Oilfield Terminology (Part 2)

We are continuing our series on oil field terminology. Below we have listed another handful of terms and concepts that are key to getting a better grip of the oil industry.

Blowout

Here is one of the terms you hope you never have to hear again. Talk about a catastrophe, both in terms of financial and environmental. A blowout is basically the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil well or gas well. This occurs after the pressure control systems have failed.

Before the advent of pressure control equipment in 1921, the uncontrolled release of oil and gas from a well while drilling was super common. People called it oil gusher back then, or even gusher or wild well. The minutest spark can lead to an incredibly catastrophic oil or gas fire.

Tool Pusher

A tool pusher (also spelled toolpusher) is a job within the oil drilling industry. It is sometimes also called a pusher for short. On a land drilling rig, the pusher can also be the rig manager, making him responsible for each of the operations on deck. On drillships, however, or on offshore oil rigs, pushers are basically department heads that are in charge of the drilling department and reporting to the OIM (or the Offshore Installation Manager). This all depends on the company, of course. The majority of the time, companies like to do it where there is an Offshore Installation Manager who the toolpusher reports to.

Pig

No, we are not talking about those pink creatures with the voracious appetites. In the oil field domain, the term pig, is actually a a nound and a verb. In the context of piplines, pigging refers to the practice of using devices called pigs that perform various maintenance operations on a pipeline.

The included operations consist of cleaning and inspecting the pipeline. This is accomplished by inserting the pit into what is known as a "pig launcher". A pig launcher, or a launching station, is an oversized section in the pipeline. The launcher is closed and the flow of the product in the pipeline is actually used to push it along in the pipe. This continues on until it reaches the receiving trap, known as the pig catcher.

Moon Pool

A moon pool is a feature of marine drilling-platforms, drill-ships & diving support vessels. It is also called a wet porch in underwater habitats. A moon pool is an opening in the floor or base of the hull, chamber, or platform giving access to the water beneath it, which allows the technical staff or even the researchers to lower tools and instruments into the sea. In the oilfield systems domain, a moon pools are used in just the same way, only that the degree to which they are depended on varies. Today's drilling-platforms use the most sophisticated moon pools. They are integral to the success of the operation.