Oil Field And Oil Rig Job Lingo, Slang, And Terminology

Many of you are seeking info and advice about how to get jobs in the oil industry in North Dakota and like most people first starting out you may not be familiar with the types of jobs available let alone the lingo and slang regarding the jobs, equipment, and the industry. Here is a list of oil industry and oil rig info you should know if you're seeking a career in the oil fields of Western North Dakota.

Bell Nipple An enlarged pipe at the top of a casing string that acts as a funnel to guide the driling tools into the top of the well.

Blowout An uncontrolled release of pressure from underground which can cost a loss of life as well as property. A wild wel is a blowout that is on fire and has not yet been put out or extinguished.

Cat Line A smaller cable used with toher equiptment to move tools and drillstring components and to provide tension on the tongs and/or tightening or loosening connections.

Catwalk Platform below the vee door and slide that are used to stage pipe and tools to be lifted up to the rig floor.

Doodlebugger A seismic company employee conduscting seismic surveys in the field.

Doghouse Enclosure on the rig floor where the crew can shelter from weather.

Elevator A hinged device that may be closed around the drill pipe or other drillstring components to allow you to lower them into the wellbore or lifting them out of the wellbore.

Frac Job An operation that involves large pumps that force water or other fluids down the casing and out int the formation which fractures the soil so that gas can be released.

Fish Any object that has been dropped or lost down the hole.

Flare Device located away from the drilling rig used to burn off gas that has been encountered and is flowing up the well bore. It is also the act of burning this gas.

Fishing The act of using specialised tools  lowered downhole on the drillstring to retrieve a fish.

Gas Buster A seperate vessel used to remove free or entrained gas from the fluids circulated in the wellbore, such as drillihng mud used during the drilling operation.s

Hand A rig worker or service hand that has passed the "worm" stage and can work unsupervised.

Intelligent Well An oil or gas qwell equipped with monitoring equipment and completion components that can be adjusted to optimize production, either automatically or with some human help.

Jackup Rig A self contaned combination drilling rig and floating barge fitted with long support legs that can be raised or lowered independently of each other.

Kick An intrusion of pressurized gas into the wellbore that causes drilling fluid to be displaced. This can be the prelude to a blowout.

Kill To stop a well from flowing or having the ability to flow into the wellbore. Kill procedures are involving circulating fluids out of the wellbore or pumping heavier mudd into the wellbore or possibly both.

Knowledge Box Metal box in the doghouse containing the drilling report pipe tally and other important papers.

Liner A casing string that does not extend to the top of the wellbore but is anchored or suspended from the inside the bottom of the previous casing string.

Monkeyboard A platofrm about midway up the Derrick wher ethe derrickman works and racks pipe.

Mud Drilling Fluid

Mud Man A drilling fluids technician responsible for formulating drilling mud or fluid.

Mud Logger A service hand working for a mudd logging company often a geologist that checks the cuttings from the drill bit for type of rock and traces of oil or gas and checks for concentrations of hydrocarbons in the drilling mud and notes these on a log which is like a foot by foot map of the well.

Nipple Up To put together connect parts and plumbing or otherwise make ready for use. This term is usally reserved for the installation of a BOP or blow out prevention stack.


2 comments:

  1. This post is very helpful for entry level people looking for jobs in the oil and gas industry to become familiarized with the slang and terms that are popularly used by oil field workers. Words like Catwalk Platform and Monkeyboard can sound strange, but are relevant for oil field workers. Thanks for posting this article.

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    1. Yeah it can be overwhelming at first. A friend provided me this list before I started working and it was nice at least knowing some lingo and knowing what was going on. You learn quick though. Thanks for the comment.

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