text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jul 29, 2008
|Filing date
|Mar 12, 2007
|Priority date
|Feb 27, 2006
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Grant Hocking
|Original Assignee
|Geosierra, Llc
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (80), Referenced by (15), Classifications (7), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/363,540, filed Feb. 27, 2006 and of Ser. No. 11/277,308, filed Mar. 23, 2006.
The present invention generally relates to enhanced recovery of petroleum fluids from the subsurface by injecting a fracture fluid to fracture underground formations, and more particularly to a method and apparatus to control the fracture initiation plane and propagation of the hydraulic fracture in a single well bore in unconsolidated and weakly cemented sediments resulting in increased production of petroleum fluids from the subsurface formation.
Hydraulic fracturing of petroleum recovery wells enhances the extraction of fluids from low permeable formations due to the high permeability of the induced fracture and the size and extent of the fracture. A single hydraulic fracture from a well bore results in increased yield of extracted fluids from the formation. Hydraulic fracturing of highly permeable unconsolidated formations has enabled higher yield of extracted fluids from the formation and also reduced the inflow of formation sediments into the well bore. Typically the well casing is cemented into the borehole, and the casing perforated with shots of generally 0.5 inches in diameter over the depth interval to be fractured. The formation is hydraulically fractured by injected the fracturing fluid into the casing, through the perforations, and into the formation. The hydraulic connectivity of the hydraulic fracture or fractures formed in the formation may be poorly connected to the well bore due to restrictions and damage due to the perforations. Creating a hydraulic fracture in the formation that is well connected hydraulically to the well bore will increase the yield from the well, result in less inflow of formation sediments into the well bore and result in greater recovery of the petroleum reserves from the formation.
Turning now to the prior art, hydraulic fracturing of subsurface earth formations to stimulate production of hydrocarbon fluids from subterranean formations has been carried out in many parts of the world for over fifty years. The earth is hydraulically fractured either through perforations in a cased well bore or in an isolated section of an open bore hole. The horizontal and vertical orientation of the hydraulic fracture is controlled by the compressive stress regime in the earth and the fabric of the formation. It is well known in the art of rock mechanics that a fracture will occur in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the minimum stress, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,696 to Wood. At significant depth, one of the horizontal stresses is generally at a minimum, resulting in a vertical fracture formed by the hydraulic fracturing process. It is also well known in the art that the azimuth of the vertical fracture is controlled by the orientation of the minimum horizontal stress in consolidated sediments and brittle rocks.
At shallow depths, the horizontal stresses could be less or greater than the vertical overburden stress. If the horizontal stresses are less than the vertical overburden stress, then vertical fractures will be produced; whereas if the horizontal stresses are greater than the vertical overburden stress, then a horizontal fracture will be formed by the hydraulic fracturing process.
Techniques to induce a preferred horizontal orientation of the fracture from a well bore are well known. These techniques include slotting, by either a gaseous or liquid jet under pressure, to form a horizontal notch in an open bore hole. Such techniques are commonly used in the petroleum and environmental industry. The slotting technique performs satisfactorily in producing a horizontal fracture, provided that the horizontal stresses are greater than the vertical overburden stress, or the earth formation has sufficient horizontal layering or fabric to ensure that the fracture continues propagating in the horizontal plane. Perforations in a horizontal plane to induce a horizontal fracture from a cased well bore have been disclosed, but such perforations do not preferentially induce horizontal fractures in formations of low horizontal stress. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,431 to Heymans.
Various means for creating vertical slots in a cased or uncased well bore have been disclosed. The prior art recognizes that a chain saw can be used for slotting the casing. See U.S. Pat. No. 1,789,993 to Switzer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,178,554 to Bowie, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,828 to Wisenbaker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,151 to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,724 to Venditto et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,195 to Swanson et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,049 to Chaffee et al. Installing pre-slotted or weakened casing has also been disclosed in the prior art as an alternative to perforating the casing, because such perforations can result in a reduced hydraulic connection of the formation to the well bore due to pore collapse of the formation surrounding the perforation. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,911 to Heijnen. These methods in the prior art were not concerned with the initiation and propagation of the hydraulic fracture from the well bore in an unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediment. These methods were an alternative to perforating the casing to achieve better connection between the well bore and the surrounding formation and/or initiate the fracture at a particular location and/or orientation in the subsurface.
In the art of hydraulic fracturing subsurface earth formations from subterranean wells at depth, it is well known that the earth's compressive stresses at the region of fluid injection into the formation will typically result in the creation of a vertical two "winged" structure. This "winged" structure generally extends laterally from the well bore in opposite directions and in a plane generally normal to the minimum in situ horizontal compressive stress. This type of fracture is well known in the petroleum industry as that which occurs when a pressurized fracture fluid, usually a mixture of water and a gelling agent together with certain proppant material, is injected into the formation from a well bore which is either cased or uncased. Such fractures extend radially as well as vertically until the fracture encounters a zone or layer of earth material which is at a higher compressive stress or is significantly strong to inhibit further fracture propagation without increased injection pressure.
It is also well known in the prior art that the azimuth of the vertical hydraulic fracture is controlled by the stress regime with the azimuth of the vertical hydraulic fracture being perpendicular to the minimum horizontal stress direction. Attempts to initiate and propagate a vertical hydraulic fracture at a preferred azimuth orientation have not been successful, and it is widely believed that the azimuth of a vertical hydraulic fracture can only be varied by changes in the earth's stress regime. Such alteration of the earth's local stress regime has been observed in petroleum reservoirs subject to significant injection pressure and during the withdrawal of fluids resulting in local azimuth changes of vertical hydraulic fractures.
Hydraulic fracturing generally consists of two types, propped and unpropped fracturing. Unpropped fracturing consists of acid fracturing in carbonate formations and water or low viscosity water slick fracturing for enhanced gas production in tight formations. Propped fracturing of low permeable rock formations enhances the formation permeability for ease of extracting petroleum hydrocarbons from the formation. Propped fracturing of high permeable formations is for sand control, i.e. to reduce the inflow of sand into the well bore, by placing a highly permeable propped fracture in the formation and pumping from the fracture thus reducing the pressure gradients and fluid velocities due to draw down of fluids from the well bore. Hydraulic fracturing involves the literally breaking or fracturing the rock by injecting a specialized fluid into the well bore passing through perforations in the casing to the geological formation at pressures sufficient to initiate and/or extend the fracture in the formation. The theory of hydraulic fracturing utilizes linear elasticity and brittle failure theories to explain and quantify the hydraulic fracturing process. Such theories and models are highly developed and generally sufficient for art of initiating and propagating hydraulic fractures in brittle materials such as rock, but are totally inadequate in the understanding and art of initiating and propagating hydraulic fractures in ductile materials such as unconsolidated sands and weakly cemented formations.
Hydraulic fracturing has evolved into a highly complex process with specialized fluids, equipment, and monitoring systems. The fluids used in hydraulic fracturing varied depending on the application and can be water, oil, or multi-phased based. Aqueous based fracturing fluids consist of a polymeric gelling agent such as solvatable (or hydratable) polysaccharide, e.g. galactomannan gums, glycomannan gums, and cellulose derivatives. The purpose of the hydratable polysaccharides is to thicken the aqueous solution and thus act as viscosifiers, i.e. increase the viscosity by 100 times or more over the base aqueous solution. A cross-linking agent can be added which further increases the viscosity of the solution. The borate ion has been used extensively as a cross-linking agent for hydrated guar gums and other galactomannans, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,909 to Wise. Other suitable cross-linking agents are chromium, iron, aluminum, zirconium (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,723 to Chrisp), and titanium (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,312 to Tiner et al). A breaker is added to the solution to controllably degrade the viscous fracturing fluid. Common breakers are enzymes and catalyzed oxidizer breaker systems, with weak organic acids sometimes used.
Oil based fracturing fluids are generally based on a gel formed as a reaction product of aluminum phosphate ester and a base, typically sodium aluminate. The reaction of the ester and base creates a solution that yields high viscosity in diesels or moderate to high API gravity hydrocarbons. Gelled hydrocarbons are advantageous in water sensitive oil producing formations to avoid formation damage, that would otherwise be caused by water based fracturing fluids.
Leak off of the fracturing fluid into the formation during the injection process has been conceptually separated into two types, spurt and linear or Carter leak off. Spurt occurs at the tip of the fracture and is the fracturing fluid lost to the formation in this zone. In high permeable formations spurt leak off can be a large portion of the total leak off. Carter leak off occurs along the fracture length as the fracture is propagated. Laboratory methods are used to quantify a fracturing fluid's leak off performance; however, analyses of actual field data on hydraulic fracturing of a formation is required to quantify the leak off parameters in situ, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,046 to Vasudevan et al.
The method of controlling the azimuth of a vertical hydraulic fracture in formations of unconsolidated or weakly cemented soils and sediments by slotting the well bore or installing a pre-slotted or weakened casing at a predetermined azimuth has been disclosed. The method disclosed that a vertical hydraulic fracture can be propagated at a pre-determined azimuth in unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments and that multiple orientated vertical hydraulic fractures at differing azimuths from a single well bore can be initiated and propagated for the enhancement of petroleum fluid production from the formation. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,783 to Hocking et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,227 to Hocking et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,037 to Hocking and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/363,540. The method disclosed that a vertical hydraulic fracture can be propagated at a pre-determined azimuth in unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments and that multiple orientated vertical hydraulic fractures at differing azimuths from a single well bore can be initiated and propagated for the enhancement of petroleum fluid production from the formation.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for controlling the initiation and propagation of a hydraulic fracture in a single well bore in formations of unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments, which behave substantially different from brittle rocks in which most of the hydraulic fracturing experience is founded. Also, there is a need for a method and apparatus that hydraulically connects the installed hydraulic fractures to the well bore without the need to perforate the casing.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for dilating the earth by various means from a bore hole to initiate and propagate a vertical hydraulic fracture formed at various orientations from a single well bore in formations of unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments. The fractures are initiated by means of preferentially dilating the earth orthogonal to the desired fracture azimuth direction. This dilation of the earth can be generated by a variety of means: a driven spade to dilate the ground orthogonal to the required azimuth direction, packers that inflate and preferentially dilate the ground orthogonal to the required azimuth direction, pressurization of a pre-weakened casing with lines of weaknesses aligned in the required azimuth orientation, pressurization of a casing with opposing slots cut along the required azimuth direction, or pressurization of a two "winged" artificial vertical fracture generated by cutting or slotting the casing, grout, and/or formation at the required azimuth orientation. The initiation and propagation of the hydraulic fracture requires special consideration to the rate of the fracturing process and viscosity of the fracturing fluid to maintain the orientation and control of the hydraulic fracture propagation in unconsolidated and weakly cemented sediments.
Weakly cemented sediments behave like a ductile material in yield due to the predominantly frictional behavior and the low cohesion between the grains of the sediment. Such particulate materials do not fracture in the classic brittle rock mode, and therefore the fracturing process is significantly different from conventional rock hydraulic fracturing. Linear elastic fracture mechanics is not applicable to the hydraulic fracturing process of weakly cemented sediments like sands. The knowledge base of hydraulic fracturing is primarily from recent experience over the past ten years and much is still not known on the process of hydraulically fracturing these sediments. However, the present invention provides data to enable those skilled in the art of hydraulic fracturing a methods and apparatus to initiate and control the propagation of the hydraulic fracturing in weakly cemented sediments. The hydraulic fracturing process in these sediments involves the unloading of the particulate material in the vicinity of the dilation, generated pore pressure gradients that, through liquefaction and particulate dilation, create a path of minimum resistance for the hydraulic fracture to propagate further. Limits on the fracturing propagation rate are needed to ensure the propagating hydraulic fracture does not over run this zone and lead to a loss of control of the propagating process. Also the viscosity of the fracturing fluid in the leading tip of the hydraulic fracture needs to be maintained to ensure that the pore pressure zone in front of the propagating fracture is not destroyed by loss of low viscosity fracturing fluid to the formation being fractured.
Once the first vertical hydraulic fracture is formed, second and subsequent multiple vertical hydraulic fractures can be initiated by a casing or packer system that seals off the first and earlier fractures and then by preferentially dilating the earth orthogonal to the next desired fracture azimuth direction, the second and subsequent fractures are initiated and controlled. The sequence of initiating the multiple azimuth orientated fractures is such that the induced earth horizontal stress from the earlier fractures is favorable for the initiation and control of the next and subsequent fractures. Alternatively multiple vertical hydraulic fractures at various orientations in the single well bore can be initiated and propagated simultaneously. The growth of each individual wing of each hydraulic fracture can be controlled by the individual connection and control of flow of fracturing fluid from the pumping system to each wing of the hydraulic fracture if required.
The present invention pertains to a method for forming a vertical hydraulic fracture or fractures in a weakly cemented formation from a single borehole with the initiation and propagation of the hydraulic fracture controlled to enhance extraction of petroleum fluids from the formation surrounding the borehole. As such any casing system used for the initiation and propagation of the fractures will have a mechanism to ensure the casing remains open following the formation of each fracture in order to provide hydraulic connection of the well bore to the hydraulic fractures.
The fracture fluid used to form the hydraulic fractures has two purposes. First the fracture fluid must be formulated in order to initiate and propagate the fracture within the underground formation. In that regard, the fracture fluid has certain attributes. The fracture fluid should not be pumped at rates that over run the dilating and modified pore pressure zone in front of the fracturing tip and also that low viscosity fracturing fluid are not lost to the formation and destroy the liquefied or loose zone in front of the fracturing tip. The fracturing fluid should have leak off characteristics compatible with the formation and the pumping equipment, the fracture fluid should be clean breaking with minimal residue, and the fracture fluid should have a low friction coefficient.
Second, once injected into the fracture, the fracture fluid forms a highly permeable hydraulic fracture. In that regard, the fracture fluid comprises a proppant which produces the highly permeable fracture. Such proppants are typically clean sand for large massive hydraulic fracture installations or specialized manufactured particles (generally resin coated sand or ceramic in composition) which are designed also to limit flow back of the proppant from the fracture into the well bore.
The present invention is applicable to formations of unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments with low cohesive strength compared to the vertical overburden stress prevailing at the depth of the hydraulic fracture. Low cohesive strength is defined herein as the greater of 200 pounds per square inch (psi) or 25% of the total vertical overburden stress. Examples of such unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments are sand and sandstone formations, which have inherent high permeability but low strength that requires hydraulic fracturing to increase the yield of the petroleum fluids from such formations and simultaneously reducing the flow of formation sediments towards the well bore. Upon conventional hydraulic fracturing such formations will not yield the full production potential of the formation due to the lack of good hydraulic connection of the hydraulic fracture in the formation and the well bore, resulting in significant drawdown in the well bore causing formation sediments to flow towards the hydraulic fracture and the well bore. The flow of formation sediments towards the hydraulic fracture and the well bore, results in a decline over time of the yield of the extracted fluids from the formation for the same drawdown in the well. The present invention is applicable to formations of unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments, such as oil sands, in which heavy oil (viscosity >100 centipoise) or bitumen (extremely high viscosity >100,000 centipoise) is contained in the pores of the sediment. Even though these sediments are inherently permeable (in the Darcy range) the fluids are immobile due to their inherently high viscosity at reservoir temperature and pressure. Propped hydraulic fracturing of these sediments provides access for steam, solvents, oils, and convective heat to increase the mobility of the petroleum hydrocarbons either by heat or solvent dilution and thus aid in the extraction of the hydrocarbons from the formation.
Although the present invention contemplates the formation of fractures which generally extend laterally away from a vertical or near vertical well penetrating an earth formation and in a generally vertical plane in opposite directions from the well, i.e. a vertical two winged fracture, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be carried out in earth formations wherein the fractures and the well bores can extend in directions other than vertical.
Therefore, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for initiating and controlling the growth of a vertical hydraulic fracture or fractures in a single well bore in formations of unconsolidated or weakly cemented sediments.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reviewing the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings and the claims.
Several embodiments of the present invention are described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The present invention involves a method and apparatus for initiating and propagating controlled vertical hydraulic fractures in subsurface formations of unconsolidated and weakly cemented sediments from a single well bore such as a petroleum production well. In addition, the present invention involves a method and apparatus for providing a high degree of hydraulic connection between the formed hydraulic fractures and the well bore to enhance production of petroleum fluids from the formation, also to enable the individual fracture wings to be propagated individually from its opposing fracture wing, and also to be able to re-fracture individually each fracture and fracture wing to achieve thicker and more permeable in placed fractures within the formation.
Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements,
The outer surface of the injection casing 1 should be roughened or manufactured such that the grout 3 bonds to the injection casing 1 with a minimum strength equal to the down hole pressure required to initiate the controlled vertical fracture. The bond strength of the grout 3 to the outside surface of the casing 1 prevents the pressurized fracture fluid from short circuiting along the casing-to-grout interface up to the ground surface 5.
Referring to
The winged initiation sections 11 and 21 of the well casing 1 are preferably constructed from two symmetrical halves as shown on
Referring to
Referring to
The pumping rate of the fracturing fluid and the viscosity of the fracturing fluids needs to be controlled to initiate and propagate the fracture in a controlled manner in weakly cemented sediments. The dilation of the casing and grout imposes a dilation of the formation that generates an unloading zone in the soil as shown in
Numerous laboratory and field experiments of hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation in weakly cemented sediments have quantified that without dilation of the formation in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the intended fracture, chaotic and/or multiple fractures and/or cavity expansion/formation compaction zones are created rather than a single orientated fracture in a preferred azimuth direction irrespective of the pumping rate of the hydraulic fluid during attempted initiation of the fracture. Similar laboratory and field experiments of hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation in weakly cemented sediments have quantified that with dilation of the formation in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the intended fracture, if the pumping rate of the hydraulic fluid during attempted initiation of the fracture is not limited then chaotic and/or multiple fractures and/or cavity expansion/formation compaction zones are created rather than a single orientated fracture in a preferred azimuth direction. To ensure a repeatable single orientated hydraulic fracture is formed, the formation needs to be dilated orthogonal to the intended fracture plane, the fracturing fluid pumping rate needs to be limited so that the Re is typically ˜10 and certainly does not exceed 100 during fracture initiation. At high Re, i.e. >1000, chaotic behavior is observed. Also if the fracturing fluid can flow into the dilatant zone in the formation and negate the induce pore pressure from formation dilation then the fracture will not propagate along the intended azimuth. In order to ensure that the fracturing fluid does not negate the pore pressure gradients in front of the fracture tip, its viscosity at fracturing shear rates of ˜1-20 sec-1 needs to be >100 centipoise.
For example, the casing and grout annulus have a diameter of 0.5 feet (i.e. L at initiation of 0.25 feet), the casing dilation is 0.5 inches (i.e. w is 0.5 inches at initiation), fracture fluid density of 70 pounds mass/ft3 and viscosity of 1,000 centipoise at the fracturing fluid shear rate, pumping rate is initially 0.25 barrel per minute to dilate a 10 foot vertical section of casing and grout annulus, then the velocity of fracture propagation is 1.7 feet per minute and Re is 10. Provided the formation is dilated by the casing and grout annulus, and the fracturing fluid is pumped at this rate, repeated single fractures will be initiated in a weakly cemented sediment at the intended azimuth, i.e. orthogonal to the dilation plane. Following fracture initiation the pumping rate can be increased as the fracture propagates to accommodate for the Carter leak off 69 (
Following completion of the fracture and breaking of the fracture fluid 40, the sand in the injection casing well bore passages 9 and 10 is washed out, and the injection casing acts as a production well bore for extraction of fluids from the formation at the depths and extents of the recently formed hydraulic fractures. The well screen sections 14, 15 and 24, 25 span the opening of the well casing created by the first fracture and act as conventional well screen preventing proppant flow back into the production well bore passages 10 and 9. If necessary and prior to washing the sand from the production well bore passages 9 and 10 for fluid extraction from the formation, it is possible to re-fracture the already formed fractures by first washing out the sand in passages 16 and 26 through the openings 51 and 52 and thus re-fracture the first initiated fracture. Re-fracturing the fractures can enable thicker and more permeable fractures to be created in the formation.
Referring to
The fracture fluid 40 should not excessively leak off or lose its liquid fraction into the adjacent unconsolidated soils and sediments. The fracture fluid 40 should be able to carry the solids fraction (the proppant) of the fracture fluid 40 at low flow velocities that are encountered at the edges of a maturing azimuth controlled vertical fracture. The fracture fluid 40 should have the functional properties for its end use such as longevity, strength, porosity, permeability, etc.
The fracture fluid 40 should be compatible with the proppant, the subsurface formation, and the formation fluids. Further, the fracture fluid 40 should be capable of controlling its viscosity to carry the proppant throughout the extent of the induced fracture in the formation. The fracture fluid 40 should be an efficient fluid, i.e. low leak off from the fracture into the formation, to be clean breaking with minimal residue, and to have a low friction coefficient. The fracture fluid 40 should not excessively leak off or lose its liquid fraction into the adjacent unconsolidated or weakly cemented formation. For permeable fractures, the gel composed of starch should be capable of being degraded leaving minimal residue and not impart the properties of the fracture proppant. A low friction coefficient fluid is required to reduce pumping head losses in piping and down the well bore. When a hydraulic permeable fracture is desired, typically a gel is used with the proppant and the fracture fluid. Preferable gels can comprise, without limitation of the following: a water-based guar gum gel, hydroxypropylguar (HPG), a natural polymer, or a cellulose-based gel, such as carboxymethylhydroxyethylcellulose (CMHEC).
The gel is generally cross-linked to achieve a sufficiently high viscosity to transport the proppant to the extremes of the fracture. Cross-linkers are typically metallic ions, such as borate, antimony, zirconium, etc., disbursed between the polymers and produce a strong attraction between the metallic ion and the hydroxyl or carboxy groups. The gel is water soluble in the uncrossed-linked state and water insoluble in the cross-linked state. While cross-linked, the gel can be extremely viscous thereby ensuring that the proppant remains suspended at all times. An enzyme breaker is added to controllably degrade the viscous cross-linked gel into water and sugars. The enzyme typically takes a number of hours to biodegrade the gel, and upon breaking the cross-link and degradation of the gel, a permeable fracture filled with the proppant remains in the formation with minimal gel residue. For certain proppants, pH buffers can be added to the gel to ensure the gel's in situ pH is within a suitable range for enzyme activity.
The fracture fluid-gel-proppant mixture is injected into the formation and carries the proppant to the extremes of the fracture. Upon propagation of the fracture to the required lateral and vertical extent, the predetermined fracture thickness may need to be increased by utilizing the process of tip screen out or by re-fracturing the already induced fractures. The tip screen out process involves modifying the proppant loading and/or fracture fluid 40 properties to achieve a proppant bridge at the fracture tip. The fracture fluid 40 is further injected after tip screen out, but rather then extending the fracture laterally or vertically, the injected fluid widens, i.e. thickens, the fracture. Re-fracturing of the already induced fractures enables thicker and more permeable fractures to be installed, and also provides the ability to preferentially inject steam, carbon dioxide, chemicals, etc to provide enhanced recovery of the petroleum fluids from the formation.
The density of the fracture fluid 40 can be altered by increasing or decreasing the proppant loading or modifying the density of the proppant material. In many cases, the fracture fluid 40 density will be controlled to ensure the fracture propagates downwards initially and achieves the required height of the planned fracture. Such downward fracture propagation depends on the in situ horizontal formation stress gradient with depth and requires the gel density to be typically greater than 1.25 gm/cc.
The viscosity of the fracture fluid 40 should be sufficiently high to ensure the proppant remains suspended during injection into the subsurface, otherwise dense proppant materials will sink or settle out and light proppant materials will flow or rise in the fracture fluid 40. The required viscosity of the fracture fluid 40 depends on the density contrast of the proppant and the gel and on the proppant's maximum particulate diameter. For medium grain-size particles, that is of grain size similar to a medium sand, a fracture fluid 40 viscosity needs to be typically greater than 100 centipoise at a shear rate of sec-1.
Referring to
Another embodiment of the present invention is shown on
Finally, it will be understood that the preferred embodiment has been disclosed by way of example, and that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Aug 2, 1929
|Jan 27, 1931
|Frank Switzer
|Casing ripper
|Jan 26, 1938
|Nov 7, 1939
|Bowie Clifford P
|Well slotter
|Mar 29, 1948
|Apr 10, 1951
|Germain Stanley A
|Electric oil well heater
|Jun 24, 1947
|Apr 14, 1953
|Svensk Skifferolje Aktiebolage
|Method of electrothermal production of shale oil
|Jun 24, 1947
|Jan 24, 1956
|May 20, 1952
|Feb 5, 1957
|Svenska Skifferolje Aktiebolag
|Method of recovering oil and gases from non-consolidated bituminous geological formations by a heating treatment in situ
|Dec 9, 1960
|Oct 23, 1962
|Chrysler Corp
|Thermostatic fuel mixture control
|Jun 5, 1963
|Dec 28, 1965
|American Coldset Corp
|Downhole vertical slotting tool
|Feb 6, 1964
|Jan 31, 1967
|Du Pont
|Gelled compositions containing galactomannan gums
|Jul 28, 1964
|Oct 31, 1967
|Gulf Research Development Co
|Process for recovering oil by in situ combustion
|May 10, 1971
|Jun 19, 1973
|Exxon Production Research Co
|Thermal process for recovering oil
|Apr 29, 1974
|Jun 10, 1975
|Halliburton Co
|Method and compositions for fracturing well formations
|Oct 30, 1975
|Nov 30, 1976
|Chevron Research Company
|Method of recovering viscous petroleum from tar sand
|Mar 14, 1977
|Apr 25, 1978
|Exxon Production Research Company
|Method for oil recovery using a horizontal well with indirect heating
|Jan 28, 1977
|Jul 11, 1978
|Donald Bruce Vandergrift
|Oil production processes and apparatus
|Mar 14, 1977
|Sep 26, 1978
|Exxon Production Research Company
|Recovery of hydrocarbons by in situ thermal extraction
|Feb 25, 1977
|Oct 10, 1978
|Homco International, Inc.
|Casing slotter
|Jul 9, 1979
|Jun 9, 1981
|M. D. Wood, Inc.
|Method of determining change in subsurface structure due to application of fluid pressure to the earth
|Oct 29, 1979
|Jul 28, 1981
|Exxon Production Research Company
|Method for producing heavy crude
|Jun 25, 1980
|Aug 17, 1982
|Exxon Production Research Company
|Method for continuously producing viscous hydrocarbons by gravity drainage while injecting heated fluids
|Jun 14, 1982
|May 29, 1984
|Texaco Inc.
|Superheated solvent method for recovering viscous petroleum
|Nov 29, 1982
|Jun 19, 1984
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|In-situ combustion method for recovery of oil and combustible gas
|Dec 7, 1983
|Oct 2, 1984
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method for initiating an oxygen driven in-situ combustion process
|Feb 27, 1984
|Apr 30, 1985
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Cyclic solvent assisted steam injection process for recovery of viscous oil
|Dec 21, 1983
|May 28, 1985
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Combined thermal and solvent stimulation
|Oct 29, 1984
|Jan 28, 1986
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method for operating an injection well in an in-situ combustion oil recovery using oxygen
|May 25, 1984
|Jul 1, 1986
|World Energy Systems, Inc.
|Recovery of oil by in situ hydrogenation
|Oct 25, 1984
|Jul 8, 1986
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Thermal recovery method for viscous oil
|Nov 21, 1984
|Dec 2, 1986
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method of recovering medium or high gravity crude oil
|Aug 21, 1986
|Sep 29, 1987
|Chevron Research Company
|Hasdrive with multiple offset producers
|Jun 27, 1986
|Oct 6, 1987
|Tenneco Oil Company
|Gravity stabilized thermal miscible displacement process
|Jan 31, 1986
|Nov 17, 1987
|S-Cal Research Corp.
|Heavy oil recovery process
|Jul 14, 1986
|Jan 5, 1988
|Production Technologies International, Inc.
|Method and system for introducing electric current into a well
|Oct 10, 1989
|May 22, 1990
|Shell Oil Company
|Method of producing tar sand deposits containing conductive layers
|Oct 3, 1989
|Feb 19, 1991
|Exxon Production Research Company
|Overburn process for recovery of heavy bitumens
|Dec 5, 1989
|Mar 26, 1991
|Marathon Oil Company
|Method of forming a horizontal contamination barrier
|Aug 23, 1990
|Sep 10, 1991
|Shell Oil Company
|Method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbon bearing deposits in formations having shale layers
|Aug 3, 1990
|Oct 8, 1991
|Chevron Research And Technology Company
|In-situ heated annulus refining process
|Dec 4, 1990
|Oct 22, 1991
|Shell Oil Company
|Heater utilizing copper-nickel alloy core
|Aug 23, 1990
|Oct 29, 1991
|Shell Oil Company
|Method and apparatus for producing tar sand deposits containing conductive layers having little or no vertical communication
|Jan 7, 1991
|Nov 19, 1991
|Shell Oil Company
|Subterranean heaters
|Feb 5, 1991
|Apr 14, 1992
|Shell Oil Company
|Method and apparatus for perforating a well liner and for fracturing a surrounding formation
|Jul 22, 1991
|Sep 8, 1992
|Chevron Research And Technology Company
|Method for in-situ heated annulus refining process
|Feb 21, 1992
|May 18, 1993
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method for enhanced oil recovery through a horizontal production well in a subsurface formation by in-situ combustion
|Aug 29, 1991
|Jun 1, 1993
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method for reducing startup time during a steam assisted gravity drainage process in parallel horizontal wells
|Jun 12, 1992
|Oct 26, 1993
|Shell Oil Company
|Heat injection process
|Jul 1, 1992
|Dec 28, 1993
|Amoco Corporation
|Laterally and vertically staggered horizontal well hydrocarbon recovery method
|Jun 12, 1992
|Mar 29, 1994
|Shell Oil Company
|Oil recovery process
|Jul 28, 1993
|Aug 9, 1994
|Halliburton Company
|Directionally oriented slotting method
|Dec 11, 1992
|Aug 23, 1994
|Exxon Producton Research Company
|Recovery and upgrading of hydrocarbon utilizing in situ combustion and horizontal wells
|Sep 13, 1993
|Dec 13, 1994
|The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Interior
|Method for directional hydraulic fracturing
|Dec 20, 1993
|Feb 28, 1995
|Shell Oil Company
|Oil recovery process
|Dec 20, 1993
|Apr 11, 1995
|Shell Oil Company
|Heat injection process and apparatus
|Nov 9, 1993
|Apr 18, 1995
|University Technologies International Inc.
|Process and apparatus for the recovery of hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon deposit
|Apr 19, 1994
|Jul 11, 1995
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method of thermal stimulation for recovery of hydrocarbons
|Apr 20, 1994
|Dec 5, 1995
|Union Oil Company Of California
|Hydraulic fracturing of shallow wells
|Apr 14, 1995
|Mar 4, 1997
|Butler; Roger M.
|Process and apparatus for the recovery of hydrocarbons from a reservoir of hydrocarbons
|Jun 23, 1995
|May 6, 1997
|Petroleum Recovery Institute
|Oilfield in-situ combustion process
|Jul 11, 1995
|Oct 20, 1998
|Mobil Oil Corporation
|Method for hydrotreating and upgrading heavy crude oil during production
|Dec 26, 1996
|Jan 26, 1999
|Shell Oil Company
|Flameless combustor
|Sep 22, 1997
|Feb 16, 1999
|Exxon Research And Engineering Company
|Process for upgrading heavy oil using alkaline earth metal hydroxide
|Dec 26, 1996
|May 4, 1999
|Shell Oil Company
|Flameless combustor
|Sep 20, 1996
|May 4, 1999
|Alberta Oil Sands Technology And Research Authority
|Solvent-assisted method for mobilizing viscous heavy oil
|Oct 29, 1997
|Sep 21, 1999
|Shell Oil Company
|Hydrocarbon conversion catalysts
|May 18, 1998
|Feb 8, 2000
|Shell Oil Company
|Electrical heater
|Oct 15, 1997
|May 2, 2000
|Shell Oil Company
|Heater well method and apparatus
|Jul 24, 1998
|Jun 13, 2000
|Schlumberger Technology Corporation
|Post-closure analysis in hydraulic fracturing
|Oct 15, 1997
|Jun 27, 2000
|Shell Oil Company
|Heater well method and apparatus
|Nov 17, 1998
|Apr 17, 2001
|Golder Sierra, Llc
|Azimuth control of hydraulic vertical fractures in unconsolidated and weakly cemented soils and sediments
|Jul 9, 1999
|Nov 20, 2001
|Vapex Technologies International, Inc.
|Vapor extraction of hydrocarbon deposits
|Feb 24, 1999
|Mar 26, 2002
|Shell Oil Company
|Electrical heater
|Sep 18, 2001
|Apr 16, 2002
|Fairmount Minerals, Ltd
|Proppant composition for gas and oil well fracturing
|Dec 4, 1998
|Jul 2, 2002
|Alberta Research Council Inc.
|Oilfield in situ hydrocarbon upgrading process
|Nov 22, 2000
|Sep 3, 2002
|Golder Sierra Llc
|Azimuth control of hydraulic vertical fractures in unconsolidated and weakly cemented soils and sediments
|Aug 22, 2001
|Jul 15, 2003
|Alberta Science And Research Authority
|Hydrocarbon production process with decreasing steam and/or water/solvent ratio
|Apr 2, 2002
|Mar 23, 2004
|Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company
|Liquid addition to steam for enhancing recovery of cyclic steam stimulation or LASER-CSS
|Apr 24, 2001
|Apr 20, 2004
|Shell Oil Company
|In situ thermal processing of hydrocarbons within a relatively permeable formation
|May 30, 2002
|Aug 3, 2004
|Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company
|Cyclic solvent process for in-situ bitumen and heavy oil production
|Jun 20, 2002
|Apr 26, 2005
|N-Solv Corporation
|Method and apparatus for stimulating heavy oil production
|Dec 30, 2003
|Jan 31, 2006
|Geosierra Llc
|Multiple azimuth control of vertical hydraulic fractures in unconsolidated and weakly cemented sediments
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Feb 12, 2009
|Jan 18, 2011
|Geosierra Llc
|Enhanced hydrocarbon recovery by steam injection of oil sand formations
|Feb 19, 2010
|Aug 14, 2012
|Conocophillips Company
|Draining a reservoir with an interbedded layer
|Sep 1, 2010
|Mar 5, 2013
|Conocophillips Company
|Completion method for horizontal wells in in situ combustion
|Dec 31, 2010
|Apr 16, 2013
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Fluidic oscillators for use with a subterranean well
|Aug 19, 2011
|Nov 5, 2013
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Fluidic oscillator flowmeter for use with a subterranean well
|Dec 31, 2010
|Feb 11, 2014
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Cross-flow fluidic oscillators for use with a subterranean well
|Dec 31, 2010
|May 27, 2014
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Cone and plate fluidic oscillator inserts for use with a subterranean well
|Mar 3, 2012
|Oct 21, 2014
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Thermal recovery of shallow bitumen through increased permeability inclusions
|Sep 21, 2012
|Feb 17, 2015
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Forming inclusions in selected azimuthal orientations from a casing section
|Jul 13, 2010
|Feb 14, 2017
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Acoustic generator and associated methods and well systems
|Feb 12, 2009
|Jun 11, 2009
|Grant Hocking
|Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery By Steam Injection of Oil Sand FOrmations
|Feb 19, 2010
|Aug 19, 2010
|Conocophillips Company
|Draining a reservoir with an interbedded layer
|Feb 12, 2009
|Nov 4, 2010
|Grant Hocking
|Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery By Steam Injection of Oil Sand FOrmations
|Jul 13, 2010
|Jan 20, 2011
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Acoustic generator and associated methods and well systems
|Sep 1, 2010
|Apr 28, 2011
|Conocophillips Company
|Completion Method for Horizontal Wells In In Situ Combustion
|U.S. Classification
|166/308.1, 166/305.1
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Apr 10, 2007
Owner name: GEOSIERRA LLC, GEORGIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HOCKING, GRANT;REEL/FRAME:019141/0159
Effective date: 20070402
|Jan 23, 2012
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Mar 11, 2016
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Jul 29, 2016
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Sep 20, 2016
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20160729


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Smart-Step Protcetor InsuranceArlington Heights, Illinois U.S.A.
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 09/03/2008 01:21 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/smart-step-protcetor-insurance/arlington-heights-illinois-60006/smart-step-protcetor-insurance-has-been-taking-money-out-of-my-bank-of-america-checking-ac-369399. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Smart-Step Protcetor Insurance
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
#1 Consumer Comment
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, January 25, 2012POSTED: Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Start a Trial
Sign in
Historical Events
Family Trees
Become a Member
Become a Member
New Braunfels Herald Zeitung Newspaper Archives
December 30, 2000
- Page 6
First Name
Last Name
With All of the Words
With the Exact Phrase
Go to advanced search
Discover Your History
Issue Date:
Saturday, December 30, 2000
Pages Available:
Previous Edition:
Friday, December 29, 2000
Next Edition:
Sunday, December 31, 2000
New Braunfels Herald Zeitung
Publication Name:
New Braunfels Herald Zeitung
New Braunfels, Texas
Pages Available:
Years Available:
1952 - 2013
Learn More About This Publication
2.17+ Billion Articles and Growing Everyday!
More Than 400 Years of Papers. From 1607 to Today!
Articles Covering 50 U.S.States + 22 Other Countries
Powerful, Time Saving Search Features!
Find Your Ancestors Now
Newspaper Archives
Birth Records
Census Records
Marriage Records
Death Records
Divorce Records
Military Records
View Sample Pages : New Braunfels Herald Zeitung, December 30, 2000
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Get Access to These Newspapers
Plus 2.17+ Billion Other Articles
NewspaperARCHIVE.com -
Used by the World's Finest Libraries and Institutions
OCR Text
New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - December 30, 2000, New Braunfels, Texas Page 6A — Herald-Zeitung — Saturday, December 30, 2000Opinions Forum Letters —7 .—. • ".I' .I1,-'11?'- ;Herald-Zeitung New Braunfels Zeitung was founded 1852; New Braunfels Herald was founded 1890. The two papers merged in 1957 and printed in both German and English until 1958. Doug Toney, Editor and Publisher Margaret Edmonson, Managing Editor www.herald-zeitung.com (830) 625-9144 EditorialClennan made sure tax office met county's demands Comal County Courthouse closed its doors on 2000 late Friday afternoon, and across the street, Gloria Clennan closed the door on a chapter in the county's history. Clennan is retiring from her job as tax assessor-collector after a quarter century of serving Comal County. Clennan, a Democrat, had hoped to stay in office four more years, but she was defeated in the November general election by Republican Sherman Krause. Krause will become the new tax collector in a ceremony Monday at the courthouse. For 24 years, Clennan oversaw the county's voter registration, motor vehicle registration and tax collection. During that time, Comal County's needs have changed as much as the county itself. The population grew exponentially, and technology demanded the tax assessor-collector's office grow and change as well. Clennan made sure the tax office met those demands and met the needs of her constituents. And she did it by remaining true to herself. The Democrat did not follow the advice of her Republican friends who told her to switch parties. "I can't change who I am," she said shortly after the Nov. 7 electron. Clennan served the county well for many years. We wish her only the best in the years to come. Today in History By the Associated Press Today is Saturday, Dec. 30, the 365th day of 2000. There is one day left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 30, 1922, Vladimir I. Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. On this date: In 1853, the United States bought some 45,000 square miles of land from Mexico in a deal known as the Gadsden Purchase. In 1911, Sun Yat-sen was elected the first president of the Republic of China. In 1936, the United Auto Workers union staged its first sit-down strike, at the Fisher Body Plant No. I in Flint, Mich. In 1940, California's first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena, was officially opened. In 1944, King George II of Greece proclaimed a regency to rule his country, virtually renouncing the throne. In 1947, King Michael of Romania agreed to abdicate, but charged he was being forced off the throne by Communists. In 1948, the Cole Porter musical "Kiss Me, Kate" opened on Broadway. In 1972, the United States halted its heavy bombing of North Vietnam. In 1993, Israel and the Vatican agreed to recognize each other. In 1998, weak but radiant with pride, Nkem Chukwu, the rribther of the Houston octuplets, went home. Letters To The Editor Smith staunch supporter of veterans Dear Editor: Mr. John T. Ragusa has exposed himself as a man who clearly doesn't know who his friends are and sure doesn't know how to treat them. In the process, he has also exposed himself as ignorant of the legislative process, misguided in his pursuit of vitriol and uninformed about the facts. In his attack letters in the Herald-Zeitung targeting Congressman Lamar Smith, Mr. Ragusa attempts to smear the congressman as somehow anti-veteran and anti-military. Look at the record, Mr. Ragusa! Congressman Smith consistently has been one of the staunchest supporters of a strong national defense in Congress. That's why he's regularly garnered the highest ratings from a variety of military and veteran organizations. He has fought long and hard for veterans, as well as military retirees, insisting that this nation stand by the promises it has made to those who have defended us all. He's been willing — in fact, he's been eager — to take on the hard fights for those causes. He hasn't always come out on the winning side, but he's worked consistently to try to make the pro-defense and pro-veteran side the winning one. Mr. Ragusa faults Congressman Smith for not being a member of the Armed Services , Committee or Veterans Committee. Smith is a member of three House committees, one more than usual for congressmen, and holds two chairmanship^. There are 17 House committees the congressman does not sit on. Does Mr. Ragusa propose to fault him for that as well? Congressman Smith's record has always been both consistent and persistent, championing legislation supportive of a strong national defense and the men and women who do and have served in uniform. He' stepped in when the Veterans Department wanted to close the Kerrville VA Hospital and not only stopped that misguided effort, but worked to make sure the Kerrville VA has been expanded to continue to serve veterans in that area. Just in the past few months, he's worked for laws that require the Veterans Department to help veterans file their claims for disability benefits, and he's worked for several bills to make sure that military retirees of all ages get the health care they were promised and to allow retirees who also have disabilities to be compensated for both. He's worked hard to turn around demoralizing actions that have had a negative effect on our active duty forces by making sure that our soldiers and sailors have the top-flight equipment, training and services they deserve and they need. As a combat veteran, I'm proud to call Congressman Lamar Smith my friend.Manuel Camareno New Braunfels Hike/bike trails should be No. I priority Dear Editor: In your paper, you reported about the Master Plan for the New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department. A good story, but not the whole story. Some of the story was left out. I hope your oversight was unintentional. You reported on proposed plans by the parks department based upon its research of what is needed in the community. What you left out was the research. The parks department research came as a result of a phone survey of New Braunfels residents. The conclusions of that survey need to be made public before the Master Plan is adopted. My reading of the survey reveals some interesting information. For instance, when adults were asked what they do mostly in city parks facilities, hiking/walking/jogging was ranked No. 2 and biking No. 7 out of 30 choices they were given. And there is more. When these same adults were asked what activities they were most interested in, hiking/walking/jogging moved up to first place and biking up to third place. The survey also asked very specifically whether these adults were interested in a system of hiking/biking trails. Not counting those who had no opinion, nearly 70 percent said they were very interested or somewhat interested. Even more revealing and significant, when asked to indicate a definite need in the recreation arena, restrooms loomed large, but a hike/bike trail system ranked second out of 31 options. A full 49 percent chose this as the most important. And finally, when these citizens were asked their first priority for recreational development, hiking and biking trails ranked Numero Uno. Comal County Trails Inc., a non-profit grassroots citizens planning committee, has long suspected this — that New Braunfels citizens are aching for a good, safe, reliable system of hiking/biking/walking trails for multiple use and for people of all ages and capabilities. We have advocated, educated, proposed projects and worked to achieve results for nearly two years. We have published a "vision map" of a prospective network of trails, sponsored symposiums on biking and pedestrian possibilities, even attained funds for the restoration of hiking trails (Panther Canyon). We will continue to advocate on behalf of the very citizens who responded to the parks department survey with a clear mandate that trails are their first priority. So why aren't trails the first priority of the parks department? We wonder. But we don't just sit and wonder — we act. To those of you who feel the same way as those who responded to the parks department survey, to those who would really like to see a network of trails in our community suitable to the needs of all citizens, to those of you who want to make it happen, we invite you to join with us. Together we can get things done. Contact Comal County Trails Inc., 2431 Quail Ridge Dr., New Braunfels, TX 78130.Peter Olsen New BraunfelsProposed alcohol ban would hurt New Braunfels By Mel Polk Special to the Herald-Zeitung We keep reading about how "all of New Braunfels" supports the proposed alcohol ban. Bratwurst! Tourism provides jobs and tax revenue to our town. The people who come here to enjoy our rivers buy everything from gas to doughnuts to lip balm to bathing suits to newspapers, ad infinitum. The girl who works behind the counter at the Pit Stop doesn't support the beer ban nor does the Mexican food restaurant or the owner of the pizza place or the woman who provides maid service at the hotel. Anything that encourages tourists to take their dollars elsewhere takes money out of these people's pockets. This is why the chamber of commerce doesn't support it. In fact, the supporters of this ordinance are a small but vocal group of riverfront property owners and their allies. Councilman Robert Kendrick is one of these folks. How much does the worth of his river front property increase if there are no more tourists? Whatever the number, I say it is not worth even one citizen losing a service job. Just slightly more than 2,000 of the petitioners' signatures on the beer ban were qualified voters. In a town this size, that is a really small number. Now the Kendrick coalition wants to rewrite the petition to include whatever necessary to accomplish a beer ban. This is not the same petition people signed their names to or that was voted for by city council. What Kendrick is doing now requires that he obtain the designated number of new signatures for his new resolution and certainly a new vote from the council. Tourism is the engine that drives our local economy. It is responsible for a large part of the $4.6 million per year sales tax revenue that goes directly to the city's coffers. That is $4.6 million that the residents won't have to come up with. What a great thing for the people of New Braunfels. Mr. Kendrick would have you believe that this ordinance will magically transform all of our tourists into well-behaved families who don't like to drink beer. The truth is that 85 percent of the river tourists are families families who like to float down the river and Dad/Mom like to drink a cold beer. If they cannot do it here, they will simply take their tourist dollars to a friendlier venue, costing New Braunfels revenue and jobs while-raising the property value of folks like Kendrick and the Kruegers. How do we solve these behavior problems? First, the behavior problems have been grossly exaggerated. Stoney Williams, mayor of the city, said in a council meeting that in 15 trips down the river this year, he did not witness any of the offensive actions described by the Kendrick coalition. I think that I could spend 12 hours with a video camera on a Saturday at Wurstfest and find something that was offensive to somebody. But if I were to chase anyone around with a video camera for the whole day, at some point they might have some offensive words or gestures • for me to record, regardless of whether they were drinking beer. It seems that these video people are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Secondly, do not blame the police for the lack of enforcement. Even with all the revenue these tourists generate, the city does not appropriate nearly enough money to handle enforcement, provide adequate bathroom facilities, or adequate trash disposal. Imagine this is a business that grosses $4.6 million per year. To maintain and grow this revenue, we need to invest back into our company $200,000 and some management time. Who would not do that? All these problems ye very solvable without passing ordinances designed to drive the tourists out of New Braunfels. Thought, planning and reinvestment just like they teach in business school is all that is required to solve our problems. Lastly, what is good for the tourist business is good for the working people of this town. That's not what you've been hearing from the fortunate few who retired here and would prefer to keep the river views private and free of tubers or any other recreation enthusiast. For the vast majority of the people who make their home and living here, the beer ban is an ordinance that benefits a few at the expense of many. Please join me in calling on the city council to put a stop to this ordinance now. (Mel Polk is a New Braunfels resident.) ;
About Us
Contact Us
Free Newspaper Archives
© Copyright 2017 NewspaperARCHIVE.com. All rights reserved.


text:
Social media and the brands or companies that are promoted on these sites are constantly influencing teens
As a result of viral videos YouTube plays a large part in the lives of teens
Various types of branding and media are found around every corner
The radio is another example of audio/live media that contains commercials that influence teens
Different types of media and branding consume our lives
These New York City screens promote multiple companies, whether they are clothing stores or even Broadway shows
Teens are constantly wearing, seeing and being influenced by various brands
The many vehicles that have print media displayed on them affect teens
Brands become known in society and effect how teens dress
Music and the music industry influence teens through hidden messages
Teens are constantly bombarded with commercials when watching TV
Branding consumes and affects the lives of teens through many different types of media such as, print, online/digital and audio/live.
Photo Essay: Teenage Branding
By Lindsay Tohana
Thank You!
Video games are an example of digital media that affect teens
Relation to No Logo by Naomi Klein
Idea of brand identities people adopt in their lifestyles
Correlation between media and branding
Using many examples of media
Showing commercial takeover
Present Remotely
Send the link below via email or IMCopy
Present to your audienceStart remote presentation
- Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present
- People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account
- This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation
- A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation
- Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article
Do you really want to delete this prezi?
Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again.
Make your likes visible on Facebook?
Connect your Facebook account to Prezi and let your likes appear on your timeline.
You can change this under Settings & Account at any time.
Photo Essay
No description
Lindsay Tohanaon 22 October 2014
Comments (0)
Please log in to add your comment.


text:
Phenomenal <Founder Apple iTunes Affecting Hoping in Android
Apple has allowed software and iTunes online multimedia services running on Windows operating systems. But until now, Apple does not allow iTunes running on Google's mobile operating system.
Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs, really hope iTunes can run on Android. Wozniak who since February 1987 was no longer employed at Apple, was enjoying her life as a business technology and gadget lovers. He put on the iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.
As an Android device owners, Wozniak would like to see Apple doing it.
"If you remember, we landed iTunes on Windows," said Wozniak told technology website Slashdot, Tuesday (02/10/2012). "So why not have iTunes available for Android. I love Apple products and iTunes, and iTunes are hoping my Android."
He said, thanks to iTunes and iPod, Apple has taken over the market share of the global music download industry.
However, what is wanted Wozniak seems not to be realized by Apple. Because Apple and Android has always had a less cordial relationship. Moreover, the Android operating system is currently the leader of the global smartphone market share, which is far beyond the iPhone.
The late Steve Jobs once said, he was willing to spend a lot of money in the bank Apple to "thermonuclear war" with Android. Because, Jobs pointed Android is a stolen product idea mobile operating system iOS.
This is why Apple is often filed for a patent to the Android manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC, and Motorola Mobility.
Moreover, recently Apple are like giving a sign to escape from the shadow of Google, which owns Android. This is evident from the decision of Apple throwing YouTube and Google Maps application, as the default application on the iOS version 6.
Wicaksono Surya Hidayat


text:
APA doubted Qantas bid would succeed without revision
The private consortium that has made an $11 billion offer for Qantas says it reduced the conditions on the offer because it did not believe it could succeed.
Airline Partners Australia has lowered the shareholder acceptance level for the bid from 90 to 70 per cent.
It has also extended the deadline by a fortnight to early May.
At least one major Qantas stakeholder has previously indicated it will not agree to the takeover.
APA director Bob Mansfield says he would have preferred to acquire the whole airline.
"When the reality hit home we had to sit and ask ourselves where we move from here," he said.
"That's why we've come up with this revised condition today.
"Hopefully we'll move forward in the manner intended.
"But we would still like to acquire all of Qantas if that was at all possible at some point in time."
The takeover bid is now more likely to go ahead with fewer conditions attached to the deal.
One of those associated with the consortium, Ben Gray, says the deal will probably go ahead.
"The stock price closed only a few cents below the offer price today so it would indicate a strong sense in the market that the deal will go through now," he said.
Qantas has recommended shareholders accept the offer.
The airline closed 1 per cent higher ats $5.39.
Topics: air-transport, takeovers, australia
First posted


text:
beautystyle Review
Adjustable Curtain Rod Set - Great Deal
Just the size I needed and I like the fact that it is adjustable. I am using it to display a quilt. Have had it for about 1 year. I received it really fast (thanks Overstock!). Took one star off of my rating because of how it was packaged. But the rod was as described and was not damaged so no real complaints.
Was This Review Helpful?


text:
CHIKARA House Show
95,767pages onAdd New Page
this wiki
this wiki
CHIKARA House Show took place at the Ursinus College Field House in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The event took place on March 25, 2007.
- Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- The Order Of The Neo Solar Temple (Crossbones, Hydra & UltraMantis Black) defeated Rutherford B. Lazer & Team AnDrew (Andy Sumner & Drew Gulak) in a Six Man Tag Team Match
- Jigsaw & Lince Dorado defeated Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream Jr.) (7:10)
- Cheech & Cloudy defeated The New Jersey All-Stars (JC Ryder & Lucky) (8:30)
- Larry Sweeney defeated Create-A-Wrestler (6:52)
- Claudio Castagnoli defeated Cheech and Chris Hero and Cloudy and Crossbones and Eddie Kingston and Equinox and Fire Ant and Gran Akuma and Hallowicked and Hydra and Icarus and Jigsaw and Larry Sweeney and Lince Dorado and Mike Quackenbush and Retail Dragon and Shane Storm and UltraMantis Black and Worker Ant in a 20 Man Super Rumble of Doom Battle Royal (21:10)
- Chris Hero eliminates Retail Dragon
- Claudio Castagnoli eliminates UltraMantis Black
- Claudio Castagnoli eliminates Worker Ant
- Claudio Castagnoli eliminates Shane Storm
- Mike Quackenbush eliminates Gran Akuma
- Eddie Kingston eliminates Hallowicked
- Eddie Kingston eliminates Equinox
- Eddie Kingston, Mike Quackenbush & Claudio Castagnoli eliminate Chris Hero
- Claudio Castagnoli eliminates Lince Dorado
- Claudio Castagnoli, Mike Quackenbush, Eddie Kingston, Icarus & Cloudy eliminate Fire Ant
- Icarus eliminates Eddie Kingston
- Mike Quackenbush eliminates Cloudy
- Icarus eliminates Hydra
- Cheech eliminates Crossbones
- Cheech eliminates Larry Sweeney
- Cheech eliminates Jigsaw
- Claudio Castagnoli eliminates Cheech
- Mike Quackenbush eliminates Icarus
- Claudio Castagnoli eliminates Mike Quackenbush (21:10)


text: Hello, I am near my wits end with Windows 7 networking! I am running Windows 7 home premium on my desktop which I am now using for my business. I have a folder containing my files that I share over my network to 4 other computers, also running windows 7. If a network user creates a file it appears with a padlock on the 'server' and is not visible to others on the network. This is causing grief as if user A creates a file on the network this may not be visible to them or anyone else on the network later. I can change the owner to the user account on the server but this has to be done constantly to allow network users to see all files. Has anyone got any suggestions for the best way to resolve this? Ideally I would like to share the two folders, one requiring a password to access and the other freely available and editable by the users on the network. Thank you in advance, Mike


text:
You can find other events in our calendar, or use the search:
Visite du Château d'Esnes
Esnes, France 26 August / 2012
For Visitors
Get entrance ticket to the trade show in advance. Choose the number of tickets, fill in a form and get them to your email.
Free Ticket
|− 1 +
Unfortunately, we ran out of tickets and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. But we have exhibitions you might like to attend.
Fastener Expo Shanghai 2017
Yiwu Goods Expo 2017
This is a past event.
About the trade show
XVth century castle rebuilt in the eighteenth century moated (almost entirely filled) with two round towers flanking the medieval porch, a large tower, a dovecote, the dungeon, a beautiful interior frontage of the seventeenth century.
In the showroom the public will discover our exposure on the borders entitled "Our limitations?, No Limit".
Prices: Adults € 3, children (under 12) € 2, children (-4) free
the last Sunday of the month from April to October
1mai and for the European Heritage Days
For groups, guided tour of the castle outside the village and by appointment.
possibility of "historical trekking" on foot or by bike.


text:
It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our uncomplicated sign up form and login to the website.
This step is noncompulsory but will greatly boost your chances of getting interest from other over 40s members on the site. Write a little about yourself, your interests and atach your nicest photo of yourself.
Utilise our website's cutting-edge search to uncover over 40s members who fulfill your criteria. Or just flip through listings and uncover folks that seem interesting.
Found someone who interests you? Send a note to them or just a wink and see how you get along. With a little luck you'll be on your way to discovering your proper partner.
It'll only take a few minutes


text:
Need a Homocysteine Test in Pittsburg, CA? Simply order online 24/7 and get a fast, affordable Homocysteine Test at a lab near you (Find More Locations):
Why would I get a Homocysteine Test?
A Homocysteine Test is a lab test that checks the homocysteine level. People in Pittsburg, CA order the Homocysteine Test for general screening or tracking.
How much does a Homocysteine Test cost?
Our Homocysteine Test price includes the doctor's order that you need to get tested in Pittsburg, CA, all lab fees and taxes, and a pdf copy of your results. For current prices, CLICK HERE.
What does a Homocysteine Test report look like?
For a Homocysteine Test sample report, please CLICK HERE.
We are delighted to offer the Homocysteine Test in Pittsburg, CA.
Homocysteine Test in other cities near Pittsburg, CA:Alamo | Antioch | Birds Landing | Blackhawk | Clayton | Concord | Danville | Diablo | Lafayette | Martinez | Moraga | Oakley | Pleasant Hill | Richmond | Walnut Creek


text:
Hey Guys,
Finally, after years of use I am planning on replacing my working laptop by a workstation PC. I just started working with 3D Animations (Autodesk Maya) and as soon as the meshes get bigger, my computer starts to lag terribly.
I want to switch back to a workstation and I have a budget of around 1000 (1350$) for the hardware. I mainly use the computer for graphic software like Maya, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, AfterEffects and if I find the time from time to time I also like to play computer games.
I am just terrible at all this hardware stuff - so I am asking your, would you help me out with some recommendations?
Operating System: Windows


text:
Millenium PD-222 Pro Series BD Pedal
Double Bass Drum Pedal
- Pro series
- Aluminium hinge
- Steel pedal plate
- Double-chain drive
- Side set screw for mounting to hoop
- Adjustable spring mechanism
- Rotatable two-zone beater (felt/ plastic) and tuning key with integrated holder
Customers that were interested in Millenium PD-222 Pro Series BD Pedal, have then bought these products
Online guides
Smart Navigator
- Millenium Double Bass Drum Pedals at a glance
- display Double Bass Drum Pedals in price range 100 € - 140 €
- go to product group Double Bass Drum Pedals
- go to product group Bass Drum Pedals
- go to product group Drum Hardware
- go to product group Drums and Percussion
- show manufacturer details for Millenium
- Millenium Drums and Percussion at a glance
- printer friendly version of this page
- Free take back of Electrical and Electronical Equipment (WEEE) and Batteries
Further Millenium items
Offers include 23% Irish VAT and are valid as long as stocks last. Shipping costs to Ireland are 15 EUR, free shipping on orders above 199 EUR. Please click here for international Shipping rates. We do not accept liability for typographical errors or inaccurate information of any kind. *RRP = manufacturer's / distributor's recommended retail price in Germany


text: Divxturka.net is using Extabit! Because Extabit is better than Hotfile, Netload and Rapidshare ! Click here and buy Extabit premium account! Plot: In a city where streets are overrun by drug dealers, those who have sworn to uphold the law are breaking it to better suit their own needs. Naresh K plays a detective (Sleaze), a veteran officer whose methods of enforcing the law are questionable, if not corrupt. 'PSEUDO' follows Sleaze as he takes the law in his own hands and co-ordinates a series of raids with his gang of friends. Ethical dilemmas arise when things go wrong and friends turn on each other as a game of cat and mouse ensues. Genre: Action | Thriller IMDB rating: 6.9/10 from 32 users Directed by: Gursimran Dhillon Starring: Naresh Kumar, TayShawn Prinse, Manwinder Gill Release Name: Pseudo.2012.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-EbP Size: 3.11 GiB Video: x264 | 1280x538 | 4046 kbps Audio: English | AC3 | 384 kbps Runtime: 1h 38mn Information: Code: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942946/ Download: Code: Extabit 1 Link: http://extabit.com/file/28cm9zyzed4mx/Pseudo.2012.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-EbP.mkv Extabit (1.5 GiB Parts): http://extabit.com/file/28cm9zyz9z6uh/Pseudo.2012.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-EbP.part1.rar http://extabit.com/file/28cm9zyz9zw3d/Pseudo.2012.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-EbP.part2.rar http://extabit.com/file/28cm9zyz9z6ux/Pseudo.2012.720p.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-EbP.part3.rar Enjoy!


text:
I think Katy Perry is hot. I know her body is. (Her music, well, meh.) And, as much as I am going to ogle the heck out of this Katy Perry almost-topless picture from the upcoming edition of Esquire, I grow weary of her high school cheerleader antics. We've seen the Katy Perry upskirt pictures, the Katy Perry deep cleavage pictures, the sideboobs, the panties, the butt, the almost nipple slips, the... for the love of all things holy, show us your tits already, Katy!
Another Almost-Topless Picture from Katy Cocktease
Tagged in: Cleavage, Katy Perry, Esquire
Around the Web


text:
It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our uncomplicated sign up form and login to the site.
This step is noncompulsory but will greatly multiply your chances of getting interest from other members on the site. Let people know a bit about yourself, your hobbies and upload a nice photo of yourself.
Use our website's state-of-the-art search to uncover members who match your desired requirements. Or just browse through listings and uncover people that arouse your interest.
Discovered someone who you like the look of? Send them a word or two or just a wink and see if they're interested. With a little luck you'll be on your way to finding your perfect partner.
It's quick and easy


text:
Originally posted on Mets Merized Online | Last updated 9/27/12
David Wright has been called "unclutch" during his Mets career. That may be the case overall, but that certainly wasn't the case today, as ne belted an opposite-field, three-run homer that proved the difference in securing R.A. Dickey his 20th win of the season. It's fitting that the Mets unofficial captain came through in a huge spot. The blast gave the Mets a three-run lead, and they wound up needing all three of those runs, since Jon Rauch gave up another ninth-inning home run. Despite all the talk, Wright's home run further proves that he is the face of this franchise. Yes, it's one hit in the scheme of things, but timing is everything. Getting Dickey his 20th win was really the only motivating factor for this team the last month or so. And with the game on the line, who came to rescue? The "captain." I hope this Wright's homer serves as a wake-up call to the front office that a long-term deal must be agreed upon fast. There are teams salivating to get their hands on Wright, ei...
MLB News
Delivered to your inbox
You'll also receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web. Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!
Follow us on Twitter
|Best of Yardbarker
|NFL News
|MLB News
|NBA News
|NHL News
Today's Best Stuff
For Publishers
Company Info
Follow Yardbarker
|© 2017 Yardbarker, Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (What's New?)


text:
Inquire About This Product
How can you get control over every function of your landfill system? How do you know if it's running with optimum efficiency? How can you monitor, discover and troubleshoot costly interruptions?
(See Control Panel Maintenance)
When many are trying to answer these questions, EPG is succeeding with dependable accuracy!
The integration of leachate and gas condensate equipment, sensors, monitors and process controllers requires the knowledge of an EPG professional with the experience and expertise to understand the overall operational requirements of even the most complex systems. Factors including site requirements, component characteristics, load demand and input/output informational parameters are carefully considered.
Do you want total control? Do you want fewer breakdowns and downtime? Do you want optimum system performance? Then you need a control panel built by EPG electrical and process engineers; seasoned specialists who understand your process requirements as well as panel design.
With over 5,000 successful installations world-wide, EPG control panels have been proven to deliver reliable, cost-effective and trouble-free control over every aspect of your system.
Typical Applications
Major Causes of Pump and Control Problems at Landfills
Effective Equipment Grounding
Control Panels Brochure
For more information, call EPG Companies Inc.
Welcome | About Us | Products | Newsletters | School | Contact | Search
Copyright © 2000-2013 EPG Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
19900 County Road 81 | Maple Grove, MN 55311


text:
Finers partner Michael Simmons has predicted that a growing number of firms will establish themselves in multi-disciplinary practices as clients increasingly opt for one-stop-shopping for legal services.
But he said specialist lawyers could continue to win work by building boutique practices and appealing to the buyers' right to choose.
Speaking at the recent Paris meeting of the International Bar Association, Simmons warned that accountancy-led MDPs were "nudging at us" and attitudes among the profession needed to change.
He said the consumer push towards easy access would see the advent of umbrella centres incorporating a wide range of professions under one roof, and that "the high ground we occupy is going to disappear".
He said although the number of MDPs would increase, work would still be referred to individual lawyers instead of MDPs and practitioners with a strong client base could work in niche firms. He predicted lawyers would cut referrals to other departments within MDPs while their legal teams competed for work with the profession.


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Island Cruisers, Inc.26248 NC Highway 12 Salvo, North Carolina United States of America
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/22/2011 03:27 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/island-cruisers-inc/salvo-north-carolina-27972/island-cruisers-inc-hatteras-island-performance-these-swindlers-rent-old-unsafe-beach-v-768392. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Island Cruisers, Inc.
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
#1 REBUTTAL Owner of company
Renter was charged for preventable damage. Renter admits she had problems operating the vehicle and did not call. This has nothing to do with safety of the vehicles which all pass state inspection.
SUBMITTED: Monday, June 10, 2013POSTED: Monday, June 10, 2013
I would like to start by saying I have debated heavily about whether or not to post again about this incident. Due to the fact this will be posted forever (unless I send "Rip-off Report" a check for $2,000.00 and hope they will "look into the situation"), I have decided to respond once again. Seeing as "Rip Off Report", in their own statement, does not filter any incoming info to their site but offer "in house" arbitration services for the above mentioned fee, there is a bit of debate about this being a scam in itself. This site gives a voice to people that are done wrong as well as people who are doing wrong. I do feel that consumers need rights as well. Trust me, I am a consumer and I have been disappointed in the past. I do not run to damage a businesses reputation just because they followed their policies even if I did not agree with them.
We certainly feel sorry for this poster's misfortune. We did in fact (as stated in our first post), attempt to contact her with a certified letter that she refused. At that point we determined that the poster was not willing to correspond with us. So we have made no other attempts to contact her.
We feel that the opening statement of this report is speculatory and accusational. This customer is using the opening statement to scare future customers because she is bitter and it has nothing to do with the point we are focusing on here which is the damage charge. We do not rent "unsafe vehicles". One would have to question why the renter chose to stay in the vehicle their entire rental while feeling "unsafe"? This does not sound logical to me. I would want to get out of a vehicle that was unsafe and would call the rental company immediately which is not what happened. We are not swindlers, we simply will charge for PREVENTABLE damage when it happens (which has been five times, over the eight seasons we have been in business). Because this poster chose to continue to operate the vehicle the entire rental while having an issue, she caused greater damage, that could have been prevented had she called and let us diagnose what the original problem was. We did not have the opportunity to save her from the damage that happened while she had the vehicle and we were just as disappointed as she was. Preventable damage includes, overheating/loss of fluid from engine or transmission, running over objects that damage wheels and undercarriage, driving through saltwater, etc. Non preventable damage includes, starter, alternator, battery going bad, wheel bearing, u-joint wearing out, etc. Even though we do check all fluids before a vehicle goes out it is the customer responsibility to make sure they do not do anything that would cause the vehicle to lose any of those fluids. If so, it is then their responsibility to stop and call. If a renter chooses not to call, this is what could happen. We are not sure what made them think it was okay to leave the vehicle at the airport without telling us anything was wrong? The fact that it was damaged with no mention of an issue is the problem we have here.
We do rent used vehicles. With this being a seasonal tourist area, it is not a feasible business decision to purchase and make payments on brand new vehicles that rent for four months out of the year. What I can assure you of is that in addition to all our vehicles passing a yearly state inspection, they are all taken care of personally by me to insure we see minimal issues. This is our family business. It is how my wife and I support our family. I want and need every single guest to have a great experience. It honestly, does me zero good to just charge someone for the heck of it. I would never have knowingly delivered a vehicle to someone that had any sort of mechanical issue. I have been a well respected mechanic for over 20 years. I know these vehicles inside and out. Just last week an owner of a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with 5,000 miles rented from us because he had a problem with his Jeep after towing it behind his motor home. He rented a vehicle from us that had 178,000 miles and performed flawlessly for him. We also have a 1954 Dodge in our fleet with less than 38,000 miles and it drives like a new car. So I would have to say when correctly maintained, older vehicles have no problem performing properly. I can assure you the owner of the Jeep probably did not think he was damaging his transmission when he towed it behind his motorhome, there are procedures for this and some vehicles simply cannot be towed behind a motor home without damage, but it was his responsibility to make sure he was doing things properly.
The vehicle that this poster rented is still in our fleet. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago the guests who rented it, stated, "What a nice little, well maintained vehicle it was". Two days ago we did finally have another issue with the vehicle that Ms. Bridges rented. So, it's been a full 2 years after this poster's incident and this vehicle has had no problems nor has anyone mentioned any of the issues this poster alleged the vehicle had. In this incident, the coil in the distributor went bad causing the vehicle not to run. Just to be clear, this would be in the "unpreventable damage category". The renter did nothing to cause this issue so NO DAMAGE CHARGES WERE MADE. Upon a call from the renter, I immediately went to see if the issue could be corrected in the field and it could not. I quickly took him a replacement vehicle and helped transfer his handicapped wife to the new vehicle. A short while later this renter then inadvertently got himself stuck in a soft sand area that he could not get himself out of. Again the renter called and I went quickly to help him out. Because the renter did not try to continue to drive through the sand, while only having 2-wheel drive, the vehicle suffered no preventable damage and he was not charged, not even for my time. At the end of this rental we even discounted him for the trouble he had with the little red Geo. In addition, I went to the renters RV where he was having a problem with his cruise control. I diagnosed the problem and gave him a brief explanation on how to change the part so he could stop and do it on the way home for their 10+ hour drive. How much did I charge him for this? NOTHING because that is the type of businessman I am.
In the case of this poster, the vehicle was transferred to their possession with no known issues. As previously stated, my wife met them during the rental to deliver a book and then the vehicle was left at the airport in Frisco, NC for us to pick up. At no point during the rental did they make any attempt to tell us about any of the problems (not until we made the charges), which she claims they had from the get go. Don't be fooled here. If this customer was truly looking out for other consumers she should have made us aware of the issues she claims to have had with the vehicle which she clearly had no intentions of doing. Furthermore, I find it very interesting that with her boyfriend being a pilot, they did not stop as soon as they felt something was not right, which is our policy and just plain common sense. Instead, they assumed it was just old. It is not normal for an old car to not accelerate properly. Even in her second post she claims that they could not drive very fast because something "sounded loud". Whether I was in a plane or a car I would certainly think this would be the time to call the rental company. She clearly and openly stated that they were having a problem, yet she did nothing about it. Other renters are quick to call even if something as simple as a check engine light comes on which can happen if the gas cap is left loose.
Again; the vehicle was left damaged without explanation. I can only speculate what motion made the damage happen. As previously stated, several mistakes could lead to overheating a transmission. This is no different than a car overheating while trying to climb a hill too fast. We have all seen the vehicles going slow in the right lane on a hill, and occasionally you will see a car fully overheated along that same hill and those are, unfortunately, the folks that did not know they were causing damage. I think in this case; yes, it very well could have been unintentional. I do not believe that the renter deliberately damaged the vehicle; none the less, it was damaged while in her possession.
Final point: when renting (as stated in our original post), should you have a problem (any problem) or you just need local info - just call! We are always happy to help. We do not recommend continuing to drive our vehicles (or any, for that matter) when you feel something is wrong or if something "sounds loud" and you "cannot drive very fast". Then, do not leave the vehicle at the airport without explanation as this will result in a damage charge. Considering this is the only form of contact for this customer, we will make one request (as I believe they will allow an author to modify their post). If this customer was to change the opening statement to; "Island Cruisers, Inc. charges for preventable damage done to a vehicle while in renter's possession" and she could recommend that folks call when they have an issue as this could prevent the situation that she found herself in. Most of her posts are a distraction from these points. If she was to do this, we will not pursue the case of slander and defamation against her for the untrue statements in the opening headline. Even though this goes against principle, IF THE POSTER WAS TO REMOVE THESE FALSE ACCUSATIONS FROM THE INTERNET WE WOULD REFUND HER CHARGES RELATED TO THE VEHICLE RENTAL but the damage charge will remain.
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#2 Author of original report
SUBMITTED: Thursday, November 29, 2012POSTED: Thursday, November 29, 2012
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#3 Consumer Comment
SUBMITTED: Thursday, November 29, 2012POSTED: Thursday, November 29, 2012
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#4 REBUTTAL Owner of company
SUBMITTED: Monday, October 03, 2011POSTED: Monday, October 03, 2011
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.