Chapter 53: Let the bullets fly for a while
Soon, with all preparations complete, the well Liu Shang was supervising officially began injection construction.
On the first day, due to the high fluidity and low strength of the agent system chosen by Liu Shang, the construction pressure hardly increased during the entire process.
In the conventional understanding of profile control measures, this was unimaginable.
For the construction pressure not to increase was practically a cardinal sin, an unforgivable failure.
However, due to their prior agreement that Huahai Company and Liu Shang would lead this project, both the client from the oil field, Party A, and Huahai Company's internal staff remained silent.
On the second day of construction, under Liu Shang's leadership, the approach remained the same. Consequently, the construction pressure stayed flat, without any increase or change.
The area around the well showed no dynamic response whatsoever.
This time, the people who had held their tongues for a day could no longer bear it. The agitation finally began.
In the fifth oil production team, the leader, Han Ping, reviewed the work log submitted by his technicians. When he saw the status of the profile control well, he couldn't help but frown and sigh.
"Hey, what is going on with Huahai Company?"
"How can they call this construction?! The pressure isn't increasing at all!"
"Are they trying to sabotage us? This well belongs to our team!"
"If the higher-ups, especially Director Pan, find out about this, isn't he going to rip into me at the next meeting?"
"Ever since we entered the second half of the year, the entire third plant has been living in the shadow of Director Pan. The pressure on everyone is immense!"
Seeing his captain's distress, a technician sighed and chimed in, "Captain, I heard that the construction of this well was handed over entirely to a young kid from Huahai."
"He came to our team a few days ago, and I had a brief chat with him."
"Guess what? The kid turned out to be a freshman, a college student from the University of Petroleum."
"You know how oil field technology is. It might not be the most advanced, but it's all about experience."
"It's no surprise he's messing up the well like this. A freshman student? I'm afraid he's never even seen a real work site before."
Hearing this, Captain Han Ping was completely dumbfounded. "What?! You've got to be joking!"
***
In the conference room of the oil production plant, technicians from the Geology and Engineering Departments were also meeting to discuss the well's current situation.
Unsurprisingly, almost all of them expressed doubts and serious concerns.
In desperation, the chief geologist, Zhang Zhengmao, went directly to the director's office after the meeting to briefly explain the situation.
He then asked for instructions: should they intervene and adjust Huahai's construction plan for the well?
Pan Qingfeng simply waved his hand. "We intervened in the wells they worked on before, and didn't they all turn out to have no effect?"
"I, Pan Qingfeng, am a man of my word. Since I told them to do it their way, we let them do it their way."
"It's just one well. Even if it doesn't work out, so what?"
***
In Xu Tiande's office at Huahai Company, Ma Yuan found an opportunity to come in for a 'chat' and casually mentioned the well's construction.
"Professor Xu, this is Liu Shang's first time on-site, and it's also his first time leaving theory behind to engage with actual construction."
"I remember when I first joined the company, you specifically emphasized to me that technical theory is one thing, and on-site construction is another."
"The so-called plans and theories are just to give Party A something to sign off on. Real on-site work has to be flexible and adaptable."
"But look at Liu Shang now. He's just stubbornly doing whatever he wants. He's completely clueless. It's so unreliable!"
Hearing his words, Xu Tiande couldn't help but frown and sigh.
In his heart, Xu Tiande agreed with Ma Yuan's point of view. If Liu Shang continued like this, there would be problems.
However, in order to fully support Liu Shang, he showed no doubt on the surface.
"Ah, Ma Yuan, I've been paying close attention to this well."
"Your worries are justified. When I have a chance later, I will go to the site and have a talk with Liu Shang."
Seeing Xu Tiande defend Liu Shang so staunchly, Ma Yuan's heart burned with jealousy. *What is it about this damned Liu Shang that makes you favor him so much?!*
***
In Song Guangyuan's office, while discussing other work, the deputy technical manager, Yang Xu, "accidentally" brought up the construction situation of Liu Shang's well, expressing his concern.
He worried it would negatively affect the oil field's impression of the entire Huahai Company.
At this, Song Guangyuan frowned and snorted. "It's just one well. How can it affect the impression of the whole company?"
"I don't understand the technical side of things, but with Mr. Zhong and Professor Xu in charge, I have absolute confidence."
"As for Liu Shang and this well, just let him mess around with it!"
"I, Song Guangyuan, have the courage to spare!"
***
At dinner on the second day of construction, even Wang Wanlin couldn't sit still any longer and kindly expressed his concerns to Liu Shang.
Liu Shang just smiled at him. "What's the hurry?"
"Let the bullets fly for a while."
***
On the third day of construction, the technical approach and agent system were still the same, the pressure remained flat, and there was still absolutely no dynamic response.
By this point, with the exception of Liu Shang himself, who was as steady as Mount Tai, everyone else, whether at the oil production plant or within Huahai Company, had begun to openly express their dissatisfaction and criticize him.
"How can you conduct a profile control operation like this? It's just nonsense!"
"I don't know what Director Pan is thinking. Is he just going to let a contractor mess around like this without any supervision?"
"This kid, Liu Shang, is just going to drag everyone down with him! He needs to get out of here!"
"What the hell? A freshman with zero on-site experience is leading such an important project. Is this some kind of joke?"
"If he keeps this up, he'll just pack his bags and go back to school, but I wonder how many people will lose their jobs because of this. He's a menace!"
"Hmph, what's gotten into Professor Xu and Mr. Zhong? Are they getting old and confused, still protecting him at a time like this?"
"If this Liu Shang can make this well work, I'll eat the 250 valve at the head of the well!"
***
Amidst all the doubt, Xu Tiande personally rushed to the site and patiently tried to persuade Liu Shang to change his approach.
He also hinted that as long as the well was completed in a satisfactory, conventional manner, he and Mr. Zhong would have a way to keep Liu Shang in the company.
But, to no one's surprise, Liu Shang, though grateful in his heart, smiled and insisted on his own plan, telling Xu Tiande not to worry.
---
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