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Unit 2: The Basics of Drilling

Interview at a drilling site

Reporter: This is Jamie Owens from DRILL News and Im

bringing you a special edition background report on what

actually happens when you drill for oil. Lets talk to the man in

charge of this whole operation. This is Tony Toolpush. Tony,

can you tell us about your role here on the platform?

Toolpush: First, Jamie, Id like to thank you for taking the

time to do this interview to show what happens on the rigs.

This is where it all starts, before the cars, the plastic, the paint, and the lipstick.

Reporter: Lipstick?

Toolpush: Yes, lipstick is one of the many, many products that come from oil. Anyway,

back to your question. As a toolpush, Im in charge of the drilling rig. Sometimes Im called the

rig manager. My job is to make decisions about how far to drill, when to pack up, and when to

move on. I hire the workers you see behind me here on the platform, and sometimes have to

fire them. The well is operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Reporter: Dont the men have any days off?

Toolpush: Sure: like most rigs, our men work for two weeks, 12 hours a day, then they

have a week off. Let me introduce you to them. Hey, Doug. This is Doug Driller.

Reporter: Hello Doug, what is your job here on the rig?

Driller: Im in charge of this shift. I have four men working for me. The guy you see way

up there on the derrick is my derrickman. He is wearing a safety harness, in case he should fall.

Next, over there, is my motorman. He is in charge of running the motors that power this rig. Do you see the two guys over there? Theyre the floorhands - we call them roughnecks.

They do the heavy work. Excuse me, I have to go now, because were working on a round trip.

Thats one of the busiest times on a drilling rig.

Reporter: See you later, Doug. Tony, I can see the men are very busy. Whats a round

trip?

Toolpush: Id better explain about drilling first, because a round trip is just part of it.

The drilling is done by a steel bit. This bit is attached to one end of a ten meter long, hollow,

steel drill pipe. The drill pipe turns, and the bit at the end grinds into the rock. When the bit

has cut through 10 meters of rock, one length of pipe almost disappears into the ground. Then

we have to add another length.

Reporter: Is that what the men are doing right now?

Toolpush: No, right now theyre changing a bit. This is what we call a round trip,

because all the pipes come out and go back in. Usually, when were drilling, we dont pull the

pipes out - we just keep adding lengths of pipe as they are needed.

Reporter: How can you change a drill thats a kilometer below the ground?

Toolpush: Right now the men are pulling up the pipe, and unscrewing it at every third

joint. If you look over there, you can see the groups of 30-meter long pipes standing in the

derrick. When they pull out the last one, theyll take off the dulled bit, and replace it with a

bright new sharp one.

Reporter: Let me guess ... then theyll have to put all the pipe back, right?

Toolpush: Right. Excuse me, theyre about to pull out the drill bit. I have to go and make

sure they cover the hole while they change the bit. If I leave it off, someone might drop a tool

down the hole. Then the men would have to fish it out, using a magnet. If we cant get it out,

wed have to somehow drill around it.

Reporter: (to the camera) Its taken this crew nearly seven hours to change all this pipe.

I heard of a rig near here where they changed the bit 30 times before they actually struck oil.

(Mudman enters) Oh, here comes someone now ... Hi there. Im Jamie Owens from

DRILL News. Could you tell us what your job is here on the rig?

Mudman: Hi. Sure. Im the

mudman. Im in charge of the

mud for three different rigs

around here. Ive just come by to

complete my regular check that

the mud is the right combination

of clay, chemicals, and water.

Reporter: What do you use

mud for?

Mudman: Its really called

circulating fluid, but we always

call it mud. The crew sends it

down the inside of the pipe, and it

comes up the outside. It also

lubricates and cools the drill bit,

and it maintains well control. We

shake out the rock chips, and send

the mud back down again.

Reporter: Well, thats for

today. Weve had a look at the

drilling process. The crew is much

too busy to talk to me right now,

because, as you know, theyre in

the middle of a round trip. This is

Jamie Owens from DRILL News

signing off.

Vocabulary: Drilling and pumping terms

blowout casing (drill) collar cuttings derrick drill bit drill pipe

drill string drilling mud inject kelly licence oil field/gas field

pump recover rig trap turntable/rotary table well

A drilling rig has five parts:

The hoisting system

The hoisting system has to lift, hold, and lower heavy pipe. The tall part of a drilling rig is called the

derrick - this is part of the hoisting system.

The rotary system

The rotary system must twist the drill bit. Some of it works above the rig floor, but the drill bit

may be kilometers below the ground.

The circulating system

The circulating system pushes a special mud down the pipe, and pushes it back up again. This mud

does three things: (1) It lubricates the drill bit, (2) When the mud comes back up, it brings with it all

the little pieces of rock (rock cuttings) that the drill has ground up, and (3) it stops the oil and gas

from escaping up the outside of the pipe.

The blowout prevention system

A blowout happens when the drill strikes oil or gas or water that is under a lot of pressure. It could

blow the mud out of the pipe and shoot oil (or gas, or water) high into the air. No one wants this to

happen. The blowout prevention system (BOP) stops this by sealing off the hole.

The power system

The power system provides the energy that the oilmen need to run the rig. Usually diesel oil is

burned to make electricity.

Match these terms:

1. Hoisting system A. Lifts and holds heavy pipe

2. Rotary system B. Twists the drill bit round and round

3. Circulating system C. Moves mud down the hole and back up again

4. Blowout prevention system D. Seals the hole to stop a blowout

5. Power system E. Provides the power

Take a look at the photo shown in the beginning of this unit. Write down all the

components of this drilling rig and translate them into Romanian. Below you have some of them, accompanied by pictures.

Crown Block = geamblac Swivel = crlig rotativ Draw works = troliu de foraj

Drill Bit = sap de foraj Drill pipes = prjini de foraj Blowout preventer = prevenitor de

erupii

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The following text describes the eight basic steps to drill a surface hole a hole

above where the exploration company thinks oil is located. The steps are mixed up and some of the letters of the missing words are also mixed up. Number the steps in the correct order and then rearrange the jumbled words.

Add new sections (joints) of drill PIPES (ISPEP) as the hole gets

deeper.

Allow the CEMENT (TENECM) to harden.

As drilling progresses, circulate drilling MUD (UMD) through the

pipe and out of the BIT (IBT) to float the rock CUTTINGS (GUTNTSCI)

out of the hole.

Attach the KELLY (YLELK) and TURNTABLE (LUNBRETAT) and begin drilling.

Place CASTINS (NAGSIC) pipe sections into the hole to prevent it from

collapsing in on itself.

Place the drill bit, COLLAR (RCLAOL) and drill pipe in the hole.

PUMP (PPMU) cement down the casing PIPE (IEPP).

REMOVE (EMEVOR) the drill pipe, collar and bit when the pre-set

depth is reached.

Match the following words to their definitions:

clay contract crown crown block crude oil

derrick diamond bit Drake well drill drill bit

a. a tool that has small industrial diamonds embedded in its cutting surface. Cutting is

performed by the rotation of the very hard diamonds over the rock surface. DRILL BITb. a large load structure, usually of bolted construction. In drilling, the standard structure has four legs standing at the corners of the substructure and reaching to the crown block. DERRICKc. a term used for particles smaller than 1/256 millimeter, regardless of mineral composition. CLAYd. a written agreement that can be enforced by law and that lists the terms under which the acts required are to be performed. A drilling contract covers such factors as the cost of drilling the well, the distribution of expenses between operator and contractor, and the

type of equipment to be used. CONTRACTe. an assembly mounted on beams at the top of the derrick.

f. the crown block or top of a derrick. CROWN BLOCKg. the cutting or boring element used for drilling. DIAMONDh. the first well drilled in the United States in search of oil. It was in Titusville, Pennsylvania. DRAKE WELLi. to bore a hole in the earth, usually to find and remove subsurface formation fluids such as oil and gas. DRILLj. unrefined liquid petroleum. It ranges in density from very light to very heavy and in color from yellow to black, and it may have a paraffin, asphalt, or mixed base. CRUDE OILVOCABULARY

Complete the following description of an oil rig with the correct preposition. Choose from those in the box. You will need to use some more than once. The image below might help you!

above on in from to in between around close to of beside at along below

The Magnus oil rig stands (a)ON..huge steel legs resting (b) ABOVE..the seabed. To prevent movement a large anchor is firmly embedded (c) IN..the seabed. A

production platform is build (d) AT..sea level. (e)IN..the centre (f) OF.the

platform, (g) ALONG.the well, is the drilling derrick. Oil and gas are separated (h)

ATthe bottom (i) OF.the derrick and a pipeline takes oil (j) TO.the platform (k)

TOshore. Helicopters carrying operators land (l) BETWEENthe helipad located on one side of the platform. (m) AND.this pad there is an accommodation block. The recreation area is found (n) ATthe first level and (o) ATthe top floor the workers sleeping quarters are to be found. The dining area is on the floor (p) BETWEEN Walkways run (q)BELOW..one side of the accommodation block and (r) TO.the outside of the platform.

Lifeboats can be found (s) IN..the accommodation block. Supply boats, carrying

suppliers for the rig, can tie up (t) AROUNDone side (u)OF.the rig and goods are lifted (v)FROM.the boats using a crane. Drinking water is stored (w) INlarge tanks located (x)BELOWthe electricity generators.