Covers the different equipment and drilling methodology used during the oil exploration process.

1. Oil Drilling Equipment and Methodology
The drilling rig, tall and noisy, has become an iconic American image of
industry. The main task that the drilling rig needs to perform is to
efficiently drill a hole into the earth surface in order to reach gas and
oil pockets. Small in diameter, the hole that these drilling rigs bore can
run as deep as several thousands of feet. The reason the hole needs to
penetrate the
ground for such a
long distance is so
that it can
ultimately reach
the trapped
pockets of oil and
gas that are
buried deep below
the earth’s
surface.
The most
noticeable feature of the drilling rig is what we refer to as the “mast”
or “derrick”. This is easily recognizable as the tall structure right above
the hole being drilled. Some masts can reach heights as tall as 60
meters or 200 feet. In order to drill a hole this far down the drill itself
must be very durable and strong. For this reason the drill is very heavy
and requires that the mast be of sufficient strength in order to support
the weight of the different tools used in the drilling process.
In order to drill several thousand feet below the Earth’s surface rig
engineers need to incrementally add to the length of the drill. It is
necessary for the mast to be as tall as it is in order to accommodate
the extremely large segments of pipe that rig engineers need to join
together to increase the length of the drill.
The individual pieces of drill pipe are known as joints. At the end of all
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2. the joined pipe segments of the drill is the bit. The bit is the drilling
element that is actually responsible for carving away the earth and
essentially boring the hole. The amount of weight that is applied to the
drill bit during operation, is regulated by a hoist known as the
drawworks
There are two main types of drilling methods that exist. One is known
as cable-tool and the other is rotary. The cable-tool method goes back
several centuries, and yet was still used as a modern drilling technique
as recently as the 1940’s. This method is well suited for drilling
through hard-rock. Drake and Smith used this method of drilling at Oil
Creek as did many others
during the same period.
Although a very effective
general drilling method it
does not work well in
sandy or muddy conditions.
Another problem is that
and crews are responsible
for removing the soil and
rock the bit carves out.
The cable-tool method
works by attaching a large
heavy bit to a cable, and
then raising the bit slightly
before letting it fall to the
ground. The cable and bit
are attached to a seesaw
type of mechanism that
allows the bit to be raised
and dropped repeatedly in
a very short amount of
time. Specific to a cable-
tool rig is the seesaw
mechanism that is
responsible for raising and
lowering the bit. It is referred to as the walking beam and it is mounted
in the mast. By the peak of this style of drilling in the 1920’s, many
cable-tool rigs had started to power their walking beams with a steam
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3. powered engine. The
tall mast was used to lift
the bit out of the hole so
that it could be worked
on directly. When
dropping the bit into the
ground several weights
atop the bit, named
sinker bars, would help
the bit to penetrate the
rock.
The bit for a cable-tool
rig is more similar to a
blade than the bit for a
rotary rig. A rotary drill
bit has several adjacent
rows of extremely sharp
edges that work to grind out the rock with every revolution of the drill.
In a rotary drill rig configuration, the drill consists of several joints of
metal pipe that create one long conduit. In order to reach the
foundation the rig workers
occasionally need to add another
pipe joint to extend the length of the
drill.
Rotation for the drill is created by
either a rotary table, or by a top
drive mechanism. You can think of a
rotary table as a heavy, oversized
turntable. Top drives use electronic
motors to power the drill.
Regardless of which rotation method
is employed, the system would not
work without the addition of fluid
circulation.
While the drill is working away
boring a hole, a second system,
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4. powered by a large industrial pump, is circulating a muddy fluid
through the main pipe that will carry out of the hole, and remove, any
of the rock debris that is created during drilling. Another benefit of the
drilling mud is that it also cools down and oils the bit. The final benefit
to the drilling mud is the greatest benefit of all. The mud forms a wall
cake in the hole that prevents sandy or muddy foundations from
seeping into, and ruining, the hole while it is being drilled.
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©2009 Heartland Energy Development Corporation