Trusting Viktor (A Cleo Cooper Mystery) (28 page)

First, because such an operation could cost upwards of $70
million, they would have to partner with one of the major oil companies. Since the Manteo Prospect lies in water 2,100 feet deep, a drillship like the
Magellan
would be used. After arriving at the site, it would use its global positioning propellers or thrusters to hold itself over the site, where they’d “spud in,” or force about 400 feet of 36-inch metal casing into the seafloor to provide support for the well.

Then a bit would be lowered into the well at the end of a drill string to cut another
2,000 to 3,000 feet. Synthetic mud would be forced down the well to carry rock chips to the surface for people like Cleo to analyze. The mud also cools and lubricates the bit and controls the pressure in the well. Next, a 22-inch casing would be run down through the original casing and set with cement. A blowout preventer (BOP) and marine riser would then be added on top of the well. The BOP stops dangerous gas bubbles from reaching the surface and causing explosions, and the marine riser is a large-diameter pipe that runs from the seafloor to the ship and serves as a conduit for the pipe and mud.

The remainder of the well
would be drilled until the wellsite geologists were sure they’d reached the good stuff. Logging equipment would then be run down the well and tests run to determine if the well had producible hydrocarbons. In this story, Manteo One is a dry natural gas well, not an oil well. (Remember,
gasoline
is actually a liquid; Cleo and crew are searching for a true gas.)

Also, while many of the locations in my story are real, the ships, companies
, and people are entirely creations of my imagination.

about the author

Lee Mims holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geology from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and she once worked as a field geologist. Lee is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Trusting Viktor
is her second novel. Currently a popular wildlife artist, Lee lives in Clayton, North Carolina. Visit her online at LeeMims.com.

acknowledgments

Several folks were essential in creating
Trusting Viktor
and deserve a grateful nod from me. First, big thanks go to my editor and friend, Michele Slung, who never shies from herding cats. Everyone at Llewellyn Worldwide/Midnight Ink, especially my editors there, Terri Bischoff and Nicole Nugent, deserve loads of credit, as does my agent, Kimberley Cameron.

For this book, a good deal of on-site research was needed. Thankfully, J. W. and Barbara Grand introduced me to Marcel and Susie Duchamp, who graciously loaned me their fish camp in southern Louisiana and took me out into the Gulf to the offshore oil rigs. Ione L. Taylor, PhD, Associate Director, U.S. Geological Survey—besides answering endless questions about reservoirs—was an inspiration from the beginning. Stan Lewis, retired Senior geological advisor at Anadarko; and Richard Ingram, retired engineer from Schlumberger, were also fonts of information as well as early readers. Randy Adams, owner and president of Sea Support in Cut Off, Louisiana, also merits a nod for educating me in the role of support boats.

For all issues of a criminal nature, I went to my friend Mardy
Benson, retired captain, Johnston County Sheriff’s office. For taking time to share his knowledge in oil-well investments, Charlie Rushton of Hardrock Oil has my gratitude too. My husband, Allen, gets the red badge of courage for patiently answering my questions about boats, cars, trucks, and anything else with an engine. Thanks also to Bob Murray for his patience and attention to detail in preparing a map that reflects the story. And lastly, to early readers Boo Carver, Helen Ellerbe, and Bet Barbour: thanks for your encouragement.