We are committed to reducing emissions in all facets of our operations and utilizing innovative fuel product solutions whenever possible. For many years, we have focused on the deployment of engine air emission technology in the oilfield. We have been a leader in the use of Natural Gas Engines, Bi-fuel Equipment, and various emission reduction systems, including Selective Catalytic Reduction technology.
Our culture is to cause all of our employees to operate in a manner that is safe and protective of the environment. Industrial hygiene and environmental protection specialists monitor our performance and use industry best practices to continually implement improvements that increase our sustainability and reduce our environmental impact.
We utilize equipment that runs on a variety of fuels to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. When possible, our contract drilling operations routinely use natural gas-only engines and bi-fuel engines, and our pressure pumping operations employ bi-fuel engines.
Bi-Fuel Engines
With bi-fuel engines, we can offer pressure pumping and contract drilling services with a fuel mixture of up to 70 percent natural gas. Natural gas as fuel is significantly cleaner from an environmental perspective as it generates less carbon monoxide than diesel fuel, as well as less nitrogen oxide (NOx). Utilizing high percentages of natural gas instead of diesel enables our engines to burn cleaner, reduce emissions and improve air quality. Within our pressure pumping business, five of our spreads are currently bi-fuel capable. Our contract drilling business maintains approximately 60 dual fuel rig power systems. Our bi-fuel engines’ operational successes have been recognized in an article in E&P Magazine, an industry publication.
Natural Gas Engines
Our natural gas engines, which do not require the use of diesel fuel, allow our drilling rigs to run 100 percent on natural gas. These systems can utilize the local natural gas infrastructure already available in our working areas, reducing the need for diesel fuel transportation and consumption. Additionally, these dedicated natural gas engines are equipped with a three-way catalyst to significantly reduce NOx emissions. Our contract drilling business has over 10 dedicated natural gas rig power systems.
Other Emission Reduction Efforts
Our drilling rig fleet can be equipped with additional emissions control technologies to meet specific emissions requirements necessary to operate in certain locations. For example, our rigs can be equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction technology, which is an advanced emissions control technology that injects a liquid reductant agent through a special catalyst into the exhaust stream of a diesel engine. Selective Catalytic Reduction technology is a means of converting NOx into nitrogen and water, ultimately reducing NOx emissions.
Additionally, when operating in sensitive areas, where possible, we have occasionally used power from local electric utility grids in place of hydrocarbon fuels to eliminate engine emissions and noise.
Air Emissions Reduction Efforts by Type
| Sulfur Oxides (SOx) |
Our contract drilling business mandates the use of strictly Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) fuel. |
| Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) |
Third-party field tests on dedicated natural gas drilling rigs have shown emissions of NOx as low as 0.01 g/hp-hr. |
| Particulates (dust) |
Our pressure pumping business actively works with its service partners to develop, test and implement new strategies to reduce dust emissions on location. We currently operate with a combination of active (ventilation systems) and passive (tenting and choked flow) technologies that significantly reduce dust concentrations. We routinely monitor all technologies in use to measure the amount of reduction attained and continually work to reduce emissions and exposures. |
GHG Emissions Reduction Efforts by Type
| Tier 4 Spreads: |
Tier 4 engines reduce harmful exhaust gases from diesel powered equipment. Our Tier 4 engines are compliant with Tier 4 emissions standards, and the use of these engines results in significant reductions in emissions relative to previous-generation engines. We design our drilling and pressure pumping fleets to be 100 percent compliant with all current EPA air emissions requirements. Additionally, we are sensitive to and supportive of customer targets and goals. Our pressure pumping business routinely utilizes dual fuel and Tier 4 compliant spreads, which help meet our customers’ GHG emission goals. Our pressure pumping business has two Tier 4 fleets and more than 70 Tier 4 tractors. |
| Control Systems: |
We manufacture and sell control systems for electric pressure pumping fleets, which reduce emissions from production operations. |
| Paint booth emissions: |
To further reduce emissions, our pressure pumping business standardized the paint used on its equipment and now applies high solids paint with lower VOC emissions. |
Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) Initiative
We proudly participate in public-private projects to find innovative solutions to lower impact extraction methods. Patterson-UTI was contracted to drill a well as part of a collaboration between West Virginia University, Ohio State University, the Department of Energy and others. The goal of this initiative is to provide a long-term field site to develop and validate new knowledge and technology, improve recovery efficiency and minimize environmental implications of unconventional resource development.