STOPPING OILFIELD LIGHTNING DAMAGE
Thomas R. Brinner, PM&D Engineering, Inc. Joseph A. Lanzoni, Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, Inc.
With a significant oil-price drop drilling programs are stopped and marginal wells are abandoned. Production must be continued with minimum down-time if an oil company is to stay profitable. One low-cost way to do this is to stop lightning damage.
Tank battery protection is the highest priority. Fiber glass tanks and explosive gases have made this a major challenge. Lightning collection has never been truly successful. Charge transfer systems (CTS) have prevented lightning strikes with nearly 100% elimination of damage. The particulars of CTS are discussed. Electrical equipment must be protected from transient voltage surges carried in on the power wires. A listing from most important to least would be disposal facilities, electric submersible pumps (ESPs), ESP variable speed drives and pumping units. Transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS) design and proper grounding are critically important if equipment is to be saved from lightning damage.