Jim Willis
Editor & Publisher, Marcellus Drilling News (MDN)

Fractivists have declared a shale gas vs. renewables war that doesn’t need to be. The two things are, in reality, highly compatible, one serving the other. 

Quick–for those lucky enough to have visited an active drill site in the Marcellus or Utica (or really, any active shale drilling site anywhere), what’s the first thing you notice? Think back to when you arrived. Before you’re even allowed onto the drill pad, the first thing you encounter is a security guard who exits a small security shack to find out who the heck you are and what the heck you want. That may change going forward, though, as another opportunity to employ renewable energy surfaces.

The guards we’ve met have been very pleasant. They’ll record your name and license plate number, and hand you a hard hat–to be worn at ALL times that you’re visiting the drill site. Safety first and always!

We’re certainly not out to fire security guards, but a Colorado company has invented a pretty ingenious gate/barrier (think the gates that come down at railroad crossings) that is battery operated, recharged on solar power, and even has an intercom–all of it totally unattended. No security guard. Punch in a keycode or a keycard, the gate goes up, person goes through…

MDN does not typically run press releases about new products and services–unless it’s cool, unusual, innovative, of direct benefit to the Marcellus industry–or all of the above. Such is the Heavy Utility Gate–or “HUG” manufactured by Dee, LLC. Below is a picture of the HUG, along with the press release sent along from Dennis Evers, creator of the HUG.

Solar Powered Access Control Gate

The Heavy Utility Gate or “HUG” was designed for the harsh oilfield environment, and can be used in any weather, 24/7/365 without a complaint or overtime. Powered by a heavy duty stainless, high torque actuator and optional 30 Watt solar panel, the HUG provides physical security by preventing unauthorized vehicles from entering a site.

For authorized personnel, there are numerous options to allow access, including a stainless key pad with adjustable gate timing and 100 million 4-8 digit codes, a card swipe and an ultra long range intercom with a remote control gate opener from the office. The HUG also features an automatic exit sensor that picks up vehicular movement, eliminating false openings.

The American made, all steel HUG is capable of hundreds of full open and close cycles daily, and features a reflective arm, adjustable levelers and pick points.

Editor’s Note: Jim was intrigued by the simplicity of this neat little device and the innovation it represents. Me, too, but there’s more. First, it demonstrates the little things that can be done to reduce costs without impacting safety by harnessing a little renewable energy. The big thing, though, is this; this is just the latest example of how renewable energy is being used on shale gas well sites. Here, for example, is solar power in use on a pipeline junction in Lycoming County:

Then, there is this example from a Southwestern Energy well pad:

And, this example from the Cabot CNG station (look to left of picture):

It works the other way as well, of course, because renewables always need backup and natural gas is the perfect complement in that regard.  Moreover, as Nick Grealy, our guest blogger from No Hot Air, has repeatedly pointed out, renewables are advancing fastest in places where shale gas is a mainstay. There is no shale gas vs. renewables war. That’s the real story. Now, if we just get those hard-core fractivists to admit it…

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