History notes that, as far back as 1920, shale oil was viewed as a potential major contributor to the North American energy-supply hierarchy. In fact, it was in that very year that the Mineral Leasing Act made fossil fuels and minerals, found on public lands administered by the federal government, "leasable," that is, open to exploration and recovery. However, it was only since the dawn of the 21st century that the total effect that North American shale oil deposits could have as a positive contributor to the energy supply was determined.

The potential of shale oil is so great that some are saying that we are in the midst of a "black gold rush." This opinion is borne out by the fact that recent statistics show the U.S. is home to more than 2.1 trillion barrels of recoverable shale oil, or 82% of the world's known shale oil deposits. Oil exploration and production companies are expected to spend $25 billion to drill an estimated 5,000 new wells in 2011 in the U.S. This high volume of recoverable shale oil in basins throughout the U.S. and Canada is enough to ease reliance on foreign sources of energy and meet U.S. energy demand for decades to come.

The rush to gather this newfound source of black gold has set off a spending frenzy among oil and gas companies. In fact, a recent estimate by the securities firm, Raymond James & Associates Inc., states that these companies are on course to spend $133 billion in 2011 on shale oil processing, storage and transportation infrastructures, with a projected 56% increase to $206 billion in shale oil infrastructure spending in 2012.

This presents a tremendous growth opportunity for companies that supply equipment for use in shale oil exploration, drilling, production, storage and transportation, with much of this equipment—especially that which is used in liquid-handling applications within the shale oil supply chain—already in existence. As with any industry such as this, the production operations, as well as the equipment used to optimize them, must meet the strict tenets of environmental regulation. Advancements in liquid-handling dry-disconnect technology can play a key role in helping to ensure safe operations in shale oil liquid-handling applications, all while meeting a core mission of "Zero Harm" to safeguard people and the environment.

A dry disconnect is designed with an interlocking handle that averts accidental spills by preventing uncoupling while the valve is open. The unit’s flat face minimizes fluid loss.

Source: OPW Fluid Transfer Group

A challenging environment

Locating and extracting shale oil from deep beneath the earth's surface involves a series of complex and challenging exploration and production processes. After the shale deposit and the suspected oil or natural gas is discovered, a vertical well is drilled that may extend as deep as 10,000 feet, straight down. Upon reaching the level of the shale oil deposit, and using advanced drilling techniques and specialized equipment, the well is then drilled horizontally, sometimes as far as two miles, until the shale oil or gas deposit play is accessed.

That's where the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, begins. In this process, as much as one million gallons of water, 20 tons of specialized sand and a variety of completion fluids—commonly called a slickwater compound—are injected into the well under high pressure. This pressurized mixture speeds down to the shale oil deposit where it exits the wellbore through perforated sections. Once in the shale oil formation, the high-pressure mixture fractures the rock, allowing sand or ceramic pellets to be injected into the fissure to hold it open. This allows the shale oil and gas to flow, in most cases, under its own pressure into the wellbore and to the well's surface. Depending on the length and richness of the shale oil deposit, there may be as many as 42 fracking episodes along the wellbore.

During these development processes, some pipes or hoses will be used to transfer liquids. Typically, dry disconnect couplers and adaptors are the best resource to ensure a safe and reliable transfer.

The shale oil production process offers four distinct areas where liquid-handling dry disconnects are most commonly used—well site preparation, drilling, hydraulic fracturing and completion.

Within these four basic stages of shale oil production, anywhere that pipe or hose needs to be used to transfer a liquid, dry disconnect couplers and adaptors are there. This includes the following vehicles, storage modes and associated equipment:

• Chemical trucks

• Rail tank cars

• Transport tankers

• Diesel fuel trucks

• Water and wastewater trucks

• Hot oil trucks

• Blending equipment

• Aboveground storage tanks

• Totes

• Loading rack equipment

Throughout these stages of shale oil production, producers and their drilling partners are taking special precautions to prevent unnecessary contamination of the well site and, by extension, the environment. This is accomplished by minimizing liquid discharge across all aspects of the drilling site and wellhead, which is only possible through the use of fittings and hoses all along the supply chain—from transport vehicles to storage tanks to chemical totes to blending equipment—that are as liquid-tight as possible.

The Kamvalok uses a unique poppet-action design. The flow shut-off mechanism resembles a butterfly valve.

Source: OPW Fluid Transfer Group

Shale-safe system

For many years, "quick connect" technology was the coupling product of choice, used primarily in low-pressure liquid-transfer applications. Today, dry disconnect couplers and adaptors are the technology of choice where safeguarding people and the environment are paramount concerns.

Dry disconnect couplings are hose-connection devices that provide an automatic mechanism to seal off both the hose and the fixed pipe end when the hose is disconnected. These couplings are used in any liquid-transfer application where loss of fluid upon disconnection cannot be tolerated due to environmental regulations, worker safety considerations, the high value of the fluid or where cleanliness is a concern.

Although dry disconnect products are not necessarily newcomers to the connection business, the demand for these products has continued to rise sharply as environmental consciousness and compliance have become more prevalent. Operators today are placing a heightened focus on reducing liquid discharge at hose connection points, particularly at drilling sites.

Additionally, the engineering, design and materials of construction found in dry disconnects have become more and more advanced, offering the optimum connect and disconnect solutions at reasonable prices. Traditional quick connects, although still a highly accepted and viable connection product for non-hazardous liquid applications, can be hard to handle. Oftentimes, connections are difficult to complete and hard to verify. Also, some styles are not ergonomic, which can lead to physical strain for the operator.

Fortunately, for shale oil exploration and production companies and their on-site employees, dry disconnect products are in abundant supply and meet the strict operational parameters and environmental regulations of complex, harsh production process applications found in shale oil and gas production, completion and transport.

The goal of any dry disconnect technology is to optimize human and environmental protection. Manufacturers of dry disconnect products strive for maximum efficiency while simultaneously doing everything possible to eliminate the potential for human error. As such, dry disconnects deliver substantial benefits to operators, including a clean well-site environment that reduces regulator scrutiny, liquid-damage fees, fines and unfavorable publicity, while optimizing productivity, personal safety and environmental protection.

That's why the shale oil producers who take care to make their environmental footprint as unobtrusive and clean as possible are reevaluating their use of traditional quick connect hose couplers and adaptors and are turning instead to advanced dry disconnect technology. Dry disconnect technology proves to regulators that the operator is taking the utmost care possible and is serious about ensuring a "Zero Harm" production site.

Dave Morrow is product manager for OPW Engineered Systems, a division of OPW Fluid Transfer Group. As a part of Dover Corp., OPW Fluid Transfer Group is comprised of the following operating companies: OPW Engineered Systems, Midland Manufacturing, Civacon, Knappco, Sure Seal and Hiltap Fittings. Combined, these companies design, manufacture and distribute solutions for the safe handling and transporting of hazardous and non-hazardous bulk products.