Hidden Valley RV Park, Von Ormy, TX May 7

Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 74 degrees and mostly cloudy to 89 degrees and mostly sunny. Very slow to clear today still hazy at one in the afternoon.

Very busy morning with the move out and more of a picture show today. As these pices of the rig were moved away from each other there was more cleaning or pressure washing that was done to the areas that were not previously accessible.

About two the company man showed up at the gate to collect the equipment we had here and we were released from the gate. Finished packing Buster and started the three mile drive to the paved road. As I readied to depart the retractable electric steps would not retract. Not wanting to spend the time with troubleshooting them now I would drive with them out and give that condition special consideration as I drove to the campground.

All the parts still in place

Now going one mile before meeting another vehicle going the other direction I slowed (from eleven miles per hour) as we were about to pass each other the other driver (one of the guys from our gate area) stopped me to advise me the steps were out. I related the condition and continued to the paved road ant normal speed twelve miles per hour on the dirt road. Turning onto the paved road there was new road repair construction one lane traffic just ahead and concern with the steps out. It was a tight mile and it was only a short wait until it was our turn to go, staying clear of the orange cones. A quick stop for diesel fuel  for Buster $3.699 per gallon at H E B in Pearsall then the remainder of our trip today.

Table and sloped ramp that was in front of the rig balanced on the truck

Hidden Valley RV Park, Von Ormy, TX (southwest San Antonio) for a few days.  Total trip today ninety-two miles for Buster mostly on interstate thirty-five. After parking and setting up we treated ourselves to dinner our and stopping in a super walmart for a few things. Been a while since we were near a super not really shopping as we were tired from a long day, just gathering essentials.

Tower section of the rig on the lowbow trailer

Rig Structure that was on the ground on its trailer

Main generator being loaded onto its trailer

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate May 6

Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 66 degrees and partly sunny to 96 degrees and mostly sunny.

Where have been vacuum trucks water tanker and equipment moving our on gooseneck trailers. Rig continues to be taken down in preparation for the move to another site. More work around Buster for Bonnie and I getting ready for our move. I disassembled the walkway and stowed the boards in Buster and Tan Jan.

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate May 5

Monday, May 5, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 63 degrees and mostly cloudy to 96 degrees and mostly sunny. There has been a good breeze blowing all day into night actually picking up as it got dark.

One house trailer is removed from in front of Buster

Flatbed trucks loading pipe, two of the house trailers here at the site were moved out this morning. The rig “tower is being pressure washed in peroration for rig move out.

Drill pipe loaded and moving off site

Rig tower structure being pressure washed

Rig tower is lowered

Bonnie and I are preparing Buster for the move to an RV park on the southwest side of San Antonio. And then there will be one more day. Saturday we were told Tuesday would be our last day here at this “gate”. Then Monday afternoon they want us here one more day, ok. So we will be moving on Wednesday following our original plan just adjusting the days. 

Rig tower is being lowered & and dist in the air from the truck moving

Rig tower is down to horizontal 

Busy day today with the different operations taking place today. They are cleaning the “Frac” tanks  Equipment being cleaned and move making ready for trucks to be loaded for the move off the site. There have been vacuum trucks and water tank trucks removing the liquids from the Frac tanks.

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate May 4

Sunday, May 4, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 57 degrees and mostly sunny to 94 degrees and sunny. (To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog).  NASCAR Talladega race this afternoons entertainment, great race.

The black pole on the right was the portable flair stack that was burning

Looking like the drill is complete as the drill pipe is stacked on the racks now and I can see there are workers working under the platform at the well head. I went to town for the Sunday newspaper and took a couple of pictures further up the county road here before going. A different prospective of this well site. The flair stack was moved out today.

Equipment moved away from the work area to be loaded on trucks

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate May3

Saturday, May 3, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 51 degrees and sunny to 91 degrees and sunny.

The drill pipe is coming out again this morning. And we got the word our time here will end probably Tuesday. Starting to pack up our things outside around buster. One crew came in this afternoon that will assist in laying down the pipe, it is the truck with a cable system and a cradle for the pipe, it is all about time to lay the pipe down. Another crew came in with a packer that will go in the well. And a “wire line” truck came in for a video to be made inside the well.  (To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog)

Taken from the county road

I was coming back from town and took this picture of the well site, you can also note the wheat crop has been harvested this week and there is just stubble there in the field today.

NASCAR Saturday qualifying for tomorrow Talladega race, very exciting as qualifying is no longer a single car at a time on the track, there is strategy involved to draft another group of cars thus getting a single lay at the highest speed as in the act of drafting your car will achieve a higher speed the car running around the track by its self.

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate May 1

Thursday, May 1, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 57 degrees and mostly cloudy to 90 degrees and mostly sunny.

I was working on our July fourth plans today. Bonnie and I along with our North Carolina children with their family will visit my sister that lives in Virginia.

Drill pipe stacked on the rig deck

The rig was going back in with the drill pipe today and was drilling deeper overnight.

Friday, May 2, 2014
Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 59 degrees and mostly cloudy to 81 degrees and mostly sunny.

Flair is burning just short of continuously, early this morning and the well is close to “total depth” or TD. Not long after noting the first statement the rig started “tripping out the drill pipe and most of the pipe is stacked on the rig deck. They were tripping back in the well later in the afternoon.

Flair early this morning

   

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate Apr 30

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Dilly, Texas - Buster’s Gate 58 degrees and partly cloudy to 81 degrees and mostly sunny.  Cooler morning less wind less temperature, nicer day today, there is a breeze but not the forty miles per hour gusts like yesterday.

You can see the dust in the air after a truck went thru on the county road

We did have a water tanker come in to wet down the lot driveway and the county road to “help control the dirt” flying around when the wind blows. Today I was a large dust devil blowing across our road into the pad area.

The well drilling is going slow as they are “tripping out” the drill pipe, every day the past three days replacing drill tip motors and other components to control the direction of the drill.

Drill pipe stacked on the right side of the rig deck

I noticed today that yesterdays post is number nine hundred since I started this blog in 2009.