Chat with an offshore saturation diver changed how I look at gas bills

I was talking to this guy named Mike at a diner in Morgan City, Louisiana last week. He mentioned how he tracks every single psi of helium used on a job and checks it against the dive log hourly because a small leak can cost the company $500 a day if you miss it. He said most guys don't bother until the job is over, and then they wonder why the gas bill looks insane. Has anyone else started breaking down gas costs per dive instead of per shift?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake_martin161mo ago

Wow, that five hundred a day number is insane for a tiny leak.

nathan_webb1mo ago

Saw a report recently that said a leak the size of a pinhole can waste like 6,300 gallons a month if its under 60 psi pressure. @jake_martin16 is right though five hundred a day sounds crazy but when you do the math on volume over time it actually lines up. I had a toilet flapper leak once and my water bill doubled before I even noticed any wet spots. Makes you wonder how much water leaks everywhere without anyone catching it.

valthomas1mo ago

Guess I see it different. A leak that small would take forever to add up to 500 gallons unless the pressure was way higher than normal.