Common Misconceptions About the Oil and Gas Industry

Common Misconceptions About the Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry receives a lot of attention—both good and bad. And this attention can often give way to common misconceptions. It’s hard to trust all that you hear, and it’s even more difficult to understand what goes on behind closed doors. While we can’t know everything, we can help debunk some of the myths to set the record straight.

The Supply Is Running Low From Peak Usage

Many people believe that peak oil usage is leading to a low supply or a complete lack of oil. These beliefs are largely fueled by the push for clean energy and the need to reduce consumption, but the oil and gas industry is not running out.

Globally, there are supplies and systems that continue to thrive and will continue to do so for years. Two contributing factors to a thriving oil and gas supply are reduced consumption rates and an increased number of consumers turning to renewable energy. Another is the care and maintenance of the tools used and how efficient these processes are becoming.

Oil and Gas Usage Will End With Clean Energy Shifts

Many believe the shift to clean and sustainable energy solutions means the oil and gas industry will halt completely. This is untrue. As more people turn to clean energy, the demand for oil and gas may slightly decrease, ultimately shortening its usage.

Overall, we can expect to see oil and gas remain in-demand mediums due to their widespread usage across various applications. Renewable energy will only be able to replace so many objects and functions, but it can’t replace everything.

Oil Landowners Make a Lot of Money

The idea that all oil landowners make a lot of money is a long-held belief. While producing land will yield high values, the process of becoming a producing landowner is relatively lengthy, and not every piece of land with rich oil running will be chosen to produce. Even when production begins, it can take years before profits are seen because of the cost of drilling and payout for equipment, manpower, and maintenance.

The Oil and Gas Industry Does Not Care About the Environment

The grand push toward clean energy leads people to believe that oil and gas create dirty energy and that the industry simply does not care about the environment. While this common misconception about the oil and gas industry is relatively difficult to shake, it’s important to understand that the industry itself does care a great deal about eco-friendly efforts.

There are several initiatives in place to support environmentally friendly and focused production efforts, including well-water production and reducing or eliminating fracking with diesel fuel.

Hopefully, these nuggets of information help shift your mind away from all the potentially negative connotations about the oil and gas industry and bring more clarity.

Everything You Need to Know about a Multimeter

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When I start thinking about what device is the most useful to have for electrical needs around the house, a multimeter definitely is one of the most versatile. You can use it both in your home and on your vehicle to determine different electronic components.

If you’re trying to determine if a fuse is blown, a multimeter can do that. If you want to determine if a battery (car battery, 9V, AA, etc) has any charge left in it, a multimeter can do that too. In your home wiring you can determine if an outlet or wire has an electrical charge by connecting a multimeter to it. These all help you to save time and money by testing things at home by yourself.

Let’s review many of the important things you need to know about a multimeter.

What kind of multimeter should you buy?

When you decide what kind of multimeter to buy you should use the same logic you would with anything else like a car, house or computer. Go with those that meet your needs.

If you need a multimeter for professional use and need something high quality then go for the best Fluke type multimeters as that brand is top of the line. The Fluke 87-V digital multimeter is a great choice for this.

If you’re just starting out and want to play around with it before you spend a lot of money then just buy one of the digital multimeters around $20 USD. The Innova 3320 digital multimeter is a great choice as a starter device for you.

What not to buy?

If you see the old-school multimeters with the needle that moves across a scale, that is not a good multimeter. To say the least, it would be a huge waste of money considering you can get a digital multimeter that is extremely more accurate for the same price if not cheaper. Get the one with a digital screen that displays numeric values which is called a digital multimeter.

What measurements are important to you?

There are different types of multimeters and different measurements it can do so it’s important to understand the basics of it’s measurement capabilities. Lets understand each of these below:

Ranging

When selecting a multimeter, you have to decide whether you want a manual or auto ranging device. Since there are many different measurements you can make knowing what the range of those measurements are is tricky.

If you’re a new user then I’d suggest you pick a multimeter with an auto-ranging capability. For auto-ranging multimeters it will assess the electrical current and then determine what range to use automatically. This often takes some time to complete so for those experienced users they often prefer a manual ranging so they can control it.

Pick one based on your preference, although, in my experience most people choose one based on their patience if they don’t want to wait

Each multimeter should say if it’s manual or auto ranging but if it doesn’t you can always look at the dial on the device. If you see numbers around it then it’s a manual ranging. If you only see symbols/letters then it’s auto-ranging.

Values

While you may not know what the different symbols and letters mean right away you should be somewhat familiar with the important terms:

  • DC/AC: Direct Current and Alternating current. You can change this by simply pushing a button or selector on your multimeter. The difference in these two currents is simple in that with DC the flow of electricity is only going one way where as in AC the current can flow in one direction and then change to the other direction.
    Most electrical outlets are AC which is easy as they usually have a large grid to work on and can transfer power back and forth to eliminate waste. Most electronic devices and household appliances work on DC as they only require the power source to go one way to the device.
  • Continuity: This allows you to test if there are breaks in an electrical circuit like a faulty/cut wire etc. It sends electricity into one end and checks if it has a response on the other end.
  • Voltage: This measures how strong electricity is being pushed through a specific circuit. The higher the voltage the stronger the force. This is measured in Volts (V).
  • Current: This measures the amount of electricity going through a circuit and is measured in amperes (A).
  • Resistance: This measures the difficulty of a current of electricity to flow through an object. The higher the resistance means it’s more difficult for energy to flow through it. This is measured in ohms (Ω).

There are many other values including frequency, capacitance, transistor, temperature, etc, but those are useful to specific situations and may not be needed if you are an average at-home user. If you want something that can test everything, then for a little bit more money you can invest in a good quality one that has more options.

How to set up your Multimeter

First thing to do is to give it power. Most multimeters use a 9V battery although some still use AA batteries. Check which one yours needs and if it comes with one or not before you head home with it.

Black and red leads will also come with your multimeter and most of these will need to be plugged into it in order to use it. Simply plug the black lead into the one that says COM and the red one into the one for Volts (labeled with V). You may need to change the red one for different measurements but the black one always remains constant.

Plugging these in wont hurt you to start but it’s best to only ever touch the colored rubber part of the leads and never touch the metal parts if you want to avoid getting shocked (which can be dangerous).

 

From here you can start to learn the different ways of measuring objects, devices, outlets, fuses and different car parts.

Build a Generator From a Lawn Edger Motor

Build a Generator From a Lawn Edger Motor
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I think it is a cool idea to build a generator from a lawn edger motor, so much so that a few years ago I build a very similar generator from a lawn mower engine.  It works well, and was pretty simple to build

I would imagine, from my experience on the similar project, that a man could do this in a single day if they had the materials close at hand.

The basic generator (gas powered motor, alternator and battery only), can be used as a 12 volt power source. This is extremely useful for charging battery banks in RVs, campers or in out buildings. The big advantage to this generator as a charging system is the high current output of the alternator, and thus, the reduced charge time over using solar cells, or AC battery chargers.

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The other big advantage to using this unit to charge batteries over just charging them with a car, is that this generator uses much less gas to do the job (which is critical in an emergency). Some HAM radio folk use 12 volt equipment that can be powered from the battery until it is low in charge, and then crank up the generator to recharge the battery. The high output of this unit also makes it useful for car lots or fleets for jump starting cars.

If a DC to AC power converter is added to the basic system, then a limited amount of 120 Volt AC power would also be available! DC to AC power converters electronically convert the 12 volt DC power to 60 hertz AC power at 120 volts. These boxes just connect to the battery on the generator, and provide AC power outlets for standard household AC power.

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backup generator

Reasons Why Every Household Must Have a Backup Generator

Reasons Why Every Household Must Have a Backup Generator
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black-outIn the recent past, we’ve witnessed extreme weather-related calamities that have caused immense destruction regarding property damage and loss of human lives.

Scientists are warning that massive disasters are not only currently occurring at an increased rate but also increasing in magnitude.

To ensure your family stays safe all the time, you must invest in a good electric generator. An electric generator, other than supporting your lighting systems, will support important appliances in your home, among very many other functions. Loss of electric power brings about many difficulties to homes, more so, households with persons with disabilities.

A generator provides an exceptional way of cautioning your family members against sudden lose electricity.

Typical uses of a generator in a household

  • Backup during Power outages

campingAny urban resident already knows how often power outages occur of late. You simply can’t leave the use of all household appliances in the mercy of unpredictable utility power. A generator will reliably power your major home appliances, including electric heater, lights and air conditioners. A good generator, therefore, will help you maintain the comfort of your loved ones at all times.

  • Recreational use: Camping, tailgating or RV power

Are you a fan of outdoor camping? Then you need a portable generator. With a portable generator, you will be able to transform your camping expedition into an unforgettable event. Your family members will still enjoy all the luxuries of the city in a countryside setting. It will power security lights and hence secure your surroundings. The generator will also enable you to watch your TV, charge your phones, helping you maintain your connection to the outside world among, other purposes.

  • Construction Projects

Since most constructions projects take place in regions where there is no electricity supply, you cannot depend on electricity from your utility company. That there have been widespread power blackouts lately implies that utility power is unpredictable. So, even if power is available, to predict with certainty how long it’ll take to complete the project, a reliable energy source is crucial. One such trusted source is a generator. Your choice of the type of generator to go for depends entirely on the magnitude of your project.

 Types of generators to consider

  • Standby Generators: This genset is large, typically runs on natural gas or liquid propane and mostly stationed outside far from the house. Due to their immense outputs power, it can power all the appliances in your home during a power outage. It also costs a lot to buy, install (which is usually done by skilled personnel) and connect to your household’s consumer unit. However, once installed, a standby generator runs for a very long time without necessitating refueling, servicing or maintenance. One outstanding feature of this generator type has to be its ability to start automatically, supplying your house with power even when you are away, and there is no one around.
  • Portable Generators: They are smaller generators that can be moved around with a lot of ease. Besides their smaller fuel tanks, portable generators are either attached to a trailer or fitted with wheels for increased mobility. Smaller fuel tanks present one minor challenge; the generators have to be often refueled, especially when they’re used for extended periods of time. They are, however, suitable for smaller families who probably need a generator they can use while camping outdoors, among other purposes. On account of their low outputs, portable generators tend to be cheaper that standby generators and do not need expert installation. From the best portable generator reviews, you will learn more on what to look for when buying portable generators, typical output ranges, among many other crucial aspects
  • Solar Generators: Supply green energy that is safe to use and entirely renewable. Persons who live in places with hot and regular sunshine and have sufficient initial capital will find this generator type ideal. Solar generators deliver totally quiet operations, require minimum repairs and maintenance and do not require refueling since they convert solar energy to electrical energy. Initially, the cost is high thanks to the fact that a solar generator unit requires other components including an inverter, a battery pack, and solar panels. You may also have to hire the services of a trained installer.

During a blackout follow these electrical safety tips

  • Switch off and unplug unnecessary electrical appliances, including sensitive devices
  • Disconnect any equipment, appliance or electronics that were being used before the power went out When power returns, spikes or surges can damage the appliances
  • Leave one light bulb on so that when the power comes back, you will know
  • Eliminate all unnecessary travels, particularly by car because traffic lights will not be on
  • Connect the appliance you wish to power with a generator directly to the generator outlet.

A backup generator is a must-have for all households. Regardless of whether you need insurance during emergencies or your do not want to sustain the comfort of your family members, a generator is all you need. Find out your electric power needs, buy a suitable generator and enjoy your life to the fullest.

About the author: Victor Hill is the founder of Trustworthy Power, a website that provides expert generator reviews, click here to find out more. He is a graduate in Mechatronics and currently works as a Quality Assurance Engineer at DENSO. He has a passion for generators and also loves helping users get value for their investment while shopping for generators.