Case Study: The STEALTH

The oil and gas industry has come to recognize that well operations are loud enough to qualify as a health hazard, not only for the people directly involved but for people who live and work nearby. Researchers have demonstrated that high-level noise is not the only culprit.

Constant low decibel sounds can disturb sleep and cause stress, which in turn can create a wide range of medical issues. Hydraulic fracturing is no different in this regard to conventional drilling. Sound levels in excess of 100dBA have been reported during fracturing operations, well past the level at which hearing loss can occur.

Usually, fracturing workers opt for hearing protection in the form of earplugs or earmuffs to help them withstand the noise but this causes its own hazards. Non-selective noise dampening may block vital auditory safety signals, such as the sound of a truck backing up at night, when many fracturing crews work. It also makes spoken communication difficult, often causing workers to remove their hearing protection to hear the conversation and thus exposing themselves to hearing damage.

We set out to create a fracturing unit that would be not only state-of-the-art, but quiet enough to mitigate the use of hearing protection. So, we designed and patented an enclosure with custom sound-dampening technology to complement the 2500HP CAT Tier IV DGB dual fuel engine.

In fabrication, we incorporated new, patented construction techniques and material combinations of fiberglass, aluminum and sound dampening materials that would optimize sound blocking without being overly heavy. We also made the enclosure removeable so it can be lifted off the unit for maintenance, if needed, as well as added access doors. The cooling system is a major source of noise, so we worked with a trusted partner to utilize the quietest cooling system in the industry.

We also wanted to prioritize safety in all forms so we installed AFEX dual agent fire suppression system and a gas detection system to detect natural gas leaks from the dual fuel system.

Noise complaints are not a minor inconvenience. They are a permitting risk, a community relations liability, and in jurisdictions with active ordinance enforcement, an operational shutdown risk.

The Stealth eliminates that exposure entirely. Operators running Stealth units can work near residential areas, military installations, and municipalities with active noise ordinances and generate zero complaints doing it. That's not a marketing claim. It's a third-party certified result with a fleet deployed in the field to prove it.

For fracturing companies bidding on contracts in noise-sensitive environments, the Stealth is the difference between winning the job and being disqualified before the proposal is read.

Engineered and manufactured by EnQuest Energy Solutions, Houston, TX. ISO 9001:2015 certified.