3. Read the text “Drilling Rig Components” and do the exercises. Drilling Rig Components

Once the equipment is at the site, the rig is set up. Here are the major systems of a land rig:

1. Power system

• Large diesel engines – burn diesel fuel oil to provide the main source power;

• Electrical generators – powered by the diesel engines to provide electrical power;

2. Mechanical system

• Hoisting system – used for lifting heavy loads; consists of a mechanical winch (drawworks) with a large steel cable spool, a block-and-tackle pulley and a receiving storage reel for the cable;

• Turntable – part of the drilling apparatus

3. Rotating equipment

• Swivel – large handle that holds the weight of the drill string; allows the string to rotate and makes a pressure- tight seal on the hole;

• Kelly – four\six-sided pipe that transfer rotary motion to the turntable and drill string;

• Turntable (rotary table) – drives the rotating motion using power from electric motors;

• Drill string – consists of drill pipe (connected sections of about 30ft\10m) and drill collars (large diameter, heavier pipe that fits around the drill pipe and places weight on the drill bit);

• Drill bit – end of the drill that actually cuts the rock;

4. Casing – large-diameter concrete pipe that lines the drill hole; prevents the hole from collapsing and allows drilling mud to circulate

5. Circulation system – pumps drilling mud (mixture of water, clay and weighting material and chemicals; used to lift rock cuttings from the drill bit to the surface) under pressure through the kelly, rotary table drill pipes and drill collars:

   • Pump – sucks mud from the mud pits and pumps it to the drilling apparatus;

   • Pipes and hoses – connects pump to drilling apparatus;

   • Mud-return line – return mud from hole;

   • Shale-shaker – shaker \sieve that separates rock cuttings from the mud;

   • Shale slide – conveys cuttings to the reserve pit;

   • Reserve pit – collects rock cuttings separated from the mud;

   • Mud pits – where drilling mud is mixed and recycled;

   • Mud-mixing hopper – where new mud is mixed and then sent to the mud pits

6. Derrick – support structure that holds the drilling apparatus: tall enough to allow new sections of drill pipe to be added to the drilling apparatus as drilling progresses

7. Blowout preventer – high-pressure valves (located under the land rig) that relieve pressure when necessary to prevent a blowout (uncontrolled gush of gas or oil to the surface, often associated with fire).

(Baker R. “A Primer of Oil Well Drilling”, 2001, Austin, Texas)

Fig. 2. Drilling rig components

4. Match the words in the left column with the definitions in the right one.

1. traveling block	A. a wire rope made up of a number of strands wound around a steel core, used to lift or lower drill pipe
2. crown block	B. a shallow cased hole close to the rotary table. When making up a string, each single is stood here so that it can be connected quickly and easily to the kelly
3. derrick	C. a device that has several independently mounted sheaves or pulleys and used to lift and lower elevators
4. swivel	D. a piece of equipment designed to mix and prepare drilling mud.
5. elevator	E. a piece of equipment used to transfer rotary motion through a master bushing to the kelly, to drillpipe and, eventually, to the drill bit
6. drill line	F. a piece of equipment used to prevent the rotary motion of the kelly (or drill string) from being transferred to the drilling line
7. shale shaker	G. a device on the top of the derrick that provides means of taking drill line from the hoisting drum to the travelling block
8. kelly bushing	H. a double or a triple, two or three joints connected together.
9. rotary table	I. a structure above the well used for drilling string tripping, location of stands and protection of drilling crew against wind and precipitation.
10. mousehole	J. a device that is attached to the bails of the traveling block and used to grip joints
	K. the part of the drive assembly which transmits motion to the kelly and permits the kelly to move vertically while it is rotating or still.