Oil rig system

1.List of components of oil drilling rigs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article lists the main components of a petroleum onshore drilling rig.
Offshore drilling rigs have similar elements, but are configured with a number of different drilling
systems to suit drilling in the marine environment.
The equipment associated with a rig is to some extent dependent on the type of rig but typically
includes at least some of the items listed below.

List of items[edit]

Simple diagram of a drilling rig and its basic operation

 1. Mud tank
2. Shale shakers
3. Suction line (mud pump)
4. Mud pump
5. Motor or power source
6. hose
7. Draw-works
8. Standpipe
9. Kelly hose
10. Goose-neck
11. Traveling block
12. Drill line
13. Crown block
14. Derrick
15. Racking Board (Sometimes referred to as the Monkey Board)
16. Stand (of drill pipe)
17. Setback (floor)
18. Swivel (On newer rigs this may be replaced by a top drive)
19. Kelly drive
20. Rotary table
21. Drill floor
22. Bell nipple
23. Blowout preventer (BOP) Annular type
24. Blowout preventer (BOP) Pipe ram & blind ram
25. Drill string
26. Drill bit
27. Casing head or Wellhead
28. Flow line

Explanation[edit]

 Bell nipple (#22) is a section of large diameter pipe fitted to the top of the blowout
preventers that the flow line attaches to via a side outlet, to allow the drilling mud to flow
back to the mud tanks.
 Blowout preventers (BOPs) (#23 and #24) are devices installed at the wellhead to
prevent fluids and gases from unintentionally escaping from the wellbore. #23 is
the annular(often referred to as Hydril named after a manufacturer), and #24 is the pipe
rams and blind rams.
 Casing head (#27) is a large metal flange welded or screwed onto the top of
the conductor pipe (also known as drive-pipe) or the casing and is used to bolt the surface
equipment such as the blowout preventers (for well drilling) or the Christmas tree (oil
well) (for well production).
 Centrifuge (not pictured) is an industrial version of the device that separates fine silt and
sand from the drilling fluid. It is typically mounted on top or just off of the mud tanks.
 Crown block (#13) is the stationary end of the block and tackle.
 Degasser (not pictured) is a device that separates air and/or gas from the drilling fluid. It
is typically mounted on top of the mud tanks.
 Derrick (#14) is the support structure for the equipment used to lower and raise the drill
string into and out of the wellbore. This consists of the sub-structure (structure below the drill
floor level) and the mast.
 Desander / desilter (not pictured) contains a set of hydrocyclones that separate sand and
silt from the drilling fluid. Typically mounted on top of the mud tanks.
 Draw-works (#7) is the mechanical section that contains the spool, whose main function
is to reel in/out the drill line to raise/lower the traveling block.
 Drill bit (#26) is a device attached to the end of the drill string that breaks apart the rock
being drilled. It contains jets through which the drilling fluid exits.
 Drill floor (#21) is the area on the rig where the tools are located to make the connections
of the drill pipe, bottom hole assembly, tools and bit. It is considered the main area where
work is performed.
 Drill line (#12) is thick, stranded metal cable threaded through the two blocks (traveling
and crown) to raise and lower the drill string.
 Drill pipe (#16) is a joint of hollow tubing used to connect the surface equipment to
the bottom hole assembly (BHA) and acts as a conduit for the drilling fluid. In the diagram,
these are stands of drill pipe which are 2 or 3 joints of drill pipe connected and stood in the
derrick vertically, usually to save time while tripping pipe.
 Drill string (#25) is an assembled collection of drill pipe, heavy weight drill pipe, drill
collars and any of a whole assortment of tools, connected and run into the wellbore to
facilitate the drilling of a well. The collection is referred to singularly as the drill string.
 Elevators (not pictured) are hinged devices that is used to latch to the drill pipe
or casing to facilitate the lowering or lifting (of pipe or casing) into or out of the wellbore.
 Flow line (#28) is large diameter pipe that is attached to the bell nipple and extends to
the shale shakers to facilitate the flow of drilling fluid back to the mud tanks.
 Goose-neck (#10) is a thick metal elbow connected to the swivel and standpipe that
supports the weight of and provides a downward angle for the kelly hose to hang from.
 Kelly drive (#19) is a square, hexagonal or octagonal shaped tubing that is inserted
through and is an integral part of the rotary table that moves freely vertically while the rotary
table turns it.
 Kelly hose (#9) is a flexible, high pressure hose that connects the standpipe to the kelly
(or more specifically to the gooseneck on the swivel above the kelly) and allows free vertical
movement of the kelly, while facilitating the flow of the drilling fluid through the system and
down the drill string.
 Racking board (#15) is the catwalk along the side of the derrick (usually about 35 or 40
feet above the "floor"). The monkey board is where the derrick man works while "tripping"
pipe.
 Mud motor (not pictured) is a hydraulically powered device positioned just above the drill
bit used to spin the bit independently from the rest of the drill string.
 Mud pump (#4) is a reciprocal type of pump used to circulate drilling fluid through the
system.
 Mud tank (#1) is often called mud pits and stores drilling fluid until it is required down the
wellbore.
 Setback (#17) is a part of the drill floor (#21) where the stands of drill pipe are stood
upright. It is typically made of a metal frame structure with large wooden beams situated
within it. The wood helps to protect the end of the drill pipe.
 Rotary table (#20) rotates, along with its constituent parts, the kelly and kelly bushing, the
drill string and the attached tools and bit.
 Shale shaker (#2) separates drill cuttings from the drilling fluid before it is pumped back
down the wellbore.
 Stand (#16) is a section of 2 or 3 joints of drill pipe connected and stood upright in
the derrick. When they are pulled out of the hole, instead of laying down each joint of drill
pipe, 2 or 3 joints are left connected and stood in the derrick to save time.
 Standpipe (#8) is a thick metal tubing, situated vertically along the derrick, that facilitates
the flow of drilling fluid and has attached to it and supports one end of the kelly hose.
 Suction line (#3) is an intake line for the mud pump to draw drilling fluid from the mud
tanks.
 Swivel (#18) is the top end of the kelly that allows the rotation of the drill string without
twisting the block.
 Traveling block (#11) is the moving end of the block and tackle. Together, they give a
significant mechanical advantage for lifting.
 Vibrating hose (#6) is a flexible, high pressure hose (similar to the kelly hose) that
connects the mud pump to the stand pipe. It is called the vibrating hose because it tends to
vibrate and shake (sometimes violently) due to its close proximity to the mud pumps.

2. Oil Rig Systems

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Anatomy of an oil rig

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

Power system
 large diesel engines - burn diesel-fuel oil to provide the main
source of power
 electrical generators - powered by the diesel engines to
provide electrical power
Mechanical system - driven by electric motors

 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
Rotating equipment - used for rotary drilling

 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- or six-sided pipe that transfers rotary motion to the
turntable and drill string
 turntable or rotary table - drives the rotating motion using power
from electric motors
 drill string - consists of drill pipe (connected sections of about 30
feet (10 meters) and drill collars (larger diameter, heavier pipe that fits
around the drill pipe and places weight on the drill bit)
 drill bit(s) - end of the drill that actually cuts up the rock; comes in
many shapes and materials (tungsten carbide steel, diamond) that are
specialized for various drilling tasks and rock formations
Casing - large-diameter concrete pipe that lines the drill hole, prevents the
hole from collapsing, and allows drilling mud to circulate
Mud circulation in the hole

PHOTO COURTESY THE ENERGY INSTITUTE

Circulation system - pumps drilling mud (mixture of water, clay, 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 - returns mud from the 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
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

Blowout preventer - high-pressure valves (located under the land rig or on

the sea floor) that seal the high-pressure drill lines and relieve pressure when
necessary to prevent a blowout (uncontrolled gush of gas or oil to the surface,
often associated with fire)

3. An oil platform, offshore platform, or (colloquially) oil rig is a large structure with facilities

for well drilling (optionally), to extract and process oil and natural gas, or to temporarily store
product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing. In many cases, the platform
contains facilities to house the workforce as well.
Depending on the circumstances,[1] the platform may be fixed to the ocean floor, may consist of
an artificial island, or may float. Remote subsea wells may also be connected to a platform by
flow lines and by umbilical connections. These sub-sea solutions may consist of one or more
subsea wells, or of one or more manifold centres for multiple wells.
Around 1891, the first submerged oil wells were drilled from platforms built on piles in the fresh
waters of the Grand Lake St. Marys (a.k.a. Mercer County Reservoir) in Ohio. The wide but
shallow reservoir was built from 1837 to 1845 to provide water to the Miami and Erie Canal.
Around 1896, the first submerged oil wells in salt water were drilled in the portion of
the Summerland field extending under the Santa Barbara Channel in California. The wells were
drilled from piers extending from land out into the channel.
Other notable early submerged drilling activities occurred on the Canadian side of Lake
Erie since 1913 and Caddo Lake in Louisiana in the 1910s. Shortly thereafter, wells were drilled
in tidal zones along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. The Goose Creek
field near Baytown, Texas is one such example. In the 1920s, drilling was done from concrete
platforms in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela.
The oldest offshore well recorded in Infield's offshore database is the Bibi Eibat well which came
on stream in 1923 in Azerbaijan. Landfill was used to raise shallow portions of the Caspian Sea.
In the early 1930s, the Texas Company developed the first mobile steel barges for drilling in the
brackish coastal areas of the gulf.
In 1937, Pure Oil Company (now part of Chevron Corporation) and its partner Superior Oil
Company (now part of ExxonMobil Corporation) used a fixed platform to develop a field in 14 feet
(4.3 m) of water, one mile (1.6 km) offshore of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
In 1946, Magnolia Petroleum Company (now part of ExxonMobil) erected a drilling platform in
18 ft (5.5 m) of water, 18 miles[vague] off the coast of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.[citation needed]
In early 1947, Superior Oil erected a drilling/production platform in 20 ft (6.1 m) of water some 18
miles[vague] off Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. But it was Kerr-McGee Oil Industries (now Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation), as operator for partners Phillips Petroleum (ConocoPhillips)
and Stanolind Oil & Gas (BP), that completed its historic Ship Shoal Block 32 well in October
1947, months before Superior actually drilled a discovery from their Vermilion platform farther
offshore. In any case, that made Kerr-McGee's well the first oil discovery drilled out of sight of
land.[2][3]
The British Maunsell Forts constructed during World War II are considered the direct
predecessors of modern offshore platforms. Having been pre-constructed in a very short time,
they were then floated to their location and placed on the shallow bottom of the Thames and
the Mersey estuary.[3][4]
In 1954, the first jackup oil rig was ordered by Zapata Oil. It was designed by R. G.
LeTourneau and featured three electro-mechanically-operated lattice type legs. Built on the
shores of the Mississippi river by the LeTourneau Company, it was launched in December 1955,
and christened 'Scorpion'. The Scorpion was put into operation in May 1956 off Port Aransas,
Texas. It was lost in 1969. [5][6][7]

Types[edit]
Larger lake- and sea-based offshore platforms and drilling rig for oil.
1, 2) conventional fixed platforms; 3) compliant tower; 4, 5) vertically moored tension leg and mini-tension
leg platform; 6) spar; 7, 8) semi-submersibles; 9) floating production, storage, and offloading facility; 10)
sub-sea completion and tie-back to host facility. [8]

Fixed platforms[edit]
Main article: Fixed Platform

A fixed platform base under construction on a Louisiana river

These platforms are built on concrete or steel legs, or both, anchored directly onto the seabed,
supporting the deck with space for drilling rigs, production facilities and crew quarters. Such
platforms are, by virtue of their immobility, designed for very long term use (for instance
the Hibernia platform). Various types of structure are used: steel jacket, concrete caisson,
floating steel, and even floating concrete. Steel jackets are structural sections made of tubular
steel members, and are usually piled into the seabed. To see more details regarding Design,
construction and installation of such platforms refer to:[9] and.[10]
Concrete caisson structures, pioneered by the Condeep concept, often have in-built oil storage in
tanks below the sea surface and these tanks were often used as a flotation capability, allowing
them to be built close to shore (Norwegian fjords and Scottish firths are popular because they are
sheltered and deep enough) and then floated to their final position where they are sunk to the
seabed. Fixed platforms are economically feasible for installation in water depths up to about
520 m (1,710 ft).

Compliant towers[edit]
Main article: Compliant Tower

These platforms consist of slender, flexible towers and a pile foundation supporting a
conventional deck for drilling and production operations. Compliant towers are designed to
sustain significant lateral deflections and forces, and are typically used in water depths ranging
from 370 to 910 metres (1,210 to 2,990 ft).

Semi-submersible platform[edit]
Main article: Semi-submersible

These platforms have hulls (columns and pontoons) of sufficient buoyancy to cause the structure
to float, but of weight sufficient to keep the structure upright. Semi-submersible platforms can be
moved from place to place and can be ballasted up or down by altering the amount of flooding in
buoyancy tanks. They are generally anchored by combinations of chain, wire rope or polyester
rope, or both, during drilling and/or production operations, though they can also be kept in place
by the use of dynamic positioning. Semi-submersibles can be used in water depths from 60 to
3,000 metres (200 to 10,000 ft).
Jack-up drilling rigs[edit]

400 feet (120 m) tall jackup rig being towed by tugboats, Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Main article: Jackup rig

Jack-up Mobile Drilling Units (or jack-ups), as the name suggests, are rigs that can be jacked up
above the sea using legs that can be lowered, much like jacks. These MODUs (Mobile Offshore
Drilling Units) are typically used in water depths up to 120 metres (390 ft), although some
designs can go to 170 m (560 ft) depth. They are designed to move from place to place, and then
anchor themselves by deploying their legs to the ocean bottom using a rack and pinion gear
system on each leg.

Drillships[edit]
Main article: Drillship

A drillship is a maritime vessel that has been fitted with drilling apparatus. It is most often used
for exploratory drilling of new oil or gas wells in deep water but can also be used for scientific
drilling. Early versions were built on a modified tanker hull, but purpose-built designs are used
today. Most drillships are outfitted with a dynamic positioning system to maintain position over
the well. They can drill in water depths up to 3,700 m (12,100 ft).[11]

Floating production systems[edit]

View of the Port of Las Palmas from the dock of La Esfinge

Main article: Floating production, storage and offloading

The main types of floating production systems are FPSO (floating production, storage, and
offloading system). FPSOs consist of large monohull structures, generally (but not always)
shipshaped, equipped with processing facilities. These platforms are moored to a location for
extended periods, and do not actually drill for oil or gas. Some variants of these applications,
called FSO (floating storage and offloading system) or FSU (floating storage unit), are used
exclusively for storage purposes, and host very little process equipment. This is one of the best
sources for having floating production.
The world's first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility is currently under development. See
the section on particularly large examplesbelow.
Tension-leg platform[edit]
Main article: Tension-leg platform

TLPs are floating platforms tethered to the seabed in a manner that eliminates most vertical
movement of the structure. TLPs are used in water depths up to about 2,000 meters (6,600 feet).
The "conventional" TLP is a 4-column design which looks similar to a semisubmersible.
Proprietary versions include the Seastar and MOSES mini TLPs; they are relatively low cost,
used in water depths between 180 and 1,300 metres (590 and 4,270 ft). Mini TLPs can also be
used as utility, satellite or early production platforms for larger deepwater discoveries.

Gravity-based structure[edit]
Main article: Gravity-based structure

A GBS can either be steel or concrete and is usually anchored directly onto the seabed. Steel
GBS are predominantly used when there is no or limited availability of crane barges to install a
conventional fixed offshore platform, for example in the Caspian Sea. There are several steel
GBS in the world today (e.g. offshore Turkmenistan Waters (Caspian Sea) and offshore New
Zealand). Steel GBS do not usually provide hydrocarbon storage capability. It is mainly installed
by pulling it off the yard, by either wet-tow or/and dry-tow, and self-installing by controlled
ballasting of the compartments with sea water. To position the GBS during installation, the GBS
may be connected to either a transportation barge or any other barge (provided it is large enough
to support the GBS) using strand jacks. The jacks shall be released gradually whilst the GBS is
ballasted to ensure that the GBS does not sway too much from target location.

Spar platforms[edit]

Devil's Tower spar platform

Main article: Spar (platform)

Spars are moored to the seabed like TLPs, but whereas a TLP has vertical tension tethers, a
spar has more conventional mooring lines. Spars have to-date been designed in three
configurations: the "conventional" one-piece cylindrical hull; the "truss spar", in which the
midsection is composed of truss elements connecting the upper buoyant hull (called a hard tank)
with the bottom soft tank containing permanent ballast; and the "cell spar", which is built from
multiple vertical cylinders. The spar has more inherent stability than a TLP since it has a large
counterweight at the bottom and does not depend on the mooring to hold it upright. It also has
the ability, by adjusting the mooring line tensions (using chain-jacks attached to the mooring
lines), to move horizontally and to position itself over wells at some distance from the main
platform location. The first production spar was Kerr-McGee's Neptune, anchored in 590 m
(1,940 ft) in the Gulf of Mexico; however, spars (such as Brent Spar) were previously used as
FSOs.
Eni's Devil's Tower located in 1,710 m (5,610 ft) of water in the Gulf of Mexico, was the world's
deepest spar until 2010. The world's deepest platform is currently the Perdido spar in the Gulf of
Mexico, floating in 2,438 metres of water. It is operated by Royal Dutch Shell and was built at a
cost of $3 billion.[12][13]
The first truss spars were Kerr-McGee's Boomvang and Nansen. [citation needed] The first (and only) cell
spar is Kerr-McGee's Red Hawk.[14]

Normally unmanned installations (NUI)[edit]

Main article: Normally unmanned installation

These installations, sometimes called toadstools, are small platforms, consisting of little more
than a well bay, helipad and emergency shelter. They are designed to be operated remotely
under normal conditions, only to be visited occasionally for routine maintenance or well work.

Conductor support systems[edit]

Main article: Conductor Support Systems

These installations, also known as satellite platforms, are small unmanned platforms consisting
of little more than a well bay and a small process plant. They are designed to operate in
conjunction with a static production platform which is connected to the platform by flow lines or
by umbilical cable, or both.

Particularly large examples[edit]

Troll A natural gas platform, a gravity-based structure, under construction in Norway. Almost all of the
600KT structure will end up submerged.

The Petronius Platform is a compliant tower in the Gulf of Mexico modeled after the Hess

Baldpate platform, which stands 2,000 feet (610 m) above the ocean floor. It is one of the world's
tallest structures.[15]
The Hibernia platform in Canada is the world's largest (in terms of weight) offshore platform,
located on the Jeanne D'Arc Basin, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland.
This gravity base structure (GBS), which sits on the ocean floor, is 111 metres (364 ft) high and
has storage capacity for 1.3 million barrels (210,000 m3) of crude oil in its 85-metre (279 ft) high
caisson. The platform acts as a small concrete island with serrated outer edges designed to
withstand the impact of an iceberg. The GBS contains production storage tanks and the
remainder of the void space is filled with ballast with the entire structure weighing in at 1.2
million tons.
Royal Dutch Shell is currently developing the first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility,
which will be situated approximately 200 km off the coast of Western Australia and is due for
completion around 2017.[16] When finished, it will be the largest floating offshore facility. It is
expected to be approximately 488m long and 74m wide with displacement of around 600,000t
when fully ballasted.[17]

Maintenance and supply[edit]

A typical oil production platform is self-sufficient in energy and water needs, housing electrical
generation, water desalinators and all of the equipment necessary to process oil and gas such
that it can be either delivered directly onshore by pipeline or to a floating platform or tanker
loading facility, or both. Elements in the oil/gas production process include wellhead, production
manifold, production separator, glycolprocess to dry gas, gas compressors, water injection
pumps, oil/gas export metering and main oil line pumps.
Larger platforms assisted by smaller ESVs (emergency support vessels) like the British Iolair that
are summoned when something has gone wrong, e.g. when a search and rescue operation is
required. During normal operations, PSVs (platform supply vessels) keep the platforms
provisioned and supplied, and AHTS vessels can also supply them, as well as tow them to
location and serve as standby rescue and firefighting vessels.

Crew[edit]
Essential personnel[edit]
Not all of the following personnel are present on every platform. On smaller platforms, one
worker can perform a number of different jobs. The following also are not names officially
recognized in the industry:

 OIM (offshore installation manager) who is the ultimate authority during his/her shift and
makes the essential decisions regarding the operation of the platform;
 operations team leader (OTL);
 offshore operations engineer (OOE) who is the senior technical authority on the platform;
 PSTL or operations coordinator for managing crew changes;
 dynamic positioning operator, navigation, ship or vessel maneuvering (MODU), station
keeping, fire and gas systems operations in the event of incident;
 automation systems specialist, to configure, maintain and troubleshoot the process
control systems (PCS), process safety systems, emergency support systems and vessel
management systems;
 second mate to meet manning requirements of flag state, operates fast rescue craft,
cargo operations, fire team leader;
 third mate to meet manning requirements of flag state, operate fast rescue craft, cargo
operations, fire team leader;
 ballast control operator to operate fire and gas systems;
 crane operators to operate the cranes for lifting cargo around the platform and between
boats;
 scaffolders to rig up scaffolding for when it is required for workers to work at height;
 coxswains to maintain the lifeboats and manning them if necessary;
 control room operators, especially FPSO or production platforms;
 catering crew, including people tasked with performing essential functions such as
cooking, laundry and cleaning the accommodation;
  production techs to run the production plant;
 helicopter pilot(s) living on some platforms that have a helicopter based offshore and
transporting workers to other platforms or to shore on crew changes;
 maintenance technicians (instrument, electrical or mechanical).
 Fully qualified medic.
 Radio operator to operate all radio communications.
 Store Keeper, keeping the inventory well supplied

4. he Anatomy of an Oil Rig

By John Bestoloffe
When it comes to drilling for oil, there are numerous apparatuses that are used. Drilling for oil can be
done either on land or offshore and depending on which type of drilling is being performed, the
equipment used will vary. When drilling is performed on land, the apparatus used is referred to as a
drilling rig, however when drilling is performed offshore, the apparatus is referred to as an oil
platform. Below you will mainly find information on drilling rigs, or the apparatuses that are used for
oil drilling on land.
Prior to drilling for oil, all of the necessary equipment must be transported to the drilling site and then
set up by the crew that will run the rig. Some of the major systems on a rig include the power
system, casing, rotating equipment, circulation equipment, and more.
Rotating Equipment
Rotating equipment is used for rotary drilling and includes the following components:
 Swivel – a big handle that holds the weight of a drill string and allows the string to rotate,
making a pressure tight seal on the drilling hole.
 Drill String – made up of the drill pipe (normally sections of drill pipe are about 30 feet and
are connected together) and drill collars which fit around the pipe in order to put weight on the
drill bit.
 Drill Bit – the very end of the drill which is capable of cutting through rock. Bits can come in
many different sizes and shapes and can be made of various materials including diamond and
carbide steel. Drill bits are specialized for different types of rock formations and drilling tasks.
 Rotary or Turntable – the component that drives rotating motion by utilizing power from
electric motors.
 Kelly – a four or six sided pipe that will transfer the rotary motion to the rotary table and drill
string.
Power Systems
The power systems of a rig are the main source of power for running all equipment and include the
following components:
 Electric Generators – generators that are powered through diesel engines in order to
provide electrical power to the rig.
 Diesel Engines – very large engines that burn diesel fuel in order to provide the main
source of power on the rig.
Circulation Equipment
The circulation system on a rig will pump pressurized drilling mud through the drill pipes, kelly, rotary
table, and drill collars. The circulation system consists of the following components:
 Pipes & Hoses – various parts that are used to connect a pump to the drilling apparatus.
 Pump – equipment that works to suck mud so it can be pumped into the drilling apparatus.
 Shale Shaker – a sieve that has the ability to separate cut up rock from mud.
 Mud Return Line – a line used to return mud from the mud pit.
 Shale Slide – a slide that transfers cut rock to the reserve pit.
 Mud Pit – the area where drilling mud is not only mixed but also recycled.
 Mud Mixing Hopper – the apparatus used to mix new mud after which it is sent to the mud
pits.
Mechanical System
 The mechanical system of a drilling rig is run by electric motors and consists of the following
components:
 Turntable – a piece of the drilling apparatus.
 Hoisting System – a system that is used to lift heavy loads. It consists of a mechanical
winch with a block and tackle pulley and big steel cable spool along with a receiving storage reel
for the cable.
Along with the systems and apparatuses listed above a drilling rig will also have a casing. A casing is
a concrete pipe with a large diameter that essentially lines the drill hole in order to prevent it from
collapsing. The casing also allows the drilling mud to easily circulate. The drilling rig will also have a
derrick which is the supporting structure responsible for holding the drilling apparatus. It is important
for the derrick to be long enough to allow new sections to be added to the drilling apparatus once the
oil drilling progresses. Another important component of a drilling rig is a blowout preventer. The
blowout preventer consists of high pressure valves that seal drill lines and can relieve pressure
whenever necessary in order to prevent a blowout. While the above equipment is used for land based
oil drilling, some of the same components are used for offshore drilling as well. Drilling for oil is a
difficult process that incorporates numerous different pieces of equipment and a crew that specializes
in setting up and running said equipment.
To learn more about oil drilling rigs, both land based and offshore, consult the following resources.
 How Oil Drilling Works
 Drilling Rig Components
 Oil & Gas Statistics
 Exploration & Production of Oil & Gas
 Oil Drilling & Refinement
 Life on an Oil Rig
 Drilling Site Preparation
 Drilling the Well
 Drilling For Oil & Gas