Technical Thesaurus oil
& gas
Letter
B.d.o.e.
Barrels/day oil equivalent. A convenient measure in
comparing different primary fuels. One b.d.o.e. is equivalent to: 50 metric
tonnes oil equivalent per annum or 76 metric tonnes of hard coal per annum or
2.1 10 BTU/annum.
B.o.e.
Barrels oil equivalent. One b.o.e. is equivalent to:
0.135 metric tonnes hard coal or 5.8 10 BTU.
Back off
To unscrew one threaded piece (as a section of pipe)
from another.
Back pressure
The pressure resulting from restriction of full flow
of liquids or gas.
Back pressure valve
A control valve which keeps a pre-set pressure in a
system.
Back-up
A term used to describe the process whereby one
section of drill pipe is held stationary using tongs while another section is
screwed out of or into it.
Back-up line
A wire rope used to hold one set of tongs in place
when two sections of drill pipe are being joined or separated.
Back-up post
A fixed post, column or stanchion to which the dead
end of the back-up line is secured.
Baffle collar
A special casing collar with a reduced bore which
serves as a stop for the bottom cementing plug. Usually installed 30 or
Baffles
Plates or obstructions built into a tank or other vessel
that change the direction of the flow of fluids or gases.
Bail
A cylindrical steel bar (similar to the handle or bail
of a bucket, only much larger) that supports the swivel and connects it to the
hook. Sometimes. the two cylindrical bars that support the elevators and attach
them to the hook are called bails. To recover bottomhole fluids, samples or
drill cuttings by lowering a cylindrical vessel called a bailer to the bottom
of a well, filling it, and retrieving it. See bailer.
Bailer
A long cylindrical container, fitted with a valve at
its lower end, used to remove water, sand. mud or oil from a well.
Ball and seat
The main parts of the valves in a plunger type oil
well pump.
Ball joint
A connector in a subsea, marine riser assembly whose
ball and socket design permits an angular deflection of the riser pipe caused
by horizontal movement of the drillship or floating platform of 10° or so in
all directions.
Ball valve
A type of quick-opening pipeline valve constructed
with a bored-through rotating ball which seals against the valve seats, placed
perpendicular to the valve bore in the valve's inlet and outlet ports. The
valve can be opened or closed with a one-quarter turn of the ball.
Ballast
Material (usually sea water) used in place of, or in
addition to, cargo to stabilise the ship. Ballast may be kept in separate
compartments to cargo or replace it in the same compartments.
Ballast voyage
The voyage from the port where the cargo is discharged
to the loading port.
Balling of the bit
The fouling of a rotary drilling bit in sticky,
gumbo-like shale which causes a serious drag on the bit and sometimes loss of
circulation.
Bar
Unit of pressure. One bar is equal to 987 etc.
Bar check
An echo sounder calibration method involving a bar
lowered below the sounder at a known depth; considered old fashioned in some
quarters.
Bar sweeping
A sweeping procedure using a beam suspended
horizontally under a vessel. The sweep passing over the bottom may be equipped
with rockers or other sensors to record contact with the bottom.
Bare boat charter
Charterer hires a vessel for a long period, appoints
the master and crew, and pays all operating expenses.
Barefoot completion:
A completion method in which the casing is cemented
down to a point immediately above the producing formation and the productive
layer is left unsupported. Also called open-hole completion.
Barge
A non-self propelled vessel used as a base for
drilling equipment, to carry cranes, support facilities, accommodation modules,
etc., to lay underwater pipelines or to transport crude oil or its products
over short distances.
Barite
Another name for barytes.
Barium sulfate
Barometer
An instrument for determining atmospheric pressure.
Barrel
The unit of volume measurement used for petroleum and
its products; 1 barrel = 42
Barrel wrench
A friction wrench used in repairing oil well pumps.
Barytes
Barium sulphate -a heavy mineral added to drilling mud
in order to increase its specific gravity (weight).
Base
A substance that reacts with an acid to form a salt
and water only.
Base sediment
Impurities and foreign matter contained in oil
produced from a well.
Baseline
Usually a line between two fixed points.
Baseline extension
In radio location, the extension of the baseline
beyond the transmitters.
Basement rock
Igneous or metamorphic rocks which underlie the
sediment of a basin. Basement rock does not usually contain petroleum deposits.
(Hydrocarbons have been found in fractured basement rocks in
Basic petrochemical
One of the primary raw materials produced from crude
oil by steam cracking or reforming. e.g. ethylene. benzene.
Basin
A synclinal structure in the subsurface. once the bed
of a prehistoric sea. Basins. composed of sedimentary rock, are regarded as
good prospects for oil exploration.
Basket sub
A fishing accessory run above a bit or mill to recover
small pieces of metal or junk in a well.
Bastard
Any equipment of non-standard shape or size.
Bathymetric chart
See chart.
Bathymetry
The determination of ocean depths. The general
configuration of sea floor as determined by profile analysis of depth data.
Beacon
A device that repetitively transmits a navigation
signal (nowadays radio).
Beam
The walking beam of a pumping jack or unit.
Beam pumping
A method of artificial lift in which fluid is lifted
by rods and pump actuated by the walking beam of a beam pumping unit.
Beam well
A well whose fluid is being lifted by rods and pump
actuated by a walking beam.
Bearing
The horizontal direction of one terrestrial point from
another, ex- pressed as the angular distance from a reference direction. It is
usually measured from 0 degrees at the reference direction clockwise through
360 degrees. The terms bearing and azimuth are sometimes used inter-
changeably, but in navigation the former customarily applies to terrestrial
objects and the latter to the direction of a point on the celestial sphere from
a point on the Earth. A bearing is designated as true, magnetic, or compass as
the reference direction is true, magnetic, or compass north.
Bearing (great circle)
The initial direction of a great circle through two
terrestrial points, ex- pressed as angular distance from a reference direction.
Bearing obtained by any form of radiant energy are great-circle bearings.
Bearing (magnetic)
Bearing relative to magnetic north. Compass bearing
corrected for magnetic deviation.
Bearing (outboard)
A shaft-supporting bearing outside the body or frame
of a pump's gear box or engine's crankcase, a bearing on a pump's pinion shaft
outside the gear box, a line-shaft bearing.
Bearing (relative)
Bearing relative to the heading of a craft.
Bearing (saddle)
A type of bearing for the support of a heavy,
slow-moving member, e.g. the wide bearing on the samson post that supports the
well's walking beam as it oscillates or rocks up and down.
Bearing (stirrup)
A bearing and its frame in the shape of a saddle
stirrup, e.g. the bearing connecting the pitman and the walking beam on an early-day
cable tool drilling or pumping well.
Bearing (true)
See bearing.
Bed
A geological term describing a stratum (layer of
sediment or sedimentary rock) of considerable thickness and uniform composition
and texture.
Bedrock
The firm base rocks into which a structure is
anchored.
2. The flow conduit above the BOP stack, which has a
belled out top section to allow easy passage of the bit.
Belt
A flexible band or cord connecting and passing about
each of two or more pulleys to transmit power or impart motion.
Bench marks (benchmarks)
A permanent, stable object containing a marked point
of known elevation with respect to a datum used as a reference level for tidal
observations or as a control point for levelling.
Bends
A serious (or even fatal) condition suffered by divers
who are decompressed too quickly -caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the
blood.
Bentonite
Clay added to drilling mud; also called smectite or
gel.
Benzene
An unsaturated ring compound with delocalised
electrons containing six carbon atoms (C6H6); one of the most important
petroleum-derived raw materials used in the chemical industry.
Berth
The jetty, pier or wall at which the ship moors for
loading or discharging. Hence .'berthing'. and .'inberthing" for reaching
and leaving the berth.
Bevelled coupling
Coupling with (non standard) bevelled ends used to
avoid hanging up when running parallel strings.
Bill of lading
A document which is a receipt for cargo received on
board and is evidence of the contract between shipper and shipowner. It is also
evidence of title to the goods described on it.
Biomass
With the word biomass we mean the non-fossil materials
of biological origin: agricultural and forest residues, waste from the
agricultural food and wood industry, livestock waste, the organic part of urban
waste and specific crops for producing energy. The energy contained in the
biomass is solar energy "fixed" by plants through photosynthesis with
the chlorophyll. The biomass, produced and used in a cyclical way: is a
renewable and environmentally-friendly energy resource. The use of biomass
produces valuable benefits on the environment and is part of an energy and
agricultural policy aiming at diversifying the sources of energy. Biomass has
no negative impact on the greenhouse effect since carbon dioxide, released
during the combustion, is reabsorbed by plants through the process of
photosynthesis with the chlorophyll.
Bird cage
Flattened and spread strands in a wire rope.
BIS
Bank for International Settlements
Bit
See drill bit.
Bit-breaker
A heavy metal plate which fits in the drilling table
and is used to hold the drill bit while it is being unscrewed from the drill
collar.
Bitmap
A Bitmap is an image captured from the incoming video
stream and stored on the hard disk as a windows file.
Bit-record
A report on each bit used in a drilling operation that
lists the bit type, the amount of footage the bit has drilled, and the nature
of the formation penetrated.
Bitumen
A mixture of extremely heavy hydrocarbons obtained
from the residue refining process; used for road surfacing, roofing, etc.
Black oils
A generic term for the heavier and darker coloured
petroleum products, particularly residual fuel oils of particular significance
in relation to transportation and storage since black oils are viscous and may
often require insulated or heated storage or transfer facilities.
Blanketing
To replace the air in or around process equipment with
an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to reduce oxidation, explosion or fire hazards.
Bleeding
To withdraw from a line or vessel a small portion of
the contained liquid at a slow rate.
Blind auction
See sealed bid auction.
Blind box
A solid steel bar, flat on the bottom and hardened,
used in wireline work when heavy downward blows have to be given.
Blind flange
A flange without centre-hole, used to seal off a
section of pipe.
Blind ram
An integral part of a blowout preventer that serves as
the closing element. Its ends do not fit around the drill pipe but seal against
each other and shut off the space below completely.
Block
See licence block
Block grease
A grease of high melting point that can be handled in
block or stick form. Block grease is used on large, slow-moving machinery, on
axles and crude bearings. In contact with a hot journal bearing, the grease
melts slowly, lubricating the bearing.
Block number
The number assigned to a particular licence block or
subdivision there of in a given national sector of the continental shelf.
Block valve
A valve which allows isolating a section of pipeline
or part of an installa- tion, e.g. on a crude oil or products trunk line placed
on each side of a pipeline river crossing to isolate possible leaks at the
crossing.
Blocks
The block and tackle system in a derrick that is used
to raise and lower the drill string. See crown block and travelling block.
Blocks
The blocks and tackle system in a derrick that is used
raise and lower the drill - see crown block and travelling block.
Blooey line
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. See air drilling.
Blow moulding
A plastic-forming process that makes use of compressed
air to shape the final product by expanding it to fit the mould.
Blowing a well
Opening a well to let it blow for a short period to
free the well tubing or casing of accumulations of water, sand, or other
deposits.
Blowout
The situation that occurs when gas, oil or salt water
escapes in an uncontrolled manner from a well due either to a release of
pressure in the reservoir rock that the various containment systems fail to
check or to the failure of the containment systems during production.
Blowout preventer (BOP)
A hydraulically operated wellhead device designed to
ensure that a blowout cannot occur.
Boiling point
The temperature of a liquid at which its vapour
pressure equals the external pressure. Boiling liquids are normally quoted for
standard atmospheric pressure. At a fixed pressure, a liquid will not exceed
its I boiling point and further heating merely converts more liquid to vapour.
Boll-weevil
Slang for an inexperienced rig or oil field worker,
sometimes shortened to weevil. Also a bowl-type tubing hanger.
Bomb
A thick-walled container, usually steel, used to hold
samples of oil or gas under pressure. See bottomhole pressure.
Bond
A chemical bond is the link by which atoms are joined
together in a molecule.
Bonded goods
Imported goods deposited in a Government warehouse
until duty is paid.
Bonnet
The upper part of a valve that encloses the packing
gland.
Boom
A structure used to support a pipeline during laying
(see stinger) or to confine an oil slick (see containment boom).
Boomer
A medium energy acoustic profiling source; towed at
surface or deep; data is recorded in analogue mode; multiple of water depth:
tens of metres. Seismic instrument for shallow penetration work; the boomer
transducer produces acoustic pulses by the motion of a metal plate in the
water.
Booster platform
A platform built part of the way along an mould oil or
gas underwater pipeline in order to boost the pumping process.
Booster station
An intermediate pumping station usually on a main line
or trunk line, which receives crude from an upstream section and discharges it
into a downstream section of the line.
Booth
A tall section of large diameter pipe inside or
outside a (usually) dehydration tank which acts as a surge vessel and
atmospheric separator for the crude oil before it enters the tank.
BOP stack
Blowout preventer stack. An assembly of blowout
preventers and associated equipment mounted on the well-head for the purpose of
controlling down hole pressure. A typical stack would comprise riser connector,
an annular blowout preventer, kill and choke line connectors, drilling spool
and well-head connector. These components may be arranged in many different configurations
and have pressure ratings to suit particular requirements, depending on the
drilling programme and whether control is effected manually or remotely.
Borehole
The well bore; the hole made by drilling or boring.
See well bore.
Bottom profiler
An echo sounder for precision surveys of the sea
bottom surface.
Bottom sample
A portion of the sea bottom material brought to the
surface for examination.
Bottomhole
The lowest or deepest part of a well, pertaining to
the bottom of the well bore.
Bottomhole assembly (BHA)
The lower end of the drill string comprising the drill
bit, drill collars, heavyweight drill pipe and ancillary equipment.
Bottomhole choke
A device with a restricted opening placed in the lower
end of the tubing to control the rate of flow. See choke.
Bottomhole pressure
1. The pressure at the bottom of a borehole. It is
caused by the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid in the hole and,
sometimes, any back-pressure held at the surface as when the well is shut in
with blowout preventers. When mud is being circulated, bottom hole pressure is
the hydrostatic pressure plus the remaining circulating pressure required to
move the mud up the annulus.
2. The pressure in a well at a point opposite the producing
formation, as recorded by a bottomhole pressure bomb.
Bottoms
A term used to describe the heavy portion of the feed
to a distillation operation. This is the part which does not vapourise during
the operation. Storage tank "bottoms" refers to the accumulation of
sediment, mud and water.
Bourdon gauge
An instrument for measuring the pressure of steam or
other gases.
Box
The female section of a tool joint. See tool joint.
Brackish water
Water containing low concentrations of any soluble
salts.
Brake
A device for arresting the motion of a mechanism,
usually by means of friction, as in the drawworks brake. Compare electrodynamic
brake and hydromatic brake.
Break circulation
To start movement of the drilling or workover fluid
after it has been quiescent in the hole.
Breakout
The process whereby one section of drill pipe is
unscrewed from another; sometimes also used to refer to promotions within the
drilling team.
Breakout cathead
A device attached to the shaft of the drawworks that
is used as a power source for unscrewing drill pipe; usually located opposite
the driller's side of the drawworks. See cathead.
Breakout tongs
Tongs that are used to start unscrewing one section of
pipe from another section, especially drill pipe coming out of the hole. Also
called lead tongs. See tongs.
Breathing apparatus
Devices which provide a worker with a supply of air
independent of the atmosphere around him.
Brent blend
The principle grade of U.K. North Sea crude oil in
international oil trading, originating from the Brent and other fields of the
Bridge
An obstruction in a well formed by intrusion of
subsurface formations, or in tubing by formation sand.
Bridge plug
An expandable plug used in a well's casing to isolate
producing zones or to plug back to produce for a shallower formation, also to
isolate a section of the bore hole to be filled with cement when a well is
plugged.
Bridle
The cable sling between .'horsehead" and polished
rod on a pumping well.
Bring in a well
To complete a well and put it in producing status.
British Thermal Unit (BTU)
The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature
of lib. of water through I degree Fahrenheit. 1000 BTU = 252 kcal
Broadcast ephemeris
Ephemeris transmitted by a satellite which describes
its position and orbital parameters.
Broker
An agent employed (at a customary or an agreed rate of
commission or remuneration) to buy or sell goods, merchandise, or marketable
securities, or to negotiate insurances, freight rates, or other matters, for a
principle; the sales or transactions being negotiated not in his name but in
that of the principal.
Bubble cap
A covered hole in a tray of a fractionating column via
which vapour bubbles travel upwards through the liquid in the tray.
Buck up
To tighten up a threaded connection (as two joints of
drill pipe).
Bull plug
A short, closed pipe fitting used to plug the open end
of a pipe or throat of a valve.
Bullet perforator
A tubular device that, when lowered to a selected
depth within a well, fires bullets through the casing to provide holes through
which the well fluids may enter.
Bumper sub
A slip-joint that is part of the string of drill pipe
used in drilling from a drillship to absorb the vertical motion of the ship
caused by wave action. The slip joint is inserted above the heavy drill collars
in order to maintain the weight of the collars on the drill bit as the drill
pipe above the slip joint moves up and down with motion of the ship.
Bumper sub (fishing)
A hydraulically actuated tool installed in the fishing
string above the fishing tool to produce a jarring action. When the fishing
tool has a firm hold on the lost drillpipe or tubing. which may also be stuck
fast in the hole, the bumper sub imparts a jarring action to help free the
fish.
Bundwall
Concrete or earth wall surrounding crude oil or
refined product storage tanks. These are designed to hold the tank contents
should the tank rupture or spring a major leak.
Bunker fuel
Residual fuel oil {i.e. Bunker C grade) or middle
distillates used for bunkering ships.
Bunter
The lowest series of formations laid down during the
Triassic Period of geological time; it includes sandstones that sometimes
contain hydrocarbon traps.
Buoy (radio beacon)
A buoy equipped with a marker radio beacon.
Buoy (survey)
A buoy used by survey ships to control hydrographic
surveys. See also buoy-control method.
Buoy-control method
A system of accurately located buoys on which
three-point fixes could be observed. or to which distances could be measured by
radio acoustic methods for extending hydrographic surveys beyond the visibility
of shore control.
Burning pit
A sump made by excavation or of built-up earthworks in
which oil or gas from a well during flow tests may be safely burnt.
Burning point
The lowest temperature at which a liquid in an open
vessel will continue to burn when ignited by a flame. This temperature
determines the degree of safety with which kerosene and other illuminates may
be used.
Bury barge
A barge used to dig a trench for an underwater
pipeline.
Butadiene
An unsaturated derivative of butane; one of the most
important raw materials used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.
Butadiene-styrene copolymer
A polymer manufactured from butadiene and styrene; an
important raw material in the plastics and rubber industries.
Butane
The saturated hydrocarbon {alkane) with four carbon
atoms in its molecule {C4H 10); the fourth member of the paraffin series; a gas
at atmospheric pressure and normal temperature, but easily liquefied by
pressure for transportation and subsequent use.
Butterfly valve
A type of quick-opening valve whose orifice is opened
and closed by a disc that pivots on a shaft in the throat of the valve.
Buy-back price
The purchase price that an oil company pays to a State
for oil that the company produces but which belongs to the State.
By-pass
A pipe connected around a valve or other control mechanism
in a flow line in order to maintain flow during adjustments or repair.
By-pass valve
A valve by which the flow of liquid or gas in a system
may be shunted past a part of the system through which it normally flows; a
valve that controls an alternate route for liquid or gas.
By-product
A substance obtained incidentally during the
manufacture or production of some other substance
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