Quick–for those lucky enough to have visited an active drill site in the Marcellus or Utica (or really, any active shale drilling site anywhere), what’s the first thing you notice? Think back to when you arrived. Before you’re even allowed onto the drill pad, the first thing you encounter is a security guard who exits a small security shack to find out who the heck you are and what the heck you want. The guards we’ve met have been very pleasant. They’ll record your name and license plate number, and hand you a hard hat–to be worn at ALL times that you’re visiting the drill site. Safety first and always! We’re certainly not out to fire security guards, but a Colorado company has invented a pretty ingenious gate/barrier (think the gates that come down at railroad crossings) that is battery operated, recharged on solar power, and even has an intercom–all of it totally unattended. No security guard. Punch in a keycode or a keycard, the gate goes up, person goes through…
