Air Qruise Trooper

Doha, Qatar – October 2, 2014 – At the recently concluded seventh Middle East Health Safety Environment and Sustainable Development Conference (MEHSE) hosted by Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), United Safety’s thought leaders once again shared a wealth of invaluable knowledge to improve HSE initiatives across the Middle East.

As part of the conference’s technical program, United Safety’s Mike Gilbert, Vice President for Middle East/Asia and Schlumberger’s Anthony Onerhime, UAE QHSE Manager, presented a case study on a collaborative project entitled, “Addressing Safety Challenges of Operating in Sour Gas Fields: A Case Study from the Middle East.” Authored by Onerhime, Andy Kveps (our General Manager, Innovation), and Elie Daher (our Executive Vice President), this technical paper focused on developing safety solutions to the unique challenges posed by highly sour fields.

Despite their great potentials, development of sour fields in the Middle East was put on hold for decades due to high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) present in this region. At about 500-1,000ppm, exposure to this toxic gas could lead to several health effects or even death.

With this in mind, various safety solutions had been devised to protect workers in the event of H2S leak in fixed facilities such as processing plants. However, a critical gap was identified in ensuring workers’ safe transit in a highly sour field.

As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of all inventions.” Out of this pressing need, the Air Qruise™ Trooper was born—packed with advanced gas-detection technology, a highly compact air supply system and rapid deployment breathing masks. This specialized vehicle alerts workers to a gas leak while supplying them with up to 5 man-hours of breathing, as opposed to the common 30-minute air supply from SCBAs. Such breakthrough conquers limitations for worker safety and opens doors for enhanced protection and mobility. Other key features include touch screen interface, breathing air masks, external and internal gas sensors, and an air supply information system.

The Air Qruise Trooper is currently deployed in, and field tests have proven that it has what it takes and more to deal with the ever complex sour wells of the Middle East Oil and Gas industry. Other possible areas of application are also being explored to maximize the potential of this life-saving innovation.

For more information, read the complete technical paper here