Oil & Gas Glossary 1.0

The valve on the choke and flow line that is nearest to the preventer assembly. Its purpose is to stop the flow through the choke and flow line.

An extension from the blowout preventer assembly used to direct control the flow of well fluids from the annulus to the choke.

A device placed in a choke line that regulates the flow through the choke. Flow depends on the size of the opening in the bean; the larger the opening, the greater the flow.

A pipe attached to the blowout preventer stack out of which kick fluids and mud can be pumped to the choke manifold when a blowout preventer is closed in on a kick.

A choke in which the orifice size must be changed to change the rate of flow through the choke.

Abbreviation: choke-line friction pressure.

A set of controls, usually placed on the rig floor, that is manipulated to control the amount of drilling fluid being circulated through the choke manifold. This procedure is necessary when a kick is being circulated out of a well. See choke manifold.

An arrangement of piping and special valves, called chokes. In drilling, mud is circulated through a choke manifold when the blowout preventers are closed. In well testing, a choke manifold attached to the wellhead allows flow and pressure control for test components downstream.

A device inserted in a flow line to regulate the rate of flow.

A device with a restricted opening placed in the lower end of the tubing to control the rate of flow. See choke.

In a well-control operation, closing the BOP without first opening an alternate flow path up the choke line. When the BOP is closed, pressure in the annulus cannot be read on the casing pressure gauge.

A bottomhole choke run on wireline and landed in a nipple profile in the tubing string.

A small-diameter metal line used in wireline operations. Also called slick line. Compare conductor line.

A device run on cable-tool drilling line, a service machine, or sand line of a rotary rig to drill up tools, remove downhole debris, and so on.

A method of killing a well that has kicked, in which the choke size is adjusted to maintain a constant casing pressure. This method does not work unless the kick is all or nearly all salt water. if the kick is gas, this method will not maintain a constant bottomhole pressure, because gas expands as it rises in the annulus. In any case, it is not a recommended well-control procedure.

1. a scraping tool that is forced through a pipeline or flow line to clean out accumulations of wax, scale, and debris from the walls of the pipe. It travels with the flow of product in the line, cleaning the pipe walls by means of blades or brushes affixed to it. Also called a line scraper or a go-devil.

A cable composed of steel wires twisted around a central core of fiber or steel wire to create a rope of great strength and considerable flexibility. Wire rope is used as drilling line (in rotary and cable-tool rigs), coring line, servicing line, winch line, and so on. It is often called cable or wireline; however, wireline is a single, slender metal rod, usually very flexible. Compare wireline.

A small plug that is run through a flow line by pressure to clean the line or test for obstructions (see pig).

A wireline attached to a mast, derrick, or offshore platform to stabilize it. See wind guy line.

To string a wire rope drilling line through the sheaves of the traveling and crown blocks to the hoisting drum.

A small hydraulic line used to communicate fluid from the surface to a downhole tool, such as a subsurface safety valve.

To thread the drilling line through the sheaves of the crown block and traveling block. One end of the line is secured to the hoisting drum and the other to the derrick substructure.

The discharge pipe from a well being drilled by air drilling. The blooey line is used to conduct the air or gas used for circulation away from the rig to reduce the fire hazard as well as to transport the cuttings a suitable distance from the well.

A wire rope used to support the drilling tools. Also called the rotary line.

A storm choke

A tubing safety valve.

A buried weight or anchor to which a guy line is attached. See deadman.

A short length of pipe (a nipple) installed on top of the blowout preventer. The top end of the nipple is flared, or belled, to guide drill tools into the hole and usually has side connections for the fill line and mud return line.

A trough or pipe that is placed between the surface connections at the wellbore and the shale shaker and through which drilling mud flows upon its return to the surface from the hole. Also called flow line.

A small-diameter conductive line used in electric wireline operations, such as electric well logging and perforating, in which the transmission of electrical current is required. Compare wireline.

A choke, used to regulate flow of fluid from a well. Different sizes of beans are used for different producing rates.

A device used to control the rate of flow in a line to open or shut off a line completely, or to serve as an automatic or semiautomatic safety device. Those used extensively include the check valve, gate valve, globe valve, needle valve, plug valve, and pressure relief valve.

4. in hydrostatic testing of a pipeline, a scraper used inside the line to push air out ahead of the test water and to push water out after the test. v: to force a device called a pig through a pipeline or a flow line for the purpose of cleaning the interior walls of the pipe, separating different products, or displacing fluids.

In well-control operations, closing the BOP's with the choke and HCR, or fail-safe, valves open. Compare hard shut-in.

See back-pressure

A fitting placed in the blowout preventer stack to provide space between preventers for facilitating stripping operations, to permit attachment of choke and kill lines, and for localizing possible erosion by fluid flow to the spool instead of to the more expensive pieces of equipment.

A well is considered "stabilized" when, in the case of a flowing well, the rate of production through a given size of choke remains constant, or, in the case of pumping well, when the fluid column within the well remains constant in height.

A method of killing a well in which the mud level in the pits is held constant while the choke size is reduced and the pump speed slowed. It is not effective, and therefore, is not recommended, because casing pressure increases to the point at which the formation fractures or casing ruptures, and control of the well is lost.

2. to tie up short with a line.

Abbreviation: through-the-flow-line.

To lower a load or ease up on a line.

A hoisting or pulling line operated from a cathead.

The surface pipe through which oil travels from a well to processing equipment or to storage.

To loosen a tight joint as in line pipe or sucker rods.

Connection of treating line during well servicing, from pump trucks to tree/well

A device to monitor rate of fluid from the annulus.

2. a hole or opening in a line or vessel into which a gauge or valve may be inserted and screwed tight.

1. a device that is inserted into a pipeline for the purpose of cleaning; a line scraper. Also called a pig.

A threaded nipple with a rounded, closed end used to stop up a hole or close off the end of a line.

A length of drill or line pipe, tubing, or casing considerably shorter than 30 feet.

A device attached to pipeline to permit continuous sampling of the oil, gas, or product flowing in the line.

The wireline attached to ground anchors to provide lateral support for a mast or derrick.

A piece of wood or concrete, usually buried, to which a wire guy line is attached for bracing a mast or tower.

A surface device used in slickline operations to keep the line lubricated and provide grease for pressure control

A surface device used in slickline operations to keep the line lubricated and provide grease for pressure control

An assembly of pulleys on a common framework; in mechanics, one or more pulleys, or sheaves, mounted to rotate on a common axis. The crown block is an assembly of sheaves mounted on beams at the top of the derrick. The drilling line is reeved over the sheaves of the crown block alternately which the sheaves of the traveling block, which is raised and lowered in the derrick by the drilling line. When elevators are attached to a hook on the traveling block and drill pipe latched in the elevators, the pipe can be raised or lowered. See crown block and traveling block.

A vertical pipe rising along the side of the derrick or mast, which joins the discharge line leading from the mud pump to the rotary hose and through which mud is pumped going into the hole.

A sheave or pulley that can be opened up for putting a line over the roller or sheave.

A pipe through which pressure is bled, as from a pressurized tank, vessel, or other pipe.

A device placed on a piece of equipment that is lowered into a wellbore so that the equipment may be retrieved by wire line.

A device for maintaining pressure in a line, downstream from the value.

An arrangement of pulleys, or sheaves, through which drilling line is reeved and which moves up and down in the derrick or mast. See block.

The smaller of the side fittings on a bell nipple, used to fill the hole when drill pipe is being removed from the well.

An assembly of sheaves, mounted on beams at the tope of the derrick, over which the drilling line is reeved. See block.

A loss of pressure that results from friction sustained by a fluid passing through a line, valve, fitting, or other device.

A plug in the flow line at the well head which has a small hole drilled through it through which oil flows, and which keeps a well from flowing at too high a rate.

The hoisting mechanism on a drilling rig. It is essentially a large winch that spools off or takes in the drilling line and thus raises or lowers the drill stem and bit.

1. a pipe connection around a valve or other control mechanism that is installed to permit passage of fluid through the line while adjustments or repairs are being made on the control.

A device used to direct fluid flowing from a well away from the drilling rig. When a kick is encountered at shallow depths, the well often cannot be shut in safely; therefore, a diverter is used to allow the well to flow through a side outlet (a diverter line).

A long, hollow cylinder, usually steel, through which fluids are conducted. Oilfield tubular goods are casing (including liners), drill pipe, tubing, or line pipe

A device that reduces the pressure or volume of a fluid flowing in a line and maintains the pressure or volume at a specified level.

Any equipment designed to be pumped down a completed well to effect a repair, modify the well's flow, or for other reasons.

A break in subsurface strata. Often strata on one side of the fault line have been displaced (upward, downward, or laterally) relative to their original positions.

A cylindrical or spherical device that is affixed to the end of a wireline just above the hook to keep the line straight and to provide weight. v: to soak metal pieces in a chemical solution to remove dirt and scale from the metal's surface.

A wireline used on drilling rigs and well servicing rigs to operate a swab or bailer, to retrieve cores or to run logging devices. It is usually 9/16 of an inch (15 millimeters) in diameter and several thousand feet or meters long

A device that continually measures and may record the flow rate of mud returning from the annulus and flowing out of the mud return line. If the mud does not flow at a fairly constant rate, a kick or lost circulation may have occurred.

A hollow, rubber-faced cylinder mounted on a hollow mandrel with a pin joint on the upper end to connect to the swab line. A check valve that opens upward on the lower end provides a way to remove the fluid from the well when pressure is insufrficien5t to support flow.

The equipment included in the drilling fluid circulating system of a rotary rig. Basically, the components consist of the mud pump, rotary hose, swivel, drill stem, bit, and mud return line.

Any kind of pipe. Oilfield tubular goods include tubing, casing, drill pipe, and line pipe. Also called tubulars.

See electric well log

A flange equipped with plastic pieces to separate its metal parts, thus preventing the flow of electric current. Insulating flanges are often used in cathodic protection systems to prevent electrolytic corrosion and are sometimes installed when a flow line is being attached to a wellhead.

Process of separating, or breaking down, an emulsion into oil and water in a vessel or tank on a continuous basis (i.e., no interruption of flow of emulsion into the tank or vessel). Compare batch treating.

1. an automatic valve that opens or closes when an abnormal condition occurs (e.g., a pressure relief valve on a separator that opens if the pressure exceeds the set point, or the shutdown valve at the wellhead that closes if the line pressure becomes too high or too low).

A valve that opens at a preset pressure to relieve excessive pressures within a vessel or line. Also called a relief valve, safety valve, or safety relief valve.

A device that controls the rate of flow of fluid in a line or opens or shuts off the flow of fluid completely. When open, the sealing surface of the valve is moved away from a seat; when closed, the sealing surface contacts the seat to shut off flow. The direction of movement of the valve is usually perpendicular to the seat. Popper valves are used extensively as pneumatic (air) controls on drilling rigs and as intake and exhausts valves in most internal-combustion engines.

A formation fluid sampling device, actually run on conductor line rather than wireline, that also logs flow and shut-in pressure in rock near the borehole. A spring mechanism holds a pad firmly against the sidewall while a piston creates a vacuum in a test chamber. Formation fluids enter the tes5t chamber through a valve in the pad. A recorder logs the rate at which the test chamber is filled. Fluids may also be drawn to fill a sampling chamber. Wireline formation tests may be done any number of times during one tip in the hole, so they are very useful in formation testing.

A device that prevents leakage along a piston, rod, propeller shaft, or other moving part that passes through a hole in a cylinder or vessel. It consists of a box or chamber made by enlarging the hole and a gland containing compressed packing. On a well being artificially lifted by means of a sucker rod pump, the polished rod operates through a stuffing box, preventing escape of oil and diverting it into a side outlet to which is connected the flow line leading to the oil and gas separator or to the field storage tank. For a bottomhole pressure test, the wireline goes through a stuffing box and lubricator, allowing the gauge to be raised and lowered against well pressure. The lubricator provides a pressure-tight grease seal in the stuffing box.