Pumpjack at twilight

[Corehead]

Right behind where I was shooting the (missed) sunset yesterday just south of Midland...were a pair of pumpjacks. I couldn't compose the shot enough to get both of them without encroaching on some private property, so ONE had to do.

Anyone ever wonder why pumpjacks are usually rather LARGE? Well, do the math: let's take a 10,000-foot oil well that's 4 inches in diameter. My math suggests that there's about three TONS or so of oil that has to be brought to the surface--and THEN it goes on in the piping to the tank or whatever.

[schmoo]

A friend taught me that in some places they call them "Yes nodders," so that's what these are to me.

I know very little about the science behind them, but I find them fascinating! On a road trip in the fall I saw quite a few in SoCal, but they ranged quite a bit in size. Some more much smaller than I had expected, and some were reasonably big.

I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that motion, though. :lol3

Thanks for sharing, and for the info! :thumb

[Corehead]

Yeah, there's only a 2 or 3 horsepower motor driving most pumpjacks. But with all that momentum (you see the SIZE of those counterweights?!), the human body would offer very little resistance to continued motion.

So NO! No playing around pumpjacks!



A friend taught me that in some places they call them "Yes nodders," so that's what these are to me.

I know very little about the science behind them, but I find them fascinating! On a road trip in the fall I saw quite a few in SoCal, but they ranged quite a bit in size. Some more much smaller than I had expected, and some were reasonably big.

I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that motion, though. :lol3

Thanks for sharing, and for the info! :thumb

[redleash]

I like this one a lot! When I was a kid visiting my relatives in Houston, I always thought it was neat to see those pumpers in the fields. My grandfather was a landman in the early oil days, so I always enjoy seeing this stuff. I'm really enjoying your photos, Corehead!!

[Rhuarc]

Great shot!

When I was a kid I actually called these up-downs! lol...

[roentarre]

Simply stunning work in deed!

[Corehead]

Glad to make SOMEONE'S day, there :D

I like this one a lot! When I was a kid visiting my relatives in Houston, I always thought it was neat to see those pumpers in the fields. My grandfather was a landman in the early oil days, so I always enjoy seeing this stuff. I'm really enjoying your photos, Corehead!!

[Scoupe]

Great shot!

When I was a kid I actually called these up-downs! lol...

I am told I called them "wow-wows".

We always considered them noisy and stinky - until they finally found a little oil on our land. That "popf... popf... popf..." coming from over the rise was just a lullaby after that. :rofl

Neat shot Corehead. Brings back my west/central Kansas childhood, that's for sure. Lots of sky and lots of horizon. I love the color of evenings on the plains. It seems to wrap around everything.

[Corehead]

Didn't see any pumpjacks AT ALL in the Flint Hills area (Ft. Riley/Manhattan), where I spent four years.

I bet you saw lots of fierce storms in your childhood stomping grounds!



I am told I called them "wow-wows".

We always considered them noisy and stinky - until they finally found a little oil on our land. That "popf... popf... popf..." coming from over the rise was just a lullaby after that. :rofl

Neat shot Corehead. Brings back my west/central Kansas childhood, that's for sure. Lots of sky and lots of horizon. I love the color of evenings on the plains. It seems to wrap around everything.

[Scoupe]

Didn't see any pumpjacks AT ALL in the Flint Hills area (Ft. Riley/Manhattan), where I spent four years.

I bet you saw lots of fierce storms in your childhood stomping grounds!

Weather does tend to take center stage at times out there. I'm sure you saw a little of that yourself in four years. College or Military?

I'm from farther west than Manhattan. Anywhere from an hour east of, to an hour west of, Great Bend is home.

[Corehead]

Ft. Riley two years (after two years in then West Germany), then a couple years at KSU.

Great Bend, huh? I heard that's Birding Country.


Weather does tend to take center stage at times out there. I'm sure you saw a little of that yourself in four years. College or Military?

I'm from farther west than Manhattan. Anywhere from an hour east of, to an hour west of, Great Bend is home.