Public Safety and Sour Gas

We take extra precautions when drilling critical sour gas wells. All critical sour gas drilling plans are thoroughly reviewed by regulators before an operator is given a license to drill. Regulatory agencies conduct an independent assessment of the entire drilling program to ensure it meets strict standards for public and worker safety and protection of the environment. In addition, we take the following steps when drilling critical sour gas wells:

• Drilling supervisors and safety specialists hold pre-shift safety and operations meetings and conduct daily rig inspections.
• Only crews with a specified level of experience and training are used. Experience and training requirements are included in Industry Recommended Practice Volume 1-2008, Critical Sour Drilling.
• Sour gas monitors provide backup warning to our crews in the unlikely event of a gas release.
• Use of well-control equipment, including an automatic ignition system and extra blowout preventers, which are special valves installed on the well-head that allow the crew to immediately stop the flow of drilling fluid or seal off the well completely.
• When the drilling rig nears the depth where sour gas may be found, residents in the emergency planning zone are notified and all members of our emergency response team are placed on standby.

We design, operate and maintain all of our facilities to protect against leaks. At sour gas handling facilities we take additional measures. Despite all safeguards, however, we cannot guarantee a sour gas leak won't happen, so we have developed response plans in the event one does occur. Each facility has safety shut-down systems, emergency response plans and specialized equipment to help us protect the community, our employees and our contractors from exposure to sour gas.