DEEP SUBJECT: We began Darrell Harris’ first hand-account
yesterday of the dangerous practice of shooting an oilwell.
The veteran oilman, who lives in Oswayo, left us off yesterday
about mid-way through the process. We conclude today:
“I never knew of a shooter to permit a tool dresser or driller
to carry the nitro cans into the rig. After the container (shell)
was filled, the shooter would lower them into the well on a wire
line, unhooking them at the bottom of the well.
“He would then make a go-devil, which was a small tin tube,
slightly larger than a stick of dynamite, in which he would place
two sticks of dynamite. He would place a fuse with a cap on it on
the top of each stick of dynamite, then fill the tube on up with
fine sand. The top of the tube then would be crimped shut to keep
the sand in the tube.
“This was left in the rig while he moved his truck a safe
distance away. The driller and tool dresser made sure all parts of
the rig were secured, then the engine was shut down. The driller
and tool dresser then left that rig.
“The shooter held the dynamite in his hand, would light the
fuse, holding it a couple of seconds to make sure it was lit, then
dropped it into the hole. The shooter always remained on the rig
floor until he felt and heard the shot. He would then leave the rig
quickly.
“Many shooters, due to the stress of their work, had problems
with alcohol.
“Usually when a well was shot on a standard rig, a ‘gun’ (a
piece of 8-inch pipe which was welded to skids) was chained down,
setting the stem on it to hold it in place. This would cause the
oil and mud from the shooting to deflect from the structure of the
standard rig, so it would not be slippery with oil when it had to
be dismantled soon.
“Shooters often had to shoot more than one well in a day.
Usually, only enough to shoot one well was in his truck at a time.
His job was very dangerous. Many shooters lost their lives as a
result.”
(Our postscript: We can certainly see why this combination of
nitroglycerine and dynamite would lead a man to drink!)
