...and by God, THIS is a well head:
Prudhoe Bay; 1972. Four years after the discovery well. The sign says Arco Well No. 2. I count four strings of casing in this well, including the conductor pipe, below the tubing head, which is 3 1/2 in. OD, at least. All of these strings are necessary for shallow gas protection, one probably has to do with the permafrost line; I am not sure, save to say that is one big mama-jama tree. I am guessing 18-20 feet high. That's all 10K stuff; I seem to recall some FTP in Prudhoe Bay being + 7000 PSI.
I saw trees like this in the Elk City field long ago, south of Oklahoma City. They had 1 inch wire line off the top of them, anchored down in the ground. To stabilize the tree during production, but as a hand once told me..." to keep them from going into orbit."
Those were the days when Mama Earth still had bottom hole pressure that She was always, always ready to share that with you.
What a pity that as the hydrocarbon era ends what my beloved industry will be remembered for is mass manufacturing shale wells, one after another; for walking rigs and zipper frac's, all for 130% rates of return under the "hope" of higher prices.
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