

For example, you may want a reminder to show up on the 1st of every month prompting your pumpers to do their monthly walk-arounds and inspections of each tank battery. Basically, by programming the app to flash specific tasks on set dates to your group of pumpers, your pumpers are notified (and held accountable) to these scheduled tasks.

**Side Note: Many pumpers on GreaseBook make a note in the app’s “lease comments” repository — which GreaseBook date & time stamps — documenting each of these instances to comply with the SPCC. Your pumpers can even attach photos to these comments for closer inspection by the folks back at headquarters**

Yeah, we know some of this oil field data collection work seems monotonous, but without documentation or the proper oil production report template, all your routinized work will turn into “exceptions” (and try explaining those exceptions to your local SPCC inspector…)

The Reminder App provides your people with the structure they need and with a written account of how to get the job done in the most efficient and effective way. It communicates to the new employees, as well as to the old, that there is a logic to the world in which they have chosen to work, that there is a technology by which results are produced.

The alternative is pick up the phone each month and dial your afternoon away reminding each pumper  to “note their inspections”… thanks, but no thanks — we’ll set and forget our reminder app and get back to our coffee and internet.

BTW, if you’re interested in how the Reminder app works, we show you how to set it all up here…

Camera

Sometimes, new directive is initiated from the field. Pumpers have been quick to realize that by using the camera function on their smart devices they are able to save their employers thousands of dollars every year. By taking photos or video of issues in the field and posting them to messaging applications, veteran engineers and managers can visually engage with their production assets. Where once issues could only be resolved through verbal descriptions over the telephone, companies are now able to visually troubleshoot problems from the office, thus avoiding costly onsite service calls.

Side note: more and more, pumpers working the Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico oil fields are of Spanish descent. Most of these guys do a hell of a job, but from time to time they may have difficulties communicating some of the more complex issues over the phone due to language limitations. In these particular cases, the camera function on the iPad really comes in handy… pumpers photograph the issue, send it over, and move on with the rest of their route. Through photos, engineers and experienced operations managers can visually interact with the oilfield, allowing you to scale your knowledge over your entire army of pumpers, all from HQ.

As we come across other oilfield apps that are well suited for the patch, we’ll do our best to keep you updated. Until then, and please feel free to post any other apps you’ve stumbled across in the comments below!