Professional Documents
Culture Documents
accumulate v: to amass or
collect. When oil and gas migrate
into porous formations, the
quantity collected is called an
accumulation.
accumulator n: 1. a vessel or
tank that receives and temporarily
stores a liquid used in a continuous
process in a gas plant. n: 2. on a
drilling rig, the storage device for
American Society of
Mechanical Engineers n: a
New York City based organisation
whose equipment standards
are sometimes used by the oil
industry. Its official publication is
Mechanical Engineering.
antifreeze n: a chemical
compound that prevents the water
in the cooling system of an engine
from freezing. Glycols are often
used as antifreeze agents.
API gravity n: the measure of
the density or gravity of liquid
petroleum products, derived from
specific gravity in accordance
with the following equation:
API gravity is expressed in
degrees, a specific gravity of 10
being equivalent to 10 API.
141.5
APl gravity =
131.5
specific gravity
artificial lift n: any method used
to raise oil to the surface through
a well after reservoir pressure has
declined to the point at which the
well no longer produces by means
of natural energy. Sucker rod
pumps, gas lift, hydraulic pumps,
and submersible electric pumps
are the most common forms of
artificial lift.
astern adv. or adj.: 1. at or
toward the stem of a ship or an
offshore drilling rig; abaft. 2.
behind the ship or rig.
atmosphere n: a unit of pressure
equal to the atmospheric pressure
at sea level, 14.7 pounds per
square inch (101.325 kPa). One
Atmosphere is equal to 14.7 psi or
101.325 kPa.
atmospheres absolute n
pl.: total pressure at a depth
underwater, expressed as
multiples of normal atmospheric
pressure.
carbon monoxide n: a
colourless, odourless gaseous
compound of carbon and oxygen
(CO). A product of incomplete
combustion, it is extremely
poisonous to breathe. cascade
system n: in respiratory systems, a
series connection of air cylinders
in which the output of air from
one adds to that of the next.
cased adj.: pertaining to a well
bore in which casing has been run
and cemented.
cased hole n: a well bore in
which casing has been run.
case hardened adj.: hardened
(as for a ferrous alloy) so that the
surface layer is harder than the
interior.
casing n: steel pipe placed in
an oil or gas well as drilling
progresses, to prevent the wall of
the hole from caving in during
drilling, to prevent seepage of
fluids, and to provide a means of
extracting petroleum if the well is
productive.
casing hanger n: a circular
device with a frictional gripping
arrangement, used to suspend
casing in a well.
casing head/spool n: a heavy,
flanged steel fitting connected to
the first string of casing. It provides
a housing for slips and packing
assemblies, allows suspension of
intermediate and production strings
of casing and supplies the means
for the annulus to be sealed off.
Also called a spool.
casing pressure n: the pressure
built up in a well between the
casing and tubing or the casing
and drill pipe.
ABERDEEN DRILLING SCHOOL
b)
c)
diverter housing n: a
permanent installation under the
rotary table which houses the
diverter unit. (API Recommended
Practice 64).
diverter packer n: refer to
Annular Sealing Device .
diverter piping n: refer to Vent
Line.
diverter unit n: the device that
embodies the annular sealing
device and its actuating means.
(API Recommended Practice 64).
doghouse n: 1. a small
enclosure on the rig floor, used
as office for the Driller or as a
storehouse for small objects. 2.
any small building used as an
office, a change house, or a place
for storage.
dogleg n: 1. a short change
of direction in the well bore,
frequently resulting in the
formation of a key seat. See key
seat. 2. a sharp bend permanently
put in an object such as a pipe.
dome n: a geologic structure
resembling an inverted bowl, a
short anticline that plunges on all
sides.
down hole fluid motor n: also
called a turbo drill or Dyna Drill.
See turbo drill and Dyna Drill.
downtime n: time during which
rig operations are temporarily
suspended because of repairs or
maintenance.
Drake well n: the first US well
drilled in search of oil. Some
69 feet deep, it was drilled near
Titusville, PA., and completed in
1859.
dynamically positioned
drilling vessels n pl: drillships
and semi submersible drilling
rigs equipped with computer
controlled thrusters which enable
them to maintain a constant
position relative to the sea floor
without the use of anchors and
mooring lines while conducting
floating drilling operations. (API
Recommended Practice 64).
effective permeability n: a
measure of the ability of a single
fluid to flow through a rock when
the pore spaces of the rock are not
completely filled or saturated with
the fluid.
effective porosity n: the
percentage of the bulk volume of
a rock sample that is composed
of interconnected pore spaces
which allow the passage of fluids
through the sample. See porosity.
electric line n: single or multiple
electrical conductor housed,
within a braided wireline. (API
Recommended Practice 57).
electric pump n: an electrically
driven hydraulic pump, usually
a 3 piston (triplex) pump. (API
Recommended Practice 16E)
electro hydraulic (EH)
system n: a control system
that uses an electrical signal
to actuate a solenoid operated
hydraulic valve to hydraulically
pilot a control valve to operate
a function. (API Recommended
Practice 16E).
end and outlet connections
n pl: integral flanges, studded or
open faced, and hub connections
used to join together equipment
that contains or controls pressure.
(API Specification 16A)
iron roughneck n:
manufacturers term for a floor
mounted combination of a
spinning wrench and a torque
wrench. The iron roughneck
moves into position hydraulically
and eliminates the manual
handling involved with suspended
individual tools.
iron sponge process n: a
method for removing small
concentrations of hydrogen
sulphide from natural gas by
passing the gas over a bed of
wood shavings which have been
impregnated with a form of iron
oxide. The impregnated wood
shavings are called iron sponge.
The hydrogen sulphide reacts
with the iron oxide, forming iron
sulphide and water.
isogonic chart n: a map that
shows the isogonic lines joining
point of magnetic declination,
which is the variation between
magnetic north and true north.
For example, in Los Angeles,
California, when the compass
needle is pointing toward north,
true north actually lies 15 east of
magnetic north.
isogonic line n: an imaginary
line on a map that joins places on
the earths surface at which the
variation of a magnetic compass
needle from true north is the
same. This variation, which
may range from 0 to 30 or more
degrees either east or west of true
north, must be compensated for
to obtain an accurate reading of
direction.
jacket n: tubular piece of steel in
a tubing liner type of sucker rod
pump, inside of which is placed
an accurately bored and honed
liner. In this type of sucker rod
marl n: a semisolid or
unconsolidated clay, silt, or sand.
maximum anticipated
surface pressure (MASP) n:
the highest pressure predicted
to be encountered at the surface
of the well. (API Recommended
Practice 57).
mean sea level (MSL) n: is a
measure of the average height of
the oceans surface (such as the
halfway point between the mean
high tide and mean low tide).
measured depth (MD)
packoff or stripper n: a
device with an elastomer packing
element that depends on pressure
below the packing to effect a seal
in the annulus. Used primarily
to run or pull pipe under low or
moderate pressures. This device is
not dependable for service under
high differential pressures. (API
Recommended Practice 53).
permeability n: 1. a measure
of the ease with which fluids can
flow through a porous rock. 2.
the fluid conductivity of a porous
medium. 3. the ability of a fluid
to flow within the interconnected
pore network of a porous medium.
See absolute permeability, and
effective permeability.
petroleum geology n: the
study of oil and gas bearing rock
formations. It deals with the
origin, occurrence, movement, and
accumulation of hydrocarbon fuels.
pH value n: a unit of measure
of the acid or alkaline condition
of a substance. A neutral solution
(such as pure water) has a pH
of 7; add solutions are less than
7. The pH scale is a logarithmic
scale; a substance with a pH of 9
is more than twice as alkaline as a
substance with a pH of 8.
piggyback v: (nautical) to install
anchors behind each other in
tandem on the same mooring line.
pilot bit n: a bit placed on a
special device called a hole
opener that serves to guide the
device into an already existing
hole that is to be opened (made
larger in diameter). The pilot
bit merely guides, or pilots, the
cutters on the hole opener into
the existing hole so that the hole
opening cutters can enlarge the
hole to the desired size.
pilot fluid n: hydraulic control
fluid that is dedicated to the
pilot supply system. (API
Recommended Practice 16E).
pilot line n: a hydraulic line that
transmits pilot fluid to a control valve.
Pilot lines are nominally grouped in a
common bundle or umbilical.
sandstone n: a detrital
sedimentary rock composed
of individual grains of sand
(commonly quark) that are
cemented together by silica,
calcium carbonate, iron oxide, and
so forth. Sandstone is a common
rock in which petroleum and
water accumulate.
saturation n: a state of being
filled or permeated to capacity.
Sometimes used to mean the
degree or percentage of saturation
(as, the saturation of the pore
space in a formation or the
saturation of gas in a liquid, both
in reality meaning the extent of
saturation).
scrubber n: a scrubber is a
type of separator which has been
designed to handle flow streams
with unusually high gas to liquid
ratio. These are commonly used
in conjunction with dehydrators,
extraction plants, instruments or
compressors for protection from
entrained. (API Specification
12J) sea floor n: the bottom of the
ocean; the seabed.
secondary cementing n: any
cementing operation after the
primary cementing operation.
Secondary cementing includes a
plug back job, in which a plug of
cement is positioned at a specific
point in the well and allowed to
set. Wells are plugged to shut
off bottom water or to reduce
the depth of the well for other
reasons.
secondary control n: the
proper use of blowout prevention
equipment to control the well in
the event primary control is lost.
sediment n: 1. the matter
that settles to the bottom of a
Abbreviation Description
API
American Petroleum Institute
APIRP
American Petroleum Institute
Recommended Practice
APL
annular pressure loss
BHA
bottom hole assembly
BHP
bottom hole pressure
BOP
blowout preventer
BRT
below rotary table
Ca
annular capacity
CLPL
choke line pressure losses
DC
drill collar
DDR
daily drilling report
DECC
Department of Energy & Climate
Change
DP
drill pipe/dynamic positioning
DSPL
drill string pressure loss
DST
drill stem test
EH
electro hydraulic
EMW
equivalent mud weight
ESD
equivalent static density
FCP
final circulating pressure
FIT
formation integrity test
FOSV
full open safety valve
Gfb
formation breakdown pressure
gradient
Gi
influx gradient pressure
Gmud
pressure gradient of mud
GPM
gallons per minute
HAZ
heat affected zone
HCR
hydraulic controlled remote
HDIS
hydril drop-in sub
Hi
height of influx
HTHP
high temperature high pressure
IADC
International Association of
Drilling Contractors
ICP
initial circulating pressure
J
joule
kg/l
kilograms per litre
kg/m3
Kilograms per cubic metre
KT
kick tolerance
LCM
lost circulation material
LMRP
lower marine riser package
LOT
leak off test
LWD
logging while drilling
MASP
maximum anticipated surface
pressure
MD
measured depth
MODU
mobile offshore drilling unit
MSL
mean sea level
MWD
measurement while drilling
N
Newton
NRV
non return value
OBM
oil based mud
OD
outside diameter
OIM
offshore installation manager
Pa
Pascal
PODM
pseudo oil based mud
POH
pull out of hole
PPB
pounds per barrel
PPG
pounds per gallon
PV
plastic viscosity
PWD
pressure while drilling
RFT
repeat formation tester
RIH
run in hole
ROP
rate of penetration
ROV
remote operated vehicle
RPM
revolutions per minute
SCR
slow circulating rate
SG
specific gravity
SI
international system of units
SIBHP
shut in bottom hole pressure
SICP
shut in casing pressure
SIDPP
shut in drill pipe pressure
TD
total depth
TOH
trip out of hole
TVD
true vertical depth
UBD
under balanced drilling
WOB
weight on bit
WOC
weight of cement