abando

on
v: to temporrarily or perm
manently ce
ease producttion from a well
w or to cease further drilling
d
operations.

abnorm
mal pressure e
n: pressure outside the normal or expected
e ran
nge.
abrasio
on
n: wearing away
a by fricttion.
accumuulator
n: the storag
ge device fo
or nitrogen pressurized
p h
hydraulic flu
uid, which is used in ope
erating
the blowoutt preventers.

acetic a
acid
n: an organic acid comp pound some etimes used to acidize oilwells.
o
acid fra
acture
v: to part or open fractu
ures in limesstone formattions by usin
ng fluid unde
er hydraulic
pressure.
acidize
v: to treat fo ng production.
ormations wiith acid for the purpose of increasin

acid stiimulation
n: a well stim
mulation meethod using acid. See accidize.
aerationn
n: the introd
duction of airr or gas into
o a liquid.
AESC A Association n of Energy Service Co ompanies
n: a trade association thhat represen nts the intere
ests of memmbers of the energy servvice
segment of the oil and gas
g industryy. It offers pu ublications regarding
r rec
commended d
industry praactices and training
t mate erials.
air hois
st
n: a hoist opperated by compressed
c air; a pneum matic hoist. Air hoists are often mouunted
on the rig flo
oor and mayy be used too lift joints off pipe and otther heavy objects.
o
ANSI AAmerican Na ational Stanndards Institute
n: a non-proofit organiza
ation (501(c)3) that administers and coordinates s voluntary
standardiza ation and connformity asssessment syystem.

API Am
merican Petrroleum Insttitute
n: a trade association and a standard ds organizattion that represents the interests of the oil
and gas ind dustry. It offe
ers publicatio ng standardss, recommended practicces, and
ons regardin
other industtry related in nformation.
annularr blowout preventer
p
n: a well con ntrol device, usually installed abovee the ram prreventers, th hat forms a seal
s in
the annular space betw ween the pipe and well bore
b or, if no
o pipe is pressent, over th
he well
bore itself.
annularr pressure
n: pressure in an annular space.

annulus
s
n: the space
e around a pipe
p in a well bore, sometimes term
med the annu
ular space.
API-monagram
adj; the logo of the American Petroleum Institute (API) that is placed on certain pieces of
oilfield equipment by the equipment manufacturer. API licenses the use of the monogram
on equipment that meets the API's minimum standards. It offers publications regarding
standards, recommended practices, and other industry related information. Address:
1220 L Street NW; Washington, DC 20005; (202) 682-8000
artificial lift
n: any method used to raise oil to the surface after a well ceases to flow.

babbitt
v: line with a Babbitt metal. n: a lead/tin alloy with some copper and antimony.
backbite
v: reverse backlash of tongs, left on a pipe or collar, during the pipe spinning operations.
back off
v: to unscrew one threaded piece (such as a section of pipe) from another.
back-in unit
n: a portable servicing or workover rig that is self-propelled, using the hoisting engines for motive
power. Because the driver's cab is mounted on the end opposite the mast support, the unit must
be backed up to the wellhead.
bail
n: 1. 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.
bailer
n: a long, cylindrical container fitted with a valve at its lower end, used to remove water, sand,
mud, drilling cuttings, or oil from a well in cable-tool drilling.
ball-and-seat valve
n: a device used to restrict fluid flow to one direction. It consists of a polished sphere, or ball,
usually of metal, and an annular piece, the seat, ground and polished to form a seal with the
surface of the ball. Gravitational force or the force of a spring holds the ball against the seat.
Flow in the direction of the force is prevented, while flow in the opposite direction overcomes the
force and unseats the ball.
ball-out
v: to plug open perforations by using ball sealers.
barite
n: barium sulfate, BaSO4; a mineral frequently used to increase the weight or density of drilling
mud. Its relative density is 4.2 (meaning that it is 4.2 times denser than water). See barium
sulfate, mud.
barium sulfate
n: a chemical compound of barium, sulfur, and oxygen (BaSO4), which may form a tenacious
scale that is very difficult to remove. Also called barite.
barrel
(bbl) n: 1. a measurre of volumee for petroleu
um productss in the Unite
ed States. One
O barrel iss the
equivaleent of 42 U.S
S. gallons or 0.15899 cu ubic meters (9,702 cubic inches).
basket
n: a devvice placed in the drill orr work string
g that catche
es debris wh
hen a drillablle object is being
b
milled o
or drilled dow
wnhole.
beam
n: a stee
el or other structural
s me
ember.
beam p
pumping un
nit
n: a macchine designned specificcally for suckker rod pump
ping. An enggine or motoor (prime mo
over) is
mounted d on the uniit to power a rotating craank. The cra
ank moves a horizontal member (wa alking
beam) uup and down n to produce e reciprocating motion. This
T reciproccating motio
on operates the
pump.

belt
n: a flexxible band orr cord conne
ecting and wrapping
w aro
ound each of
o two or morre pulleys to
o
transmitt power or immpart motionn.
belt gua
ard
o cover for a belt and pulleys.
n: a protective grill or p
bent su
ub

n: a sho ort cylindrica

al device (ge
enerally angu
ular) installe
ed in the drilll stem betwe
een the botttommost
drill colla
ar and a dow wnhole moto or.
bit
n: the cu
utting or borring elementt used in drilling oil and gas wells.
bit prog
gram
n: a plan
n for the exp
pected numb
ber and type
es of bits tha
at are to be used in drilliing a well.
bit reco
ord
n: a report that lists each bit used during a drilling operration.
bit sub
n: a sub
b inserted be
etween the drill
d collar an
nd the bit.
bleed
ain off liquid or gas, generally slowlyy, through a valve called
v: to dra d a bleeder. To bleed do
own, or
bleed offf, means to release pre essure slowly from a well or from pressurized equipment.
block
n: one o
or more pulleeys, or sheaaves, mounte ed into a common frame der to rotate on a
ework in ord
common n axis. The crown
c blockk is an assem
mbly of shea aves mounte ed on beams s at the top of the
derrick o
or mast. Thee traveling block
b is an assembly of sheaves mo ounted in a framework
f th
hat
allows the block to move up and down by use u of the drrilling line that is reeved
d over the cro own
heaves and through the traveling block sheavess.
block sh

blowou
ut
n: an un
ncontrolled flow
f of gas, oil,
o or other well fluids frrom the welll.
blowou
ut preventerr (BOP)
n: one o or more valvves installed at the wellh
head to prevvent the esca ape of presssure either in
n the
annular space betw ween the cassing and the e drill pipe orr in open holle (for exam
mple, hole witth no
e) during drilling or completion operrations. See annular blo
drill pipe owout preven nter and ram
m
blowoutt preventer.
blowou
ut preventerr control pa
anel
n: contro
ols, opens and
a closes th
he blowout preventers.
p See blowou
ut preventer.
blowou
ut preventerr control un
nit
n: a devvice that storres hydraulicc fluid under pressure in
n special containers and
d provides a method
to open and close the blowout preventers.
blowou
ut preventerr stack (BOP stack)
n: the asssembly of well
w control equipment including
i pre
eventers, sp
pools, valvess, and nipple
es
connectted to the top of the wellhead.
BOP
abbr: blo
owout preve
enter.

BOP sta
ack
n: the asssembly of blowout
b prevventers insta
alled on a well.
w
bore
n: 1. the
e inside diam
meter of a pipe or a drille
ed hole. v: to
o penetrate or pierce wiith a rotary tool.
t
Comparre tunnel.
bottomhole
n: the lo
owest or dee
epest part off a well.
bottomhole assem
mbly
n: the po e drilling assembly below
ortion of the w the drill pip
pe. It can be
e very simple
e, composedd of only
the bit a
and drill colla
ars, or it can
n be very complex and made
m up of several
s spec
cialty compo
onents.
bottomhole plug
n: a brid
dge plug or cement
c plug
g placed nea
ar the bottom e to shut off a depleted, water-
m of the hole
producinng, or unpro
oductive zon
ne.
bottomhole pressu
ure
n: 1. the
e pressure ata the bottom
m of a boreho ole. It is cau
used by the hydrostatic
h p
pressure of the
wellboree fluid and, sometimes,
s by any backkpressure he urface, as when the well is shut
eld at the su
in with b
blowout prev venters. When mud is being circulatted, bottomh hole pressurre is the hyddrostatic
pressure e plus the re
emaining cirrculating pre
essure required to move e the mud upp the annulu us. 2. the
pressure e in a well at
a a point opposite the producing forrmation, as recorded
r by
y a bottomho ole
pressure e measuring g device.
bottomhole pressu
ure test
n: a testt that measuures the rese
ervoir pressure of the well,
w obtained d at a speciffic depth or at
a the
midpoinnt of the prodducing zonee. A flowing bottomhole
b p
pressure tesst measuress pressure w while the
well conntinues to flo
ow; a shut-in
n bottomhole e pressure te
est measure es pressure after the we ell has
been shhut in for a specified perriod of time. See bottom
mhole pressu ure.
bottomhole pump
n: any o
of the rod pu
umps, high-p
pressure liquuid pumps, or
o centrifugaal pumps loccated at or near
n the
bottom of
o the well and
a used to lift the well fluids.
f See centrifugal
c pump, hydrauulic pumpingg,
submerssible pump, sucker rod pumping.
bottom plug
n: a cemment wiper plug
p that pre
ecedes ceme ent slurry do
own the casiing. The plug wipes drillling mud
off the w
walls of the casing
c and prevents
p it frrom contaminating the cement.
c Seee cementing
g, wiper
plug.
box thrreads
n pl: thre
eads on the
e female secction, or box,, of a tool joint. See tooll joint.
brake
n: The bbraking device on the drrawworks orr airhoist to stop
s a load being
b lifted. It is a devicce for
arresting
g the motion
n of a mecha anism, usua
ally by mean ns of friction, as in the drrawworks an nd
airhoist brakes.
brake band
b
ke mechanissm consisting of a flexible steel band lined with a material that
n: a parrt of the brak t
grips a ddrum when tightened. On O drawworkks, the brake e band acts on the drumm to control tthe
loweringg of the traveeling block and
a its load..

break circulation
c
v: to sta
art the mud pumpp for resstoring circulation of the
e mud colummn. Because the stagnan nt
drilling ffluid has thicckened or geelled during the period oof no circulation, higher pump presssure is
usually required to break circula ation.
breakerr points
n: conta
acts that inte
errupt the cu
urrent in the primary circcuit of an ele em such as in a
ectrical syste
spark-ig
gnition enginne.
break out
o
v: 1. to u
unscrew one e section of pipe from another
a ally drill pipe while it is being
sectiion, especia
withdraw wn from the wellbore. During
D this op
peration, the
e tongs are used
u to starrt the unscreewing
operatioon. 2. to sep
parate, as ga
as from a liquid or waterr from an emmulsion.
breakou
ut block
n: a platte that fits in
n the rotary table
t and ho
olds the drill bit while it iss being unsccrewed from
m the
drill colla
ar.
breakou
ut cathead
n: a devvice attached
d to the catsshaft of the drawworks
d tthat is used as a power source for the
tongs ussed in unscrrewing drill pipe;
p usuallyy located opposite the driller’s side of
o the draww
works.
break to
our
(pronounced "towerr") v: to begiin operating 24 hours a day. Moving d rigging up are
g the rig and
usually carried on during
d daylig
ght hours only. When thee rig is ready for operation at a new
w
n, crews brea
location ak tour.
bridge plug
n: a dowwnhole tool, composed primarily of slips, a plug
g mandrel, and a rubberr sealing element,
that is ru
un and set in casing to isolate a low
wer zone wh
hile an upperr section is being
b tested
d or
cemente ed.
brine
n: water that has a quantity of salt, especially sodium chloride, dissolved in it; salt water.
buck up
v: to tighten up a threaded connection (such as two joints of drill pipe).
bulk mud components in storage
n: hopper type tanks for storage of drilling fluid components.

bulk tank
n: on a drilling rig, a large metal bin that usually holds a large amount of a certain mud additive,
such as bentonite, that is used in large quantities in the makeup of the drilling fluid.
bullet perforator
n: a tubular device that, when lowered to a selected depth within a well, is engaged forcing the
projectiles (bullets) through the casing and cement to provide holes through which the formation
fluids may enter the wellbore.

bumped
adj: in cementing operations, pertaining to a cement plug that comes to rest on the float collar.
bumper block
n: Timbers wrapped with wire mesh or other retaining medium located below the crown to act as
a cushion in the event the block is raised too far.
bushing
n: 1. a pipe fitting on which the external thread is larger than the internal thread to allow two
pipes of different sizes to be connected. 2. a removable lining or sleeve inserted or screwed into
an opening to limit its size, resist wear or corrosion, or serve as a guide.
cable
n: 1. a rope of wire, hemp, or other strong fibers. 2. braided wire used to conduct electricity, often
called power cable.
caliper log
n: a reco
ord showing
g variations in wellbore diameter
d by depth, indic
cating undue
e enlargeme ent due
to cavin
ng in, washout, or other causes. Thee caliper log also reveals corrosion, scaling, or pitting
inside tu
ubular goods
s.

carrier rig
n: a spe
ecially designed, self-proopelled workkover or drilling rig that is driven directly to the well
w
site. Pow
wer from a carrier
c rig's hoist
h e or engines also propels the rig on the road. A carrier
engine
rig may be a back-in type or a drive-in
d type
e.

casing
eel pipe placced in an oil or gas well to prevent th
n: 1. ste he wall of th
he hole from caving in, to
o
prevent movement of fluids from m one forma ation to anotther and to aid
a in well coontrol.
cased h
hole
n: a wellbore in which casing ha
as been run
n.
casing centralizer
n: a devvice secured
d around the
e casing at re
egular intervvals to cente
er it in the ho
ole.
casing cutter
n: a heaavy cylindrical body, fitte
ed with a sett of knives, used
u to cut and
a free a section
s of ca
asing in
a well.
casing coupling (c
collar)
n: a tubular section of pipe thatt is threaded
d inside and used to con
nnect two joiints of casing.
casing crew
n: the employees off a companyy that specia
alizes in prep
paring and running
r casiing into a we
ell.
casing gun
n: a perforating gun run into the casing string.
casing hanger
n: a circular device with a frictional gripping arrangement of slips and packing rings used to
suspend casing from a casing head in a well.
casing head
n: a heavy, flanged steel fitting connected to the first string of casing. It provides a housing for
slips and packing assemblies, allows suspension of intermediate and production strings of
casing, and supplies the means for the annulus to be sealed off. Also called a casing spool.
casing point
n: the depth in a well at which casing is set, generally the depth at which the casing shoe rests.
casing pressure
n: the pressure in a well that exists between the casing and the tubing or the casing and the drill
pipe.
casing spider
n: see spider.
casing slip
n: see spider.
casing string
n: the entire length of all the joints of casing run in a well.
casing shoe
n: see guide shoe.
casing tongs
n pl: large wrench used for turning when making up or breaking out casing. See tongs.
casing-tubing annulus
n: in a wellbore, the space between the inside of the casing and the outside of the tubing.
catch samples
v: to obtain cuttings for geological information as formations are penetrated by the bit. The
samples are obtained from drilling fluid as it emerges from the wellbore or, in cable-tool drilling,
from the bailer.
cathead
n: a spool-shaped attachment on the end of the catshaft, around which rope for hoisting and
moving heavy equipment on or near the rig floor is wound. See breakout cathead, makeup
cathead.
cathead
d clutch
n: see ccathead.
cathead
d spool
n: see ccathead.
catline boom and hoist line
n: a hoissting or pulliing line pow
wered by the cathead and used to lifft heavy equ uipment on th
he rig. A
structuraal frameworrk erected ne ear the top of
o the derrick for lifting material.
m
catwalk
k
n: 1. the
e elevated work
w area ad e vdoor and ramp on a drilling rig where
djacent to the w pipe iss laid to
be lifted
d to the derrick floor by the
t catline or
o by an air hoist.
h See ca
atline. 2. anyy elevated walkway.
w

cementt
n: a pow
wder consistting of alumiina, silica, lim
me, and other substancces that harddens when mixed
m
with watter. Extensivvely used in the oil industry to bond
d casing to th
he walls of the wellbore.
cementt bond
n: the addherence off casing to cement
c and cement
c to fo
ormation. When
W casing is run in a well,
w it is
set, or b
bonded, to th
he formationn by means of cement.
cellar
n: a pit iin the ground to provide
e additional height
h betweeen the rig floor
f and the
e well head tto
accomm modate the installation of
o blowout prreventers, ra atholes, mouuseholes, annd so forth. It also
may collect drainag ge water andd other fluids
s for subseqquent dispossal.
cementt bond surv
vey
n: an accoustic surve
ey or sonic-llogging methhod that reccords the quality or hard
dness of the cement
used in the annulus s to bond thee casing and
d the formation. Casing that is well bonded to th he
on transmits an acousticc signal quicckly; poorly b
formatio bonded casing transmits s a signal slo
owly.
See aco oustic surveyy, acoustic well
w logging.
cementt casing
v: to fill the annulus
s between th
he casing an
nd wall of the
e hole with cement
c to su
upport the ca
asing
and prevent fluid migration betw ween permeeable zones.
cementt hydration
n: reaction with watter that begins when wa
ater is added
d to powdere
ed cement. The
T cementt
gradually sets to a solid.
s
cementting
n: the application off a liquid slurry of cement and water to various points inside or outside
e the
casing.
cementting company
n: a com
mpany whosse specialty is preparing
g, transportin
ng, and pum
mping cemen
nt into a welll.
cementting head
n: an acccessory atta
ached to the
e top of the casing
c to faccilitate ceme
enting of the
e casing. It h
has
passage es for cement slurry and
d retainer ch
hambers for cementing wiper
w plugs.. Also calledd
retainerr head.
cementting materia
als
n pl: a sslurry of cem
ment and water and som metimes one or more add ditives that affect
a either the
density of the mixtu ure or its settting time. Th
he cement used
u may bee high early strength, co ommon
(standard), or slow setting. Add ditives includ
de accelerattors (such ass calcium ch hloride), reta
arders
(such ass gypsum), weighting
w m
materials (succh as barium
m sulfate), lightweight additives (succh as
bentonitte), or a variiety of lost circulation
c materials.
cementt plug
n: 1. a p
portion of ce
ement placed
d at some po
oint in the wellbore
w to se
eal it. 2. a wiper
w plug. See
S
cementiing.
cementting pump
n: a high
h-pressure pump
p used to
t force cem ment down th
he casing an
nd into the annular
a spacce
between n the casing
g and the wa
all of the borrehole.
cementting time
n: the to
otal elapsed time neede
ed to comple
ete a cementting operatio
on.
cement retainer
n: a tool set temporarily in the casing or well to prevent the passage of cement, thereby forcing it
to follow another designated path. It is used in squeeze cementing and other remedial cementing
jobs.
centralizer
n: see casing centralizer.
centrifugal pump
n: a pump with an impeller or rotor, an impeller shaft, and a casing, which discharges fluid by
centrifugal force. An electric submersible pump is a centrifugal pump.
chain tongs
n pl: a hand tool used to tighten or loosen pipe, consisting of a handle and chain that resembles
the chain on a bicycle.
change house
n: a small building, or doghouse, in which members of a drilling rig or roustabout crew change
clothes, store personal belongings, and so on.
channeling
n: when casing is being cemented in a borehole, the cement slurry can fail to rise uniformly
between the casing and the borehole wall, leaving spaces, or channels, devoid of cement.
Ideally, the cement should completely and uniformly surround the casing and form a strong bond
to the borehole wall. See cement channeling.
chemical cutoff
n: a method of severing pipe in a well by applying high pressure jets of a very corrosive
substance against the wall of the pipe. The resulting cut is very smooth.
chemical cutter
n: a fishing tool that uses high-pressure jets of chemicals to sever casing, tubing, or drill pipe
stuck in the hole.
chemical flooding
n: a method of improved oil recovery in which chemicals dissolved in water are pumped into a
reservoir through injection wells to mobilize oil left behind after primary or secondary recovery
and to move it toward production wells.
choke
n: a device with an orifice installed in a line to restrict the flow of fluids. Surface chokes are part
of the Christmas tree on a well and contain a choke nipple, or bean, with a small-diameter bore
that serves to restrict the flow. Chokes are also used to control the rate of flow of the drilling mud
out of the hole when the well is closed in with the blowout preventer and a kick is being circulated
out of the hole. See choke manifold.
choke line
n: a line, or pipe, that runs from the blowout preventer stack to the choke manifold through which
fluid from the hole is flowed when the well is shut in with the blowout preventer.
choke manifold
n: the arrangement of piping and special valves, called chokes, through which drilling mud is
circulated when the blowout preventers are closed to control the pressures encountered during a
kick.
christm
mas tree
n: the coontrol valvess, pressure gauges, and d chokes asssembled at the top of a well to conttrol flow
of oil an
nd/or gas after the well has
h been driilled and com mpleted. It iss used when
n reservoir pressure
p
is sufficient to causee reservoir fluids
f to rise
e to the surfa
ace.
circulatte
v: to passs from one point throug ghout a systtem and bacck to the starting point. For F example e, drilling
fluid is ccirculated ou
ut of the sucction pit, dowwn the drill pipe and drill collars, outt the bit, up the
t
annuluss, and back to t the pits while
w drilling proceeds.
circulatting fluid
n: see d
drilling fluid, mud.
circulatting head
n: an acccessory atta
ached to thee top of the drill
d pipe or tubing
t to forrm a connecction with the
e mud
system to permit cirrculation of the
t drilling mud.
m
circulatting pressu
ure
n: the pressure gen
nerated by th
he mud pum
mps and exerted on the drill
d stem.

circulattion
n: the m
movement off drilling fluid
d out of the mud
m pits, do own the drill stem, up the
e annulus, and
a back
to the m
mud pits. See
e normal circculation, revverse circula
ation.
circulattion valve
n: an acccessory em
mployed abovve a packerr, to permit annulus-to-tu
a ubing circula
ation or vice versa.
clean out
o
v: to rem
move sand, scale, and other
o e well to restore or
deposiits from the producing section of the
increasee production
n.
cleanout tools
n pl: the tools or instruments, such as bailers and swabs, used to clean out an oilwell.
clutch
n: a coupling used to connect and disconnect a driving and a driven part of a mechanism,
especially a coupling that permits the former part to engage the latter gradually and without
shock. In the oil field, a clutch permits gradual engaging and disengaging of the equipment driven
by a prime mover. v: to engage or disengage a clutch.
coiled tubing
n: a continuous string of flexible steel tubing, often hundreds or thousands of feet long, that is
wound onto a reel, often dozens of feet in diameter. The reel is an integral part of the coiled
tubing unit, which consists of several devices that ensure the tubing can be safely and efficiently
inserted into the well from the surface. Also called reeled tubing.
coiled-tubing unit
n: the equipment for transporting and using coiled tubing, including a reel for the coiled tubing, an
injector head to push the tubing down the well, a wellhead blowout preventer stack, a power
source (usually a diesel engine and hydraulic pumps), and a control console. A unique feature of
the unit is that it allows continuous circulation while it is being lowered into the hole. A coiled

tubing unit is usually mounted on a trailer or skid.

coiled-tubing workover
n: a workover performed with a continuous steel tube, normally 0.75 inch to 1 inch (1.9 to 2.54
centimeters) outside diameter, which is run into the well in one piece inside the normal tubing.
Lengths of the tubing up to 16,000 feet (4,877 meters) are stored on the surface on a reel in a
manner similar to that used for wireline. The unit is rigged up over the wellhead. The tubing is
injected through a control head that seals off the tubing and makes a pressure-tight connection.
collar
n: 1. a coupling device used to join two lengths of pipe, such as casing or tubing. A combination
collar has left-hand threads in one end and right-hand threads in the other. 2. a drill collar.
collar locator
n: a logging device used to determine accurately the depth of a well; the log measures and
records the depth of each casing collar, or coupling, in a well.
collar locator log
n: see collar locator.
come out of the hole
v: to pull the drill stem out of the wellbore to change the bit, to change from a core barrel to the
bit, to run electric logs, to prepare for a drill stem test, to run casing, and so on. Also called trip
out, tripping out (TOH).
company hand
n: see company representative.
company man
n: see company representative.
company representative
n: an employee of an operating company who supervises the operations at a drilling site or well
site and who may coordinate the hiring of logging, testing, service, and workover companies.
Also called company hand, operator's representative, or company man.
complete a well
v: to finish work on a well and bring it to productive status. See well completion.
completion fluid
n: low-solids fluid or drilling mud used when a well is being completed. It is selected not only for
its ability to control formation pressure, but also for the properties that minimize formation
damage.
compound
n: 1. a mechanism used to transmit power from the engines to the pump, the drawworks, and
other machinery on a drilling rig. It is composed of clutches, chains and sprockets, belts and
pulleys, and a number of shafts, both driven and driving. v: to connect two or more power
producing devices, such as engines, to run driven equipment, such as the drawworks.
compression-ignition engine
n: a diesel engine; an engine in which the fuel/air mixture inside the engine cylinders is ignited by
the heat that occurs when the fuel-air mixture is highly compressed by the engine pistons.
compressor
n: a device that raises the pressure of a compressible fluid such as air or gas. Compressors
create a pressure differential to move or compress a vapor or a gas.
conductivity
n: 1. the ability to transmit or convey (as heat or electricity). 2. an electrical logging measurement
obtained from an induction survey, in which eddy currents produced by an alternating magnetic
field induce in a receiver coil a voltage proportionate to the ability of the formation to conduct
electricity. See induction log.
conductor casing
n: generally, the first string of casing in a well. It may be lowered into a hole drilled into the
formations near the surface and cemented in place; it may be driven into the ground by a special
pile driver (in such cases, it is sometimes called drive pipe). Its purpose is to prevent the soft
formations near the surface from caving in and to conduct drilling mud from the bottom of the
hole to the surface when drilling starts. Also called conductor pipe, drive pipe.
conduc
ctor hole
n: the ho
ole where th
he crew starrts the top off the well.
conduc
ctor pipe
n: the la
argest diameeter casing and
a the topm
most length of casing. It is relativelyy short and encases
e
the topmmost string of
o casing.
cone
n: a con d metal devicce into which cutting tee
nical-shaped eth are formed or mountted on a rolller cone
bit.

connec
ction
pe or fitting used to join pipe to pipe
n: 1. a ssection of pip e or to a vesssel. 2. a pla
ace in electriical
circuits where wiress join. 3. the action of ad dding a jointt of pipe to th
he drill stem
m as drilling
progresses.
consulttant
n: a perrson who contracts with an oil comp pany to supe ervise the op
perations at a drilling site
e or well
site whoo may coord
dinate the hirring of loggin
ng, testing, service, and
d workover companies.
c
contrac
ct
n: a writtten agreement that cann be enforce ed by law and that lists th
he terms unnder which thhe acts
requiredd are to be performed.
p A drilling con
ntract may cover
c such fa
actors as the
e cost of drillling the
well (wh
hether by thee foot or by the day), thee distribution
n of expensees between operator an nd
contracttor, and the type of equipment to be e used.
core
n: a cylindrical sample taken fro
om a formattion for geolo
ogical analyysis.
core an
nalysis
n: labora
atory analyssis of a core sample that may determ
mine porositty, permeab bility, litholog
gy, fluid
content,, angle of dip, geologica
al age, and probable
p pro
oductivity of the formatio
on.
core ba
arrel
n: a tubular device, usually from eet (3 to 18 meters) long
m 10 to 60 fe g, run in place of a bit and
a used
to cut a core samplee.
core sa
ample
n: 1. a ssmall portion
n of a formattion obtained
d by using a core barrell and core bit in an existting
wellbore e. See core bit. 2. a spo
ot sample of the contents of an oil or oil productt storage tan
nk
usually obtained witth a thief, orr core sampler, at a give
en height in the tank.
coring
n: the process of cu
utting a vertical, cylindriccal sample o
of the formattions encountered as a well is
drilled.
coring bit
n: a bit that does not drill out the center portion of the hole, but allows this center portion (the
core) to pass through the round opening in the center of the bit and into the core barrel.
corrosion
n: any of a variety of complex chemical or electrochemical processes, such as rust, by which
metal is destroyed through reaction with its environment.
corrosion inhibitor
n: a chemical substance that minimizes or prevents corrosion in metal equipment.
counterbalance weight
n: a weight applied to compensate for existing weight or force. On pumping units in oil
production, counterweights are used to offset the weight of the column of sucker rods and fluid
on the upstroke of the pump, and the weight of the rods on the downstroke.
coupling
n: 1. in piping, a metal collar with internal threads used to join two sections of threaded pipe. 2. in
power transmission, a connection extending between a driving shaft and a driven shaft.
crane
n: a machine for raising, lowering, and revolving heavy pieces of equipment.
crane operator
n: a person who by training and experience is authorized to operate the crane and who may be in
charge of the roustabout crew.
crank
n: an arm keyed at right angles to a shaft and used for changing radius of rotation or changing
reciprocating motion to circular motion or circular motion to reciprocating motion. On a beam
pumping unit, the crank is connected by the pitman to the walking beam, thereby changing
circular motion to reciprocating motion.
crank arm
n: a steel member connected to each end of the shaft extending from each side of the speed
reducer on a beam pumping unit.
crankshaft
n: a rotating shaft to which connecting rods are attached. It changes up and down (reciprocating)
motion to circular (rotary) motion.
crew
n: 1. the workers on a drilling or workover rig, including the driller, the derrickhand, and the rotary
helpers. 2. any group of oilfield service workers.
crooked hole
n: a wellbore that has been drilled in a direction other than vertical.
crossover sub
n: a sub that allows different sizes and types of drill pipe or other components to be joined.
crown
n: 1. the crown block or top of a derrick or mast. 2. the top of a piston. 3. a high spot formed on a

tool joint shoulder as the result of wobble.

crown block and water table
n: an assembly of sheaves or pulleys mounted on beams at the top of the derrick. The drilling
line is run over the sheaves down to the hoisting drum.
crown saver
n: a device mounted near the drawworks drum to keep the driller from inadvertently raising the
traveling block into the crown block. A probe senses when too much line has been pulled onto
the drum, indicating that the traveling block may strike the crown. The probe activates a switch
that simultaneously disconnects the drawworks from its power source and engages the
drawworks brake.
crude oil
n: unrefined liquid petroleum. It ranges in gravity from 9°API to 55°API and in color from yellow to
black.
cutout
n: an area of deck grating removed to clear an obstruction or to permit pipes, ducts, columns,
and the like to pass through the grating.
cuttings
n pl: the fragments of rock dislodged by the bit and brought to the surface in the drilling mud.
Washed and dried cuttings samples are analyzed by geologists to obtain information about the
formations drilled.
daily drilling report
n: a record made each day of the operations on a working drilling rig and, traditionally, phoned,
faxed, emailed, or radioed in to the office of the drilling company and possibly the operator every
morning.
dampener
n: an air or inert gas device that minimizes pressure surges in the output line of a mud pump.
Sometimes called a surge dampener.
daylight tour
(pronounced "tower") n: in areas where three eight-hour tours are worked, the shift of duty on a
drilling rig that starts at or about daylight. Compare evening tour, morning (graveyard) tour.
day tour
(pronounced "tower") n: in areas where two 12-hour tours are worked, a period of 12 hours,
usually during daylight, worked by a drilling or workover crew when equipment is being run
around the clock.
deadlin
ne
n: the drilling line fro
om the crow
wn block she
eave to the anchor,
a so called
c because it does not
move. CCompare fasst line.
deadlin
ne anchor
n: see d
deadline tie-d
down ancho
or.
deadlin
ne sheave
heave on the crown block over whicch the deadline is reeve
n: the sh ed.
deadlin
ne tie-down anchor
n: a devvice to which
h the deadlin
ne is attache o the mast or derrick
ed, securelyy fastened to
substruccture. Also called
c a dea
adline anchoor.

deck
n: (nauttical) floor.
degass
ser
n: the eq
quipment us d gas from a liquid, especially from drilling fluid
sed to removve unwanted d.

density
y
n: the m
mass or weig u volume. For instance
ght of a subsstance per unit e, the densitty of a drillin
ng mud
may be 10 pounds per gallon, 74.87 poundss/cubic foot, or 1,198.2 kilograms/cu
k ubic meter. Specific
S
nsity, and AP
gravity, relative den PI gravity are
e other unitss of density.
density
y log
n: a speecial radioacctivity log forr open-hole surveying
s th
hat respondss to variation
ns in the spe
ecific
gravity of
o formations. It is a con ntact log (i.e., the logging tool is held against the wall of the
e hole).
It emits neutrons an nd then mea asures the se econdary ga amma radiattion that is scattered
s back to
the detector in the instrument. The density log is an excellent porosity-measure device,
especially for shaley sands. Some trade names are Formation Density Log, Gamma-Gamma
Density Log, and Densilog.
derrick
n: a large load-bearing structure, usually of bolted construction. In drilling, the standard derrick
has four legs standing at the corners of the substructure and reaching to the crown block. The
substructure is an assembly of heavy beams used to elevate the derrick and provide space to

install blowout preventers, casingheads, and so forth.

derrick floor
n: also called the rig floor.
derrickhand
n: the crew member who handles the upper end of the drill string as it is being hoisted out of or
lowered into the hole. On a drilling rig, he or she may be responsible for the circulating machinery
and the conditioning of the drilling or workover fluid.
derrickman
n: see derrickhand.
desander
n: a centrifugal device for removing sand from drilling fluid to prevent abrasion of the pumps. It
may be operated mechanically or by a fast-moving stream of fluid inside a special cone-shaped
vessel, in which case it is sometimes called a hydrocyclone.

desilter
n: a centrifugal device, similar to a desander, used to remove very fine particles, or silt, from
drilling fluid to lower the amount of solids in the fluid.
diamond bit
n: a drill bit that has small industrial diamonds embedded in its cutting surface.
dies
n: a tool used to shape, form, or finish other tools or pieces of metal. For example, a threading
die is used to cut threads on pipe.
die insert
n: a removable, hard-steel, serrated piece that fits into the jaws of the tongs and firmly grips the
body of the drill pipe, drill collars, or casing while the tongs are making up or breaking out the
pipe.
diesel-electric power
n: the power supplied to a drilling rig by diesel engines driving electric generators.
diesel engine
n: a high-compression, internal-combustion engine used extensively for powering drilling rigs. In
a diesel engine, air is drawn into the cylinders and compressed to very high pressures; ignition
occurs as fuel is injected into the compressed and heated air. Combustion takes place within the
cylinder above the piston, and expansion of the combustion products imparts power to the piston.
diesel fuel
n: a light hydrocarbon mixture for diesel engines; it has a boiling range just above that of
kerosene.
dipmeter log
n: see dipmeter survey.
dipmeter survey
n: an oilwell-surveying method that determines the direction and angle of formation dip in relation
to the borehole. It records data that permit computation of both the amount and direction of
formation dip relative to the axis of the hole and thus provides information about the geologic
structure of the formation. Also called dipmeter log or dip log.
directional drilling
n: 1. intentional deviation of a wellbore from the vertical. Although wellbores are normally drilled
vertically, it is sometimes necessary or advantageous to drill at an angle from the vertical.
Controlled directional drilling makes it possible to reach subsurface areas laterally remote from
the point where the bit enters the earth.
directional hole
n: a wellbore intentionally drilled at an angle from the vertical. See directional drilling.
displacement fluid
n: in well cementing, the fluid, usually drilling mud or salt water, that is pumped into the well after
the cement is pumped into it to force the cement out of the casing and into the annulus.
dissolved gas
n: natural gas that is in solution with crude oil in the reservoir.
dissolved-gas drive
n: a source of natural reservoir energy in which the dissolved gas coming out of the oil expands
to force the oil into the wellbore. Also called solution-gas drive. See reservoir drive mechanism.
doghouse
n: a small enclosure on the rig floor used as an office and/or as a storehouse for small objects.
Also, any small building used as an office or for storage.
dogleg
n: 1. an abrupt change in direction in the wellbore, frequently resulting in the formation of a
keyseat. 2. a sharp bend permanently put in an object such as a pipe, wire rope, or a wire rope
sling.
double
n: a length of drill pipe, casing, or tubing consisting of two joints screwed together.
downhole
adj, adv: pertaining to the wellbore.
downhole motor
n: a drilling tool made up in the drill string directly above the bit. It causes the bit to turn while the
drill string remains fixed. It is used most often as a deflection tool in directional drilling, where it is
made up between the bit and a bent sub (or, sometimes, the housing of the motor itself is bent).
Two principal types of downhole motor are the positive-displacement motor and the downhole
turbine motor.

drawworks
n: the hoisting mechanism on a drilling rig. It is essentially a large winch that spools off or takes
in the drilling line and thus lowers or raises the drill stem and bit.
drawworks brake
n: the mechanical brake on the drawworks that can slow or prevent the drawworks drum from
moving.
drawworks drum
n: the spool-shaped cylinder in the drawworks around which drilling line is wound or spooled.
drill
v: to bore a hole in the earth, usually to find and remove subsurface formation fluids such as oil
and gas.
drillable
adj: pertaining to packers and other tools left in the wellbore to be broken up later by the drill bit.
Drillable equipment is made of cast iron, aluminum, plastic, or other soft, brittle material.
drillable packer
n: a permanent packer that can only be removed by drilling it out.
drill ahead
v: to continue drilling operations.
drill bit
n: the cutting or boring element used in drilling oil and gas wells. Most bits used in rotary drilling
are roller-cone bits. The bit consists of the cutting elements and the circulating element. The
circulating element permits the passage of drilling fluid and utilizes the hydraulic force of the fluid
stream to improve drilling rates.
drill collars
n: a heavy, thick-walled tube, usually steel, used between the drill pipe and the bit in the drill
stem, used to stiffen the drilling assembly an put weight on the bit so that the bit can drill.
drill collar sub
n: a sub made up between the drill string and the drill collars that is used to ensure that the drill
pipe and the collar can be joined properly.

driller
n: the employee normally in charge of a specific (tour) drilling or workover crew. The driller’s
main duty is operation of the drilling and hoisting equipment, but this person may also be
responsible for downhole condition of the well, operation of downhole tools, and pipe
measurements.
driller’s position
n: the area immediately surrounding the driller’s console.
drill floor
n: also called rig floor or derrick floor. See rig floor.
drill in
v: to penetrate the productive formation after the casing is set and cemented on top of the pay
zone.
drilling contract
n: an agreement made between a drilling company and an operating company to drill a well. It
generally sets forth the obligation of each party, compensation, identification, method of drilling,
depth to be drilled, and so on.
drilling crew
n: a driller, a derrickhand, and two or more helpers who operate a drilling or workover rig for one
tour each day.
drilling engine
n: an internal-combustion engine used to power a drilling rig. These engines are used on a rotary
rig and are usually fueled by diesel fuel, although liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, and, very
rarely, gasoline can also be used.
drilling engineer
n: an engineer who specializes in the technical aspects of drilling.

drilling fluid
n: circulating fluid, one function of which is to lift cuttings out of the wellbore and to the surface. It
also serves to cool the bit and to counteract downhole formation pressure.
drilling hook
n: the large hook mounted on the bottom of the traveling block and from which the swivel is
suspended.
drilling mud
n: a specially compounded liquid circulated through the wellbore during rotary drilling operations.
See drilling fluid, mud.
drill pipe
n: the heavy seamless tubing used to rotate the bit and circulate the drilling fluid. Joints of pipe
are generally approximately 30 feet long are coupled together by means of tool joints.
drill stem
n: all members in the assembly used for rotary drilling from the swivel to the bit, including the
kelly, the drill pipe and tool joints, the drill collars, the stabilizers, and various specialty items.
Compare drill string.

drill stem test (DST)

n: a method of formation testing. The basic drill stem test tool consists of a packer or packers,
valves or ports that may be opened and closed from the surface, and two or more pressure-
recording devices. The tool is lowered on the drill string to the zone to be tested. The packer or
packers are set to isolate the zone from the drilling fluid column.
driller's console
n: the control panel, where the driller controls drilling operations.
drilling line
n: a wire rope hoisting line, reeved on sheaves of the crown block and traveling block (in effect a
block and tackle), the primary purpose of which is to hoist or lower drill pipe or casing from or into
a well.
drilling out
n: the operation during the drilling procedure when the cement is drilled out of the casing.

drill string
n: the column, or string, of drill pipe with attached tool joints that transmits fluid and rotational
power from the kelly to the drill collars and the bit. Often, the term is loosely applied to include
both drill pipe and drill collars.
drive bushing
n: see kelly bushing.
drive chain
n: a chain by means of which a machine is propelled.
drive-in unit
n: a type of portable service or workover rig that is self-propelled, using power from the hoisting
engines. The driver's cab and steering wheel are mounted on the same end as the mast support;
thus the unit can be driven straight ahead to reach the wellhead.
drive pipe
n: see conductor casing.
drum (rope)
n: a rotating cylinder with side flanges on which wire or other rope used in machine operation is
wrapped.
dry hole
n: any well that does not produce oil or gas in commercial quantities. A dry hole may flow water,
gas, or even oil, but not in amounts large enough to justify production.
dual completion
n: a single well that produces from two separate formations at the same time. Production from
each zone is segregated by running two tubing strings with packers inside the single string of
production casing, or by running one tubing string with a packer through one zone while the other
is produced through the annulus. In a miniaturized dual completion, two separate casing strings
are run and cemented in the same wellbore.
dump bailer
n: a bailing device with a release valve, usually of the disk or flapper type, used to place, or spot,
material (such as cement slurry) at the bottom of the well.
electric cable tray
n: supports the electrical cables that feed the power from the control panel to the rig motors.
electric control house
n: On diesel electric rigs, diesel engines drive electric generators. The generators produce
electricity that flow throw cables to electric switches and control equipment enclosed in a control
cabinet or panel. Electricity is fed to electric motors via the panel.
electric log
n: see electric well log.
electric rig
n: a drilling rig on which the energy from the power source—usually diesel engines—is changed
to electricity by generators mounted on the engines. The electrical power is then distributed
through electrical conductors to electric motors. The motors power the various rig components.
Compare mechanical rig.

electric submersible pumping

n: a form of artificial lift that utilizes an electric submersible multistage centrifugal pump. Electric
power is conducted to the pump by a cable attached to the tubing.
electric survey
n: see electric well log.
electric well
log n: a record of certain electrical characteristics (such as resistivity and conductivity) of
formations traversed by the borehole. It is made to identify the formations, determine the nature
and amount of fluids they contain, and estimate their depth. Also called an electric log or electric
survey.
elevator links
n pl: cylindrical bars that support the elevators and attach them to the hook.

elevators
n pl: on rotary rigs and top drive rigs, hinged steel devices with manual operating handles that
crew members latch onto a tool joint (or a sub).
engine
n: a machine for converting the heat content of fuel into rotary motion that can be used to power
other machines. Compare motor.
erosion
n: the process by which material (such as rock or soil) is worn away or removed (as by wind or
water).
evening tour
(pronounced "tower") n: the shift of duty on a drilling rig that generally starts in the afternoon and
runs through the evening. Sometimes called afternoon tour. Compare daylight tour.
external cutter
n: a fishing tool containing metalcutting knives that is lowered into the hole and over the outside
of a length of pipe to cut it. The severed part of the pipe can then be brought to the surface. Also
called an outside cutter. Compare internal cutter.
fastline
n: the end of the drilling line that is affixed to the drum or reel of the drawworks, so called
because it travels with greater velocity than any other portion of the line. Compare deadline.
fingerboard
n: a rack that supports the stands of pipe being stacked in the derrick or mast. It has several
steel fingerlike projections that form a series of slots into which the derrickman can place a stand
of drill pipe or collars after it is pulled out of the hole and removed from the drill string.
fire flooding
n: a thermal recovery method in which the oil in the reservoir is ignited, the heat vaporizes lighter
hydrocarbons and water pushes the warmed oil toward a producing well. Also called in situ
combustion. See thermal recovery.
fish
n: an object that is left in the wellbore during drilling or workover operations and that must be
recovered before work can proceed. It can be anything from a piece of scrap metal to a part of
the drill stem.
fishing
n: the procedure of recovering lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore.
fishing magnet
n: a powerful magnet designed to recover metallic objects lost in a well.
fishing tool
n: a tool designed to recover equipment lost in a well.
fishing-tool operator
n: the person (usually a service company employee) in charge of directing fishing operations.
fitting
n: a small, often standardized, part (such as a coupling, valve, or gauge) installed in a larger
apparatus.
float collar
n: a special coupling device inserted one or two joints above the bottom of the casing string that
contains a check valve to permit fluid to pass downward but not upward through the casing. The
float collar prevents drilling mud from entering the casing while it is being lowered, allowing the
casing to float during its descent and thus decreasing the load on the derrick or mast.
float shoe
n: a short, heavy, cylindrical steel section with a rounded bottom that is attached to the bottom of
the casing string. It contains a check valve and functions similarly to the float collar but also
serves as a guide shoe for the casing.
flood
v: 1. to drive oil from a reservoir into a well by injecting water under pressure into the reservoir
formation. See waterflooding. 2. to drown out a well with water.
flow
n: a current or stream of fluid or gas.
floor crew
n: those workers on a drilling or workover rig who work primarily on the rig floor. See rotary
helper.
floorhand
n: see rotary helper.
floorman
n: see rotary helper.
flowing well
n: a well that produces oil or gas by its own reservoir pressure rather than by use of artificial
means (such as pumps).
flow line
n: the surface pipe through which oil or gas travels from a well to processing equipment or to
storage.
flow rate
n: the speed, or velocity, of fluid or gas flow through a pipe or vessel.
fluid injection
n: injection of gases or liquids into a reservoir to force oil toward and into producing wells.
fluid loss
n: the unwanted migration of the liquid part of the drilling mud or cement slurry into a formation,
often minimized or prevented by the blending of additives with the mud or cement.
formation fluid
n: fluid (such as gas, oil, or water) that exists in a subsurface formation.
formation gas
n: gas initially produced from an underground reservoir.
formation pressure
n: the force exerted by fluids or gas in a formation, recorded in the hole at the level of the
formation with the well shut in. Also called reservoir pressure or shut-in bottomhole pressure.
formation testing
n: the gathering of pressure data and fluid samples from a formation to determine its production
potential before choosing a completion method.
formation water
n: 1. the water originally in place in a formation. 2. any water that resides in the pore spaces of a
formation.
frac fluid
n: a fluid used in the fracturing process (for example, a method of stimulating production by
opening new flow channels in the formation surrounding a production well). Under extremely high
hydraulic pressure, frac fluids (such as distillate, diesel fuel, crude oil, dilute hydrochloric acid,
water, or kerosene) are pumped downward through production tubing or drill pipe and forced out
below a packer or between two packers. The pressure causes cracks to open in the formation,
and the fluid penetrates the formation through the cracks. Sand grains, aluminum pellets, walnut
shells, or similar materials (propping agents) are carried in suspension by the fluid into the
cracks. When the pressure is released at the surface, the fracturing fluid returns to the well but

leaves behind the propping agents to hold open the formation cracks.
fuel tanks
n pl: fuel storage tanks for the power generating system.
fracture
n: a crack or crevice in a formation, either natural or induced. See hydraulic fracturing.
fracture acidizing
n: a procedure by which acid is forced into a formation under pressure high enough to cause the
formation to crack. The acid acts on certain kinds of formations, usually carbonates, to increase
the permeability of the formation. Also called acid fracturing.
fracture pressure
n: the pressure at which a formation will break down, or fracture.
fracturing fluid
n: a fluid, such as water, oil, or acid, used in hydraulic fracturing. The fluid carries propping
agents that hold open the formation cracks after hydraulic pressure dissipates. See acid
fracturing, hydraulic fracturing, propping agents.
free-point indicator
n: a device run on wireline into the wellbore and inside the fishing string and fish to locate the
area where a fish is stuck. When the drill string is pulled and turned, the electromagnetic fields of
free pipe and stuck pipe differ. The free-point indicator is able to distinguish these differences,
which are registered on a metering device at the surface.
friction
n: resistance to movement created when two surfaces are in contact. When friction is present,
movement between the surfaces produces heat.
full-gauge bit
n: a bit that has maintained its original diameter.
full-gauge hole
n: a wellbore drilled with a full-gauge bit. Also called a true-to-gauge hole.
gamma ray log
n: a type of radioactivity well log that records natural radioactivity around the wellbore. Shales
generally produce higher levels of gamma radiation and can be detected and studied with the
gamma ray tool. See radioactivity well logging.
gas anchor
n: a tubular, perforated device attached to the bottom of a suckerrod pump that helps to prevent
gas lock. The device works on the principle that gas, being lighter than oil, rises. As well fluids
enter the anchor, gas breaks out of the fluid and exits from the anchor through perforations near
the top. Remaining fluids enter the pump through a mosquito bill (a tube within the anchor),
which has an opening near the bottom. In this way, all or most of the gas escapes before the
fluids enter the pump.
gas cap
n: a free-gas phase overlying an oil zone and occurring within the same producing formation as
the oil. See reservoir.
gas-cap drive
n: drive energy supplied naturally (as a reservoir is produced) by the expansion of the gas cap. In
such a drive, the gas cap expands to force oil into the well and to the surface. See reservoir drive
mechanism.
gas-cut mud
n: a drilling mud that contains entrained formation gas, giving the mud a characteristically fluffy
texture. Gas cut mud may cause a lowering of mud weight.
gas drive
n: the use of the energy that arises from the expansion of compressed gas in a reservoir to move
crude oil to a wellbore. Also called depletion drive. See dissolved-gas drive, gas-cap drive,
reservoir drive mechanism.
gas injection
n: the injection of gas into a reservoir to maintain formation pressure by gas drive and to reduce
the rate of decline of the original reservoir drive. One type of gas injection uses gas that does not
mix (is not miscible) with the oil. Examples of these gases include natural gas, nitrogen, and flue
gas. Another type uses gas that does mix (is miscible) with the oil. The gas may be naturally
miscible or become miscible under high pressure. Examples of miscible gases include propane,
methane enriched with other light hydrocarbons, methane under high pressure, and carbon
dioxide under pressure. Frequently, water is also injected in alternating steps with the gas.
gas injection well
n: a well into which gas is injected for the purpose of maintaining or supplementing pressure in
an oil reservoir.
gasket
n: any material (such as paper, cork, asbestos, stainless steel or other types of metal, or rubber)
used to seal two essentially stationary surfaces.
gas lift
n: the process of raising or lifting fluid from a well by injecting gas down the well through tubing or
through the tubing-casing annulus. Injected gas aerates the fluid to make it exert less pressure
than the formation does; the resulting higher formation pressure forces the fluid out of the
wellbore. Gas may be injected continuously or intermittently, depending on the producing
characteristics of the well and the arrangement of the gas-lift equipment.
gas-lift mandrel
n: a device installed in the tubing string of a gas-lift well onto which or into which a gas-lift valve
is fitted. There are two common types of mandrel. In the conventional gas-lift mandrel, the gas-lift
valve is installed as the tubing is placed in the well. Thus, to replace or repair the valve, the
tubing string must be pulled. In the sidepocket mandrel, however, the valve is installed and
removed by wireline while the mandrel is still in the well, eliminating the need to pull the tubing to
repair or replace the valve.
gas-lift valve
n: a device installed on a gas-lift mandrel, which in turn is put on the tubing string of a gas-lift
well. Tubing and casing pressures cause the valve to open and close, thus allowing gas to be
injected into the fluid in the tubing to cause the fluid to rise to the surface. See gas-lift mandrel.
gas-lift well
n: a well in which reservoir fluids are artificially lifted by the injection of gas.
gas lock
n: 1. a condition sometimes encountered in a pumping well when dissolved gas, released from
solution during the upstroke of the plunger, appears as free gas between the valves. If the gas
pressure is sufficient, the standing valve is locked shut, and no fluid enters the tubing. 2. a device
fitted to the gauging hatch on a pressure tank that enables manual dipping and sampling without
loss of vapor. 3. a condition that can occur when gas-cut mud is circulated by the mud pump.
The gas breaks out of the mud, expands, and works against the operation of the piston and
valves.
gas well
n: a well that primarily produces gas. Legal definitions vary among the states.
gear reducer
n: see speed reducer.
gel
n: a semisolid, jellylike state assumed by some colloidal dispersions at rest.
geologist
n: a scientist who gathers and interprets data pertaining to the formations of the earth’s crust.
Geronimo
n: see safety slide.
go in the hole
v: to lower the drill stem, the tubing, the casing, or the sucker rods into the wellbore.
gone to water
adj: pertaining to a well in which production of oil has decreased and production of water has
increased (for example, “the well has gone to water”).
gooseneck
n: the curved connection between the rotary hose and the swivel. See swivel.
gravel
n: sand or glass beads of uniform size and roundness used in gravel packing.
gravel packing
n: a method of well completion in which a slotted or perforated liner, often wire-wrapped, is
placed in the well and surrounded by gravel. If open hole, the well is sometimes enlarged by
underreaming at the point where the gravel is packed. The mass of gravel excludes sand from
the wellbore but allows continued production.
guide shoe
n: 1. a short, heavy, cylindrical section of steel filled with concrete and rounded at the bottom,
which is placed at the end of the casing string. It prevents the casing from snagging on
irregularities in the borehole as it is lowered.
guy line anchor
n: a buried weight or anchor to which a guy line is attached.
guy wire
n: a rope or cable used to steady a mast or pole.
hang rods
v: to suspend sucker rods in a derrick or mast on rod hangers rather than to place them
horizontally on a rack.
hard hat
n: a hard helmet worn by oilfield workers to minimize the danger of being injured by falling
objects.
headache
n: (slang) the position in which the mast on a mobile rig is resting horizontally over the driver’s
cab.
hex kelly
n: see kelly.
hoist
n: 1. an arrangement of pulleys and wire rope used for lifting heavy objects; a winch or similar
device. 2. the drawworks. v: to raise or lift.
hoisting components
n pl: drawworks, drilling line, and traveling and crown blocks. Auxiliary hoisting components
include catheads, catshaft, and air hoist.
hoisting drum
n: the large, flanged spool in the drawworks on which the hoisting cable is wound. See
drawworks.
hoisting line
n: a wire rope used in hoisting operations.
hook
n: a large, hook-shaped device from which the elevator bails or the swivel is suspended. It turns
on bearings in its supporting housing.
hoisting system
n: the system on the rig that performs all the lifting on the rig, primarily the lifting and lowering of
drill pipe out of and into the hole. It is composed of drilling line, traveling block, crown block, and

drawworks. See also hoisting components.

hook load
n: the weight of the drill stem and associated components that are suspended from the hook.
hopper
n: a large funnel- or cone-shaped device into which dry components (such as powdered clay or
cement) can be poured to later mix with water or other liquids. The dry component is educted
through a nozzle at the bottom of the hopper.
horsehead
n: the generally horsehead-shaped steel piece at the front of the beam of a pumping unit to
which the bridle is attached in sucker rod pumping.
horsepower
n: a unit of measure of work done by a machine.
horizontal drilling
n: deviation of the borehole from vertical so that the borehole penetrates a productive formation
in a manner parallel to the formation.
hydraulic
adj: 1. of or relating to water or other liquid in motion. 2. operated, moved, or effected by water or
liquid.
hydraulic fluid
n: a liquid of low viscosity (such as light oil) that is used in systems actuated by liquid (such as
the brake system in a car).
hydraulic force
n: force resulting from pressure on water or other hydraulic fluid.
hydraulic fracturing
n: an operation in which a specially blended liquid is pumped down a well and into a formation
under pressure high enough to cause the formation to crack open, forming passages through
which oil can flow into the wellbore.
hydraulic jar
n: a type of mechanical jar in which a fluid moving through a small opening slows the piston
stroke while the crew stretches the work string. After the hydraulic delay, a release mechanism in
the jar trips to allow a mandrel to spring up and deliver a sharp blow. Compare mechanical jar.
hydraulic pumping
n: a method of pumping oil from wells by using a downhole pump without sucker rods.
Subsurface hydraulic pumps consist of two reciprocating pumps coupled and placed in the well.
One pump functions as an engine and drives the other pump (the production pump). The
downhole engine is usually operated by clean crude oil under under pressure (power oil) that is
drawn from a power-oil settling tank by a triplex plunger pump on the surface. If a single string of
tubing is used, power oil is pumped down the tubing string to the pump, which is seated in the
string, and a mixture of power oil and produced fluid is returned through the casing-tubing
annulus. If two parallel strings are used, one supplies power oil to the pump while the other
returns the exhaust and produced oil to the surface. A hydraulic pump may be used to pump
several wells from a central source.
hydrocarbons
n pl: organic compounds of hydrogen and carbon whose densities, boiling points, and freezing
points increase as their molecular weights increase. Although composed of only two elements,
hydrocarbons exist in a variety of compounds, because of the strong affinity of the carbon atom
for other atoms and for itself. The smallest molecules of hydrocarbons are gaseous; the largest
are solids. Petroleum is a mixture of many different hydrocarbons.
hydrogen sulfide cracking
n: a type of corrosion that occurs when metals are exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas; it is
characterized by minute cracks that form just under the metal’s surface.
hydrostatic pressure
n: the force exerted by a body of fluid at rest. It increases directly with the density and the depth
of the fluid and is expressed in many different units, including pounds per square inch or
kilopascals.
IADC International Association of Drilling Contractors
n: a trade association that represents the interests of members of the drilling segment of the oil
and gas industry. It offers publications regarding recommended industry practices and training
materials.
impeller
n: a set of mounted blades used to impart motion to a fluid air or gas (such as, the rotor of a
centrifugal pump).
impermeable
adj: preventing the passage of fluid. A formation may be porous yet impermeable if there is an
absence of connecting passages between the voids within it. See permeability.
impression block
n: a block with lead or another relatively soft material on its bottom. It is made up on drill pipe or
tubing at the surface, run into a well, and set down on the object that has been lost in the well.
The block is retrieved and the impression is examined. The impression is a mirror image of the
top of the fish; it also indicates the fish’s position in the hole, for example, whether it is centered
or off to one side. From this information, the correct fishing tool may be selected.
induction log
n: an electric well log in which the conductivity of the formation rather than the resistivity is
measured. Because oil-bearing formations are less conductive of electricity than water-bearing
formations, an induction survey, when compared with resistivity readings, can aid in
determination of oil and water zones.
inflatable packer
n: a packer with an element that inflates by means of gas or liquid pumped from the surface
through a line. It is deflated by means of slots that can be opened to allow the gas or liquid to
flow out. They are used when a temporary packer is needed in a hole.
injection gas
n: 1. a high-pressure gas injected into a formation to maintain or restore reservoir pressure. 2.
gas injected in gas-lift operations.
injection log
n: a survey used to determine the injection profile, that is, to assign specific volumes or
percentages to each of the formations taking fluid in an injection well. The injection log is also
used to check for casing or packer leaks, proper cement jobs, and fluid migration between zones.
injection water
n: water that is introduced into a reservoir to help drive hydrocarbons to a producing well.
injection well
n: a well through which fluids are injected into an underground stratum to increase reservoir
pressure and to displace oil. Also called input well.
injector head
n: a control head for injecting coiled tubing into a well that seals off the tubing and makes a
pressure tight connection.
inland barge rig
n: an off shore drilling structure consisting of a barge on which the drilling equipment is
constructed. It is positioned on location, then the barge is sunk.
insert
n: 1. a cylindrical object, rounded, blunt, or chisel-shaped on one end and usually made of
tungsten carbide, that is inserted in the cones of a bit, the cutters of a reamer, or the blades of a
stabilizer to form the cutting element of the bit or the reamer or the wear surface of the stabilizer.
Also called a compact.
insert pump
n: a sucker rod pump that is run into the well as a complete unit.
intake valve
n: 1. the mechanism on an engine through which air and sometimes fuel are admitted to the
cylinder. 2. on a mud pump, the valve that opens to allow mud to be drawn into the pump by the
pistons moving in the liners.
intermediate casing string
n: the string of casing set in a well after the surface casing but before production casing is set to
keep the hole from caving and to seal off formations. In deep wells, one or more intermediate
strings may be required.
internal cutter
n: a fishing tool containing metal-cutting knives that is lowered into the inside of a length of pipe
stuck in the hole to cut the pipe. The severed portion of the pipe can then be returned to the jar
n: a percussion tool operated manually or hydraulically to deliver a heavy upward or downward
blow to fish stuck in the borehole. v: to apply a heavy blow to the drill stem by use of a jar or
bumper sub.
jar accelerator
n: a hydraulic tool used in conjunction with a jar and made up on the fishing string above the jar
to increase the power of the jarring force.
jerk line
n: a wire rope, one end of which is connected to the end of the tongs and the other end of which
is attached to the cathead.
jet
n: 1. a hydraulic device operated by a centrifugal pump used to clean the mud pits, or tanks, and
to mix mud components. 2. in a perforating gun using shaped charges, a highly penetrating, fast-
moving stream of exploded particles that forms a hole in the casing, cement, and formation.
jet cutoff
n: a procedure for severing pipe stuck in a well by detonating special shaped-charge explosives
similar to those used in jet perforating. The explosive is lowered into the pipe to the desired depth
and detonated. The force of the explosion makes radiating horizontal cuts around the pipe, and
the severed portion of the pipe is retrieved.
jet cutter
n: a fishing tool that uses shaped charges to sever casing, tubing, or drill pipe stuck in the hole.
See jet cutoff. Compare chemical cutter.
jet gun
n: an assembly, including a carrier and shaped charges, that is used in jet perforating.
jet-perforate
v: to create holes through the casing with a shaped charge of high explosives instead of a gun
that fires projectiles. The loaded charges are lowered into the hole to the desired depth. Once
detonated, the charges emit short, penetrating jets of high-velocity gases that make holes in the
casing and cement for some distance into the formation. Formation fluids then flow into the
wellbore through these perforations. See bullet perforator, gun-perforate.
journal bearing
n: a machine part in which a rotating shaft (a journal) revolves or slides. Also called a plain
bearing.
joint of pipe
n: a length of drill pipe or casing. Both come in various lengths.
junk
n: metal debris lost in a hole. Junk may be a lost bit, pieces of a bit, pieces of pipe, wrenches, or
any relatively small object that impedes drilling or completion and must be fished out of the hole.
v: to abandon (as a nonproductive well).
junk basket
n: a device made up on the bottom of the drill stem or on wireline to catch pieces of junk from the
bottom of the hole. Circulating the mud or reeling in the wireline forces the junk into a barrel in
the tool, where it is caught and held. When the basket is brought back to the surface, the junk is
removed. Also called a junk sub or junk catcher.
junk mill
n: a mill used to grind up junk in the hole. See mill.
junk retriever
n: a special tool made up on the bottom of the drill stem to pick up junk from the bottom of the
hole. Most junk retrievers are designed with ports that allow drilling fluid to exit the tool a short
distance off the bottom. This flow of fluid creates an area of low pressure inside the tool so that
the junk is lifted and caught in the retriever by the higher pressure outside the tool. See junk, junk
basket.
surface. Compare external cutter.
kelly
n: the heavy square or hexagonal steel member suspended from the swivel through the rotary
table and connected to the topmost joint of drill pipe to turn the drill stem as the rotary table turns.

kelly bushing
n: a device fitted to the rotary table through which the kelly passes and the means by which the
torque of the rotary table is transmitted to the kelly and to the drill stem. Also called the drive
bushing.
kelly bypass
n: a system of valves and piping that allows drilling fluid to be circulated without the use of the
kelly.
kelly cock
n: a valve installed at one or both ends of the kelly. When a high-pressure backflow occurs inside
the drill stem, the valve is closed to keep pressure off the swivel and rotary hose.
kelly drive bushing
n: see kelly bushing.
kelly driver
n: a device that fits inside the head and inside of which the kelly fits. The kelly driver rotates with
the kelly.
kelly saver sub
n: a heavy and relatively short length of pipe that fits in the drill stem between the kelly and the
drill pipe. The threads of the drill pipe mate with those of the sub, minimizing wear on the kelly.
kelly spinner
n: a pneumatically operated device mounted on top of the kelly that, when actuated, causes the
kelly to turn or spin.
keyseat
n: 1. an undergauge channel or groove cut in the side of the borehole and parallel to the axis of
the hole. A keyseat results from the rotation of pipe on a sharp bend in the hole. 2. a groove cut

parallel to the axis in a shaft or a pulley bore.

kick
n: an entry of water, gas, oil, or other formation fluid into the wellbore during drilling. It occurs
because the pressure exerted by the column of drilling fluid is not great enough to overcome the
pressure exerted by the fluids in the formation drilled. If prompt action is not taken to control the
kick, or kill the well, a blowout may occur.
kick fluids
n pl: oil, gas, water, or any combination that enters the borehole from a permeable formation.

kick off
v: 1. to bring a well into production; used most often when gas is injected into a gas lift well to
start production. 2. in workover operations, to swab a well to restore it to production. 3. to deviate
a wellbore from the vertical, as in directional drilling.
kickoff point (KOP)
n: the depth in a vertical hole at which a deviated or slant hole is started; used in directional
drilling.
kill
v: 1. in drilling, to control a kick by taking suitable preventive measures (for example, to shut in
the well with the blowout preventers, circulate the kick out, and increase the weight of the drilling
mud). 2. in production, to stop a well from producing oil and gas so that reconditioning of the well
can proceed.
land rig
n: any drilling rig that is located on dry land.
latch on
v: to attach elevators to a section of pipe to pull it out of or run into the hole.
latch sub
n: a device, usually with segmented threads, run with seal subs on the bottom of a tubing string
and latched into a permanent packer to prevent tubing movement.
lay
n: 1. the spiral of strands in a wire rope either to the right or to the left, as viewed from above. 2.
a term used to measure wire rope, signifying the linear distance a wire strand covers in one
complete rotation around the rope.
lay down pipe
v: to pull drill pipe or tubing from the hole and place it in a horizontal position on a pipe rack.
Compare set back.
lead-tong hand
(pronounced “leed”) n: the crew member who operates the lead tongs when drill pipe and drill
collars are being handled. Also called lead-tong man.
lead tongs
(pronounced “leed”) n pl: the pipe tongs suspended in the derrick or mast and operated by a
chain or a wire rope connected to the makeup cathead or the breakout cathead.
lifting sub
n: a threaded device placed in the end of tubulars, such as drill collars to aid in lifting; also called
hoisting plug.
liner
n: 1. a string of pipe used to case open hole below existing casing. A liner extends from the
setting depth up into another string of casing, usually overlapping about 100 feet (30.5 meters)
above the lower end of the intermediate or the oil string. Liners are nearly always suspended
from the upper string by a hanger device. 2. a relatively short length of pipe with holes or slots
that is placed opposite a producing formation. Usually, such liners are wrapped with specially
shaped wire that is designed to prevent the entry of loose sand into the well as it is produced.
They are also often used with a gravel pack. 3. in jet perforation guns, a conically shaped
metallic piece that is part of a shaped charge. It increases the efficiency of the charge by
increasing the penetrating ability of the jet. 4. a replaceable tube that fits inside the cylinder of an
engine or a pump. See cylinder liner.
liner completion
n: a well completion in which a liner is used to obtain communication between the reservoir and
the wellbore.
liner hanger
n: a slip device that attaches the liner to the casing. See liner.
location
n: the place where a well is drilled. Also called well site.
log
n: a systematic recording of data, such as a driller’s log, mud log, electrical well log, or
radioactivity log. Many different logs are run in wells to discern various characteristics of
downhole formation. v: to record data.
log a well
v: to run any of the various logs used to ascertain downhole information about a well.
logging devices
n pl: any of several electrical, acoustical, mechanical, or radioactivity devices that are used to
measure and record certain characteristics or events that occur in a well that has been or is
being drilled.
long string
n: 1. the last string of casing set in a well. 2. the string of casing that is set at the top of or through
the producing zone, often called the oil string or production casing.
lost circulation
n: the quantities of whole mud lost to a formation, usually in cavernous, pressured, or coarsely
permeable beds. Evidenced by the complete or partial failure of the mud to return to the surface
as it is being circulated in the hole.
lost pipe
n: drill pipe, drill collars, tubing, or casing that has become separated in the hole from the part of
the pipe reaching the surface, necessitating its removal before normal operations can proceed;
for example, a fish.
lost time incident
n: an incident in the workplace that results in an injury serious enough that causes the person
injured to be unable to work for a day or more.
lubricator
n: a specially fabricated length of casing or tubing usually placed temporarily above a valve on
top of the casinghead or tubing head. It is used to run swabbing or perforating tools into a
producing well and provides a method for sealing off pressure and thus should be rated for
highest anticipated pressure.
macaroni string
n: a string of tubing or pipe, usually 3/4 or 1 inch (1.9 or 2.54 centimeters) in diameter.
make a connection
v: to attach a joint or stand of drill pipe onto the drill stem suspended in the wellbore to permit
deepening the wellbore by the length of the pipe.
make up
v: 1. to assemble and join parts to form a complete unit (for example, to make up a string of drill
pipe). 2. to screw together two threaded pieces. Compare break out. 3. to mix or prepare (for
example, to make up a tank of mud). 4. to compensate for (for example, to make up for lost
time).
makeup
adj: added to a system (for example, makeup water used in mixing mud).
make up a joint
v: to screw a length of pipe into another length of pipe.
makeup cathead
n: a device that is attached to the shaft of the drawworks and used as a power source for making
up joints of pipe. It is usually located on the driller’s side of the drawworks. Also called spinning
cathead.
makeup tongs
n pl: tongs used for screwing one length of pipe into another for making up a joint. Compare
breakout tongs. See also tongs.
male connection
n: a pipe, coupling, or tool that has threads on the outside so that it can be joined to a female
connection.
mandrel
n: a cylindrical bar, spindle, or shaft around which other parts are arranged or attached or that fits
inside a cylinder or tube.
manifold
n: 1. an accessory system of piping to a main piping system (or another conductor) that serves to
divide a flow into several parts, to combine several flows into one, or to reroute a flow to any one

of several possible destinations.

mast
n: a portable derrick that is capable of being raised as a unit, as distinguished from a standard
derrick, which cannot be raised to a working position as a unit. For transporting by land, the mast
can be divided into two or more sections to avoid excessive length extending from truck beds on
the highway.
master bushing
n: a device that fits into the rotary table to accommodate the slips and drive the kelly bushing so
that the rotating motion of the rotary table can be transmitted to the kelly.
master valve
n: 1. a large valve located on the Christmas tree and used to control the flow of oil and gas from
a well. Also called master gate.
mechanical jar
n: a percussion tool operated mechanically to give an upward thrust to a fish by the sudden
release of a tripping device inside the tool. If the fish can be freed by an upward blow, the
mechanical jar can be very effective.
mechanical log
n: a log of, for instance, rate of penetration or amount of gas in the mud, obtained at the surface
by mechanical means. See mud logging.
mechanical rig
n: a drilling rig in which the source of power is one or more internal-combustion engines and in
which the power is distributed to rig components through mechanical devices (such as chains,
sprockets, clutches, and shafts). Also called a power rig. Compare electric rig.
mill
n: a downhole tool with rough, sharp, extremely hard cutting surfaces for removing metal,
packers, cement, sand, or scale by grinding or cutting.
miscible drive
n: a method of enhanced recovery in which various hydrocarbon solvents or gases (such as
propane, LPG, natural gas, carbon dioxide, or a mixture thereof) are injected into the reservoir to
reduce interfacial forces between oil and water in the pore channels and thus displace oil from
the reservoir rock. See chemical flooding, gas injection.
mixing tank
n: any tank or vessel used to mix components of a substance (as in the mixing of additives with
drilling mud).
mix mud
v: to prepare drilling fluids.
monitor
n: an instrument that reports the performance of a control device or signals if unusual conditions
appear in a system.

monkeyboard
n: the derrickhand's working platform. As pipe or tubing is run into or out of the hole, the
derrickhand must handle the top end of the pipe, which may be as high as 90 feet (27 meters) or
higher in the derrick or mast.
morning report
n: see daily drilling report.
morning tour
(pronounced “tower”) n: a work shift that generally begins at or near midnight. See graveyard
tour.
motorhand
n: the crew member on a rotary drilling rig, who is responsible for the care and operation of
drilling engines. Also called motorman.
motor
n: any of various power units, such as a hydraulic, internal combustion, air, or electric device,
that develops energy or imparts motion. Compare engine.
motorman
n: see motorhand.

mousehole
n: shallow bores under the rig floor, usually lined with pipe, in which joints of drill pipe are
temporarily suspended for later connection to the drill string.
mousehole connection
n: the procedure of adding a length of drill pipe or tubing to the active string.
mud
n: the liquid circulated through the wellbore during rotary drilling and workover operations.
mud acid
n: a mixture of hydrochloric and/or hydrofluoric acids and surfactants used to remove wall cake
from the wellbore.
mud cake
n: the sheath of mud solids that forms on the wall of the hole when liquid from mud filters into the
formation. Also called filter cake or wall cake.
mud centrifuge
n: a device that uses centrifugal force to separate small solid components from liquid drilling fluid.
mud cleaner
n: a cone-shaped device, a hydrocyclone, designed to remove very fine solid particles from the
drilling mud.
mud engineer
n: an employee of a drilling fluid supply company whose duty it is to test and maintain the drilling
mud properties that are specified by the operator.

mud-gas separator
n: a device that removes gas from the mud coming out of a well when a kick is being circulated
out.
mud hopper
n: see hopper.
mud hose
n: also called kelly hose or rotary hose. See rotary hose.
mud line
n: a mud return line.
mud logging
n: the recording of information derived from examination and analysis of formation cuttings made
by the bit and of mud circulated out of the hole. A portion of the mud is diverted through a gas-
detecting device. Cuttings brought up by the mud are examined under ultraviolet light to detect
the presence of oil or gas. Mud logging is often carried out in a portable laboratory set up at the
well site.
mud motor
n: see downhole motor.

mud pit
n: originally, an open pit dug in the ground to hold drilling fluid or waste materials discarded after
the treatment of drilling mud. For some drilling operations, mud pits are used for suction to the
mud pumps, settling of mud sediments, and storage of reserve mud. Steel tanks are much more
commonly used for these purposes now, but they are still usually referred to as pits.
mud pump
n: a large, high-pressure reciprocating pump used to circulate the mud on a drilling rig. A typical
mud pump is a two or three-cylinder piston pump whose replaceable pistons travel in replaceable
liners and are driven by a crankshaft actuated by an engine or a motor.

mud return line

n: a trough or pipe that is placed between the surface connections at the wellbore and the shale
shaker.
mud tank
n: one of a series of open tanks, usually made of steel plate, through which the drilling mud is
cycled to remove sand and fine sediments.
mud weight
n: a measure of the density of a drilling fluid expressed as pounds per gallon, pounds per cubic
foot, or kilograms per cubic metre. Mud weight is directly related to the amount of pressure the
column of drilling mud exerts at the bottom of the hole.
multiple completion

n: an arrangement for producing a well in which one wellbore penetrates two or more petroleum-
bearing formations. In one type, multiple tubing strings are suspended side by side in the
production casing string, each a different length and each packed to prevent the commingling of
different reservoir fluids. Each reservoir is then produced through its own tubing string.
Alternatively, a small diameter production casing string may be provided for each reservoir, as in
multiple miniaturized or multiple tubingless completions. See dual completion.

natural gas
n: a highly compressible, highly expansible mixture of hydrocarbons with a low specific gravity
and occurring naturally in a gaseous form.
neutron log
n: a radioactivity well log used to determine formation porosity. The logging tool bombards the
formation with neutrons. When the neutrons strike hydrogen atoms in water or oil, gamma rays
are released. Since water or oil exists only in pore spaces, a measurement of the gamma rays
indicates formation porosity. See radioactivity well logging.
night toolpusher
n: an assistant toolpusher whose duty hours are typically during nighttime hours. Also known as
a tourpusher.
nipple
n: a tubular pipe fitting threaded on both ends used for making connections between pipe joints
and other tools.
nipple up
v: in drilling, to assemble the blowout preventer stack on the wellhead at the surface.
nitro shooting
n: a formation-stimulation process first used about 100 years ago in Pennsylvania. Nitroglycerine
is placed in a well and exploded to fracture.
normal circulation
n: the smooth, uninterrupted circulation of drilling fluid down the drill stem, out the bit, up the
annular space between the pipe and the hole, and back to the surface.
nozzle
n: 1. a passageway through jet bits that causes the drilling fluid to be ejected from the bit at high
velocity.
nuclear log
n: see radioactivity log.
nuclear tracer
n: a gas, liquid, or solid material that emits gamma rays.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
n: a U.S. government enforcement agency that conducts worksite inspections and incident
investigations, research into the causes of occupational diseases and accidents. Address:
Department of Labor; 200 Constitution Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20210; (800) 321-OSHA.
oil
n: a simple or complex liquid mixture of hydrocarbons that can be refined to yield gasoline,
kerosene, diesel fuel, and various other products.
oil-base mud
n: a drilling or workover fluid in which oil is the continuous phase and which contains from less
than 2 percent and up to 5 percent water. This water is spread out, or dispersed, in the oil as
small droplets. See oil mud.
oil-emulsion mud
n: a water-base mud in which water is the continuous phase and oil is the dispersed phase.
oilfield
n: the surface area overlying an oil reservoir or reservoirs. The term usually includes not only the
surface area, but also the reservoir, the wells, and the production equipment.
oil mud
n: a drilling mud, such as, oil-base mud and invert-emulsion mud, in which oil is the continuous
phase. It is useful in drilling certain formations that may be difficult or costly to drill with
waterbase mud. Compare oil-emulsion mud.
oil sand
n: 1. a sandstone that yields oil. 2. (by extension) any reservoir that yields oil, whether or not it is
sandstone.
oil saver
n: a gland arrangement that mechanically or hydraulically seals by pressure. It is used to prevent
leakage and waste of gas, oil, or water around a wireline (as when swabbing a well).
oil spotting
n: pumping oil, or a mixture of oil and chemicals, to a specific depth in the well to lubricate stuck
drill collars.
oil string
n: the final string of casing set in a well after the productive capacity of the formation has been
determined to be sufficient. Also called the long string or production casing.
oilwell
n: a well from which oil is obtained.
oil zone
n: a formation or horizon of a well from which oil may be produced. The oil zone is usually
immediately under the gas zone and on top of the water zone if all three fluids are present and
segregated.
open formation
n: a petroleum-bearing rock with good porosity and permeability.
open hole
n: 1. any wellbore in which casing has not been set. 2. open or cased hole in which no drill pipe
or tubing is suspended. 3. the portion of the wellbore that has no casing.
open-hole completion
n: a method of preparing a well for production in which no production casing or liner is set
opposite the producing formation. Reservoir fluids flow unrestricted into the open wellbore.
open-hole fishing
n: the procedure of recovering lost or stuck equipment in an uncased wellbore.
open-hole log
n: any log made in uncased, or open hole.
operator
n: the person or company, either proprietor or lessee, actually operating a well or lease, generally
the oil or gas company that engages the drilling, service, and workover contractors.
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
n: an organization of the countries of the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America
that produce oil and export it. Update - members as of 1997 are Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and
Venezuela. The organization’s purpose is to negotiate and regulate production and oil prices.
out-of-gauge bit
n: a bit that is no longer of the proper diameter.
out-of-gauge hole
n: a hole that is not in gauge; that is, it is smaller or larger than the diameter of the bit used to drill
it.
overshot
n: a fishing tool that is attached to tubing or drill pipe and lowered over the outside wall of pipe or
sucker rods lost or stuck in the wellbore. A friction device in the overshot, usually either a basket
or a spiral grapple, firmly grips the pipe, allowing the fish to be pulled from the hole.
overthrust fault
n: a low-dip angle (nearly horizontal) reverse fault along which a large displacement has
occurred. Some overthrusts, such as many of those in the Rocky Mountain Overthrust Belt,
represent slippages of many miles.
O-ring
n: a circular seal common in the oil field. O-rings may be made of elastomer, rubber, plastic, or
stainless steel. To seal properly, they all require enough pressure to make them deform against a
sealing surface.
packer
n: a piece of downhole equipment that consists of a sealing device, a holding or setting device,
and an inside passage for fluids.
packer fluid
n: a liquid, usually salt water or oil, but sometimes mud, used in a well when a packer is between
the tubing and the casing. Packer fluid must be heavy enough to shut off the pressure of the
formation being produced, and should not stiffen or settle out of suspension over long periods of
time, and must be non-corrosive.
packer squeeze method
n: a squeeze cementing method in which a packer is set to form a seal between the working
string (the pipe down which cement is pumped) and the casing. Another packer or a cement plug
is set below the point to be squeeze-cemented. By setting packers, the squeeze point is isolated
from the rest of the well.
packing
n: 1. a material used in a cylinder on rotating shafts of an engine or pump in the stuffing box of a
valve, or between flange joints to maintain a leak proof seal. 2. the specially fabricated filling in
packed fractionation columns and absorbers.
packing assembly
n: the arrangement of the downhole tools used in running and setting a packer.
packing elements
n pl: the set of dense rubber, washer-shaped pieces encircling a packer, which are designed to
expand against casing or formation face to seal off the annulus.
pack-off
n: a device with an elastomer packing element that depends on pressure below the packing to
effect a seal in the annulus. Used primarily to run or pull pipe under low or moderate pressures.
Also called a stripper.
pack off
v: to place a packer in the wellbore and activate it so that it forms a seal between the tubing and
the casing.
paraffin
n: a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having the formula CnH2n+2 (for example, methane, CH4;
ethane, C2H6). Heavier paraffin hydrocarbons (for example, C18H38) form a waxlike substance
that is called paraffin. These heavier paraffins often accumulate on the walls of tubing and other
production equipment, restricting or stopping the flow of the desirable lighter paraffins.
paraffin scraper
n: a tube with guides around it to keep it centered in the hole, and a cylindrical piece with blades
attached. Spaces between the blades allow drilling fluid to pass through and carry away the
scrapings.
parallel strings
n pl: in a multiple completion, the arrangement of a separate tubing string for each zone
produced, with all zones isolated by packers.
parted rods
n pl: sucker rods that have been broken and separated in a pumping well because of corrosion,
improper loading, damaged rods, and so forth.
PDC bit
n: a special type of diamond drilling bit that does not use roller cones.
penetration rate
n: see rate of penetration.
perforate
v: to pierce the casing wall and cement of a wellbore to provide holes through which formation
fluids may enter or to provide holes in the casing so that materials may be introduced into the
annulus between the casing and the wall of the borehole. Perforating is accomplished by
lowering into the well a perforating gun, or perforator.
perforated completion
n: 1. a well completion method in which the producing zone or zones are cased through,
cemented, and perforated to allow fluid flow into the wellbore. 2. a well completed by this
method.
perforated liner
n: a liner that has had holes shot in it by a perforating gun.
perforated pipe
n: sections of pipe (such as casing, liner, and tail pipe) in which holes or slots have been cut
before it is set.
perforating gun
n: a device fitted with shaped charges or bullets that is lowered to the desired depth in a well and
fired to create penetrating holes in casing, cement, and formation.
perforation
n: a hole made in the casing, cement, and formation through which formation fluids enter a
wellbore. Usually several perforations are made at a time.
perforation depth control log (PDC log)
n: a special type of nuclear log that measures the depth of each casing collar. Knowing the depth
of the collars makes it easy to determine the exact depth of the formation to be perforated by
correlating casing-collar depth with formation depth.
perforator
n: see perforating gun.
permanent packer
n: a nonretrievable type of packer that must be drilled or milled out for removal.
permeability
n: 1. a measure of the ease with which a fluid flows through the connecting pore spaces of a
formation or cement. The unit of measurement is the millidarcy. 2. fluid conductivity of a porous
medium. 3. ability of a fluid to flow within the interconnected pore network of a porous medium.
petroleum
n: a substance occurring naturally in the earth in solid, liquid, or gaseous state and composed
mainly of mixtures of chemical compounds of carbon and hydrogen, with or without other
nonmetallic elements such as sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. In some cases, especially in the
measurement of oil and gas, petroleum refers only to oil—a liquid hydrocarbon—and does not
include natural gas or gas liquids such as propane and butane.
pilot
n: a rodlike or tubelike extension below a downhole tool, such as a mill, that serves to guide the
tool into or over another downhole tool or fish.
pilot bit
n: a bit placed on a special device that serves to guide the device into an already existing hole
that is to be opened (made larger in diameter). The pilot bit merely guides, or pilots, the cutters
on the hole opener into the existing hole so that the hole-opening cutters can enlarge the hole to
the desired size.
pilot mill
n: a special mill that has a heavy tubular extension below it called a pilot or stinger. The pilot,
smaller in diameter than the mill, is designed to go inside drill pipe or tubing that is lost in the
hole. It guides the mill to the top of the pipe and centers it, thus preventing the mill from by-
passing the pipe. Also called a piloted mill.
pinch points
n: the sections where body parts or other materials may be pinched.

pipe ramp and pipe on rack

n: an angled ramp for dragging drill pipe, casing and other materials up to the drilling floor or
bringing such equipment down.
pick up
v: 1. to use the drawworks to lift the bit (or other tool) off bottom by raising the drill stem. 2. to use
an air hoist to lift a tool, a joint of drill pipe, or other piece of equipment.
pin
n: 1. the male threaded section of a tool joint. 2. on a bit, the threaded bit shank.
pipe
n: a long, hollow cylinder, usually steel, through which fluids are conducted. Oilfield tubular goods

are casing (including liners), drill pipe, tubing, or line pipe.

pipe racks
n pl: horizontal supports for tubular goods.
pipe racker
n: 1. (obsolete) a worker who places pipe to one side in the derrick. 2. a pneumatic or hydraulic
device used to mechanize the rig floor.
pipe ram
n: a sealing component for a blowout preventer that closes the annular space between the pipe
and the blowout preventer or wellhead.
pipe ram preventer
n: a blowout preventer that uses pipe rams as the closing elements. See pipe ram.
pipe tongs
n pl: see tongs.
pipe upset
n: that part of the pipe that has an abrupt increase of dimension.
pipe wiper
n: a flexible disk-shaped device, usually made of rubber, with a hole in the center through which
drill pipe or tubing passes. It is used to wipe off mud, oil, or other liquid from the pipe as it is
pulled from the hole.
pit level
n: height of drilling mud in the mud tanks, or pits.
pit-level indicator
n: one of a series of devices that continuously monitor the level of the drilling mud in the mud
tanks. The indicator usually consists of float devices in the mud tanks that sense the mud level
and transmit data to a recording and alarm device (a pit-volume recorder) mounted near the
driller’s position on the rig floor. If the mud level drops too low or rises too high, the alarm may
sound to warn the driller of lost circulation or a kick.
pitman
n: the arm that connects the crank to the walking beam on a pumping unit by means of which
rotary motion is converted to reciprocating motion.
plug
n: any object or device that blocks a hole or passageway (such as a cement plug in a borehole).
plug and abandon (P&A)
v: to place cement plugs into a dry hole and abandon it.
plug back
v: to place cement in or near the bottom of a well to exclude bottom water, to sidetrack, or to
produce from a formation higher in the well. Plugging back can also be accomplished with a
mechanical plug set by wireline, tubing, or drill pipe.
plug-back cementing
n: a secondary cementing operation in which a plug of cement is positioned at a specific point in
the well and allowed to set.
plunger
n: 1. a basic component of the sucker rod pump that serves to draw well fluids into the pump. 2.
the rod that serves as a piston in a reciprocating pump. 3. the device in a fuel-injection unit that
regulates the amount of fuel pumped on each stroke.
pole mast
n: a portable mast constructed of tubular members. A pole mast may be a single pole, usually of
two different sizes of pipe telescoped together to be moved or extended and locked to obtain
maximum height above a well. Double-pole masts give added strength and stability. See mast.
polished rod
n: the topmost portion of a string of sucker rods. It is used for lifting fluid by the rod-pumping
method. It has a uniform diameter and is smoothly polished to seal pressure effectively in the
stuffing box attached to the top of the well.
polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC)
n: a disk (a compact) of very small synthetic diamonds, metal powder, and tungsten carbide
powder that are used as cutters on PDC bits.
porosity
n: 1. the condition of being porous (such as a rock formation). 2. the ratio of the volume of empty
space to the volume of solid rock in a formation, indicating how much fluid a rock can hold.
portable mast
n: a mast mounted on a truck and capable of being erected as a single unit. See telescoping
mast.
possum belly
n: 1. a receiving tank situated at the end of the mud return line. The flow of mud comes into the
bottom of the device and travels to control mud flow over the shale shaker. 2. a metal box under

a truck bed that holds pipeline repair tools.

power generating system
n: a diesel, LPG, natural gas, or gasoline engine along with a mechanical transmission or
generator for producing power for the drilling rig.
power wrench
n: a wrench that is used to make up or break out drill pipe, tubing, or casing on which the torque
is provided by air or fluid pressure. Conventional tongs are operated by a mechanical pull
provided by a jerk line connected to a cathead.
preflush
n: 1. an injection of water prior to chemical flooding that is used to induce reservoir conditions
favorable to the surfactant solution by adjusting reservoir salinity and reducing ion
concentrations. A preflush may also be used to obtain advance information on reservoir flow
patterns. 2. fluid injected prior to the acid solution pumped into a well in an acid-stimulation
treatment; sometimes called a spearhead. Compare overflush.
pressure depletion
n: the method of producing a gas reservoir that is not associated with a water drive. Gas is
removed and reservoir pressure declines until all the recoverable gas has been expelled.
preventer
n: shortened form of blowout preventer. See blowout preventer.
preventive maintenance
n: a system of conducting regular checks, routine maintenance and testing of equipment to
lengthen the service life and to potentially permit replacement or repair of weakened or faulty
parts before equipment failure results.
primary recovery
n: the first stage of oil production in which natural reservoir drives are used to recover oil,
although some form of artificial lift may be required to exploit declining reservoir drives.
production
n: 1. the phase of the petroleum industry that deals with bringing the well fluids to the surface and
separating them and storing, gauging, and otherwise preparing the product for delivery. 2. the
amount of oil or gas produced in a given period.
production casing
n: the last string of casing set in a well, inside of which is usually suspended a tubing string.
production maintenance
n: the efforts made to minimize the decline in a well’s production. It includes, for example, acid-
washing of casing perforations to dissolve mineral deposits, scraping or chemical injection to
prevent paraffin buildup, and various measures taken to control corrosion and erosion damage.
production packer
n: any packer designed to make a seal between the tubing and the casing during production.
production rig
n: a portable servicing or workover unit, usually mounted on wheels and self-propelled. A
wellservicing unit consists of a hoist and engine mounted on a wheeled chassis with a self-
erecting mast. A workover rig is basically the same, with the addition of a substructure with
rotary, pump, pits, and auxiliaries to permit handling and working a drill string.
production test
n: a test of the well’s producing potential usually done during the initial completion phase.
production tubing
n: a string of tubing used to produce the well.
production well
n: in fields in which improved recovery techniques are being applied, the well through which oil is
produced.
productivity test
n: a combination of a potential test and a bottomhole pressure test the purpose of which is to
determine the effects of different flow rates on the pressure within the producing zone of the well
to establish physical characteristics of the reservoir and to determine the maximum potential rate
of flow.
propping agent
n: a granular substance (sand grains, aluminum pellets, or other material) that is carried in
suspension by the fracturing fluid and that serves to keep the cracks open when fracturing fluid is
withdrawn after a fracture treatment.
pulling unit
n: a well-servicing outfit used in pulling rods and tubing from the well. See production rig.
pulsed neutron logging device
n: a measuring instrument run inside casing to obtain an indication of the presence or absence of
hydrocarbons outside the casing, to determine water saturation in a reservoir behind casing, to
detect water movement in the reservoir, to estimate porosity, and to estimate water salinity.
pulsed-neutron survey
n: a special cased hole logging method that uses radioactivity reaction time to obtain
measurements of water saturation, residual oil saturation, and fluid contacts in the formation
outside the casing of an oil well.
pump
n: a device that increases the pressure on a fluid or raises it to a higher level. Various types of
pumps include the bottom hole pump, centrifugal pump, hydraulic pump, jet pump, mud pump,
reciprocating pump, rotary pump, sucker rod pump, and submersible pump.
pump barrel
n: the cylinder or liner in which the plunger of a sucker rod pump reciprocates.
pump-down
adj: descriptive of any tool or device that can be pumped down a wellbore. Pump-down tools are
not lowered into the well on wireline; instead, they are pumped down the well with the drilling
fluid.
pumping unit
n: the machine that imparts reciprocating motion to a string of sucker rods extending to the
positive displacement pump at the bottom of a well. It is usually a beam arrangement driven by a
crank attached to a speed reducer, coupled to a motor.
pump jack
n: a surface unit similar to a pumping unit but having no individual power plant. Usually, several
pump jacks are operated by pull rods or cables from one central power source.
pump rate
n: the speed, or velocity, at which a pump is run. In drilling, the pump rate is usually measured in
strokes per minute.
pup joint
n: a length of drill or line pipe, tubing, or casing shorter than range 1 (18 feet or 6.26 meters for
drill pipe) in length.
pusher
n: shortened form of toolpusher.
ack
n: 1. framework for supporting or containing a number of loose objects, such as pipe. See pipe
rack. 2. a bar with teeth on one face for gearing with a pinion or worm gear. 3. a notched bar
used as a ratchet. v: 1. to place on a rack. 2. to use as a rack.
radiation logging
n: see radioactivity well logging.
radioactivity log
n: a record of the natural or induced radioactive characteristics of subsurface formations. Also
called nuclear log. See radioactivity well logging.
radioactivity well logging
n: the recording of the natural or induced radioactive characteristics of subsurface formations. A
radioactivity log, also known as a radiation log or a nuclear log, normally consists of two recorded
curves: a gamma ray curve and a neutron curve. Both help to determine the types of rocks in the
formation and the types of fluids contained in the rocks.
ram
n: the closing and sealing component on a blowout preventer. One of three types—blind, pipe, or
shear—may be installed in several preventers mounted in a stack on top of the wellbore. Blind
rams, when closed, form a seal on a hole that has no drill pipe in it; pipe rams, when closed, seal
around the pipe; shear rams cut through drill pipe and then form a seal.

ram blowout preventer

n: a blowout preventer that uses rams to seal off pressure on a hole that is with or without pipe. It
is also called a ram preventer. Ram-type preventers have interchangeable ram blocks to
accommodate different O.D. drill pipe, casing, or tubing.
range of load
n: in sucker rod pumping, the difference between the polished rod peak load on the upstroke and
the minimum load on the downstroke.
rate of penetration (ROP)
n: a measure of the speed at which the bit drills into formations, usually expressed in feet
(meters) per hour or minutes per foot (meter).

rathole
n: 1. a hole in the rig floor, some 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 meters) deep, which is lined with casing
that projects above the floor, into which the kelly and the swivel are placed when hoisting
operations are in progress. 2. a hole of a diameter smaller than the main hole and drilled in the
bottom of the main hole. v: to reduce the size of the wellbore and drill ahead.
rathole connection
n: the addition of a length of drill pipe or tubing to the active string using the rathole instead of the
mousehole, which is the more common connection. Compare mousehole connection.
rathole rig
n: a small, usually truck-mounted rig, the purpose of which is to drill ratholes for regular drilling
rigs that will be moved in later. A rathole rig may also drill the top part of the hole, the conductor
hole, before the main rig arrives on location.
ream
v: to enlarge the wellbore by drilling it again with a special bit.
reamer
n: a tool used in drilling to smooth the wall of a well, enlarge the hole to the specified size, help
stabilize the bit, straighten the wellbore if kinks or doglegs are encountered, and drill directionally.
reciprocating motion
n: back-and-forth or up-and-down movement, such as that of a piston in a cylinder.
reciprocating pump
n: a pump consisting of a piston that moves back and forth or up and down in a cylinder. The
cylinder is equipped with inlet (suction) and outlet (discharge) valves. On the intake stroke, the
suction valves are opened, and fluid is drawn into the cylinder. On the discharge stroke, the
suction valves close, the discharge valves open, and fluid is forced out of the cylinder.
recompletion
n: after the initial completion of a well, the action and techniques of reentering the well and
redoing or repairing the original completion to restore the well’s productivity.
reeve (the line)
v: to string a wire rope drilling line through the sheaves of the traveling and crown blocks to the
hoisting drum.
refracturing
n: fracturing a formation again.
remote BOP control panel
n: a device placed on the rig floor that can be operated by the driller to direct air pressure to
actuating cylinders that turn the control valves on the main BOP control unit, located a safe
distance from the rig.
remote choke panel
n: a set of controls, usually placed on the rig floor, or elsewhere on location, 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.

reserve pit
n: 1. (obsolete) a mud pit in which a supply of drilling fluid is stored.
reserves
n pl: the unproduced but recoverable oil or gas in a formation that has been proved by
production.
reserve tank
n: a special mud tank that holds mud that is not being actively circulated. A reserve tank usually
contains a different type of mud from that which the pump is currently circulating. For example, it
may store heavy mud for emergency well-control operations.
reservoir
n: a subsurface, porous, permeable or naturally fractured rock body in which oil or gas are
stored. Most reservoir rocks are limestones, dolomites, sandstones, or a combination of these.
The four basic types of hydrocarbon reservoirs are oil, volatile oil, dry gas, and gas condensate.
An oil reservoir generally contains three fluids—gas, oil, and water—with oil the dominant
product. In the typical oil reservoir, these fluids become vertically segregated because of their
different densities. Gas, the lightest, occupies the upper part of the reservoir rocks; water, the
lower part; and oil, the intermediate section. In addition to its occurrence as a cap or in solution,
gas may accumulate independently of the oil; if so, the reservoir is called a gas reservoir.
Associated with the gas, in most instances, are salt water and some oil. Volatile oil reservoirs are
exceptional in that during early production they are mostly productive of light oil plus gas, but, as
depletion occurs, production can become almost totally completely gas. Volatile oils are usually
good candidates for pressure maintenance, which can result in increased reserves. In the typical
dry gas reservoir natural gas exists only as a gas and production is only gas plus fresh water that
condenses from the flow stream reservoir. In a gas condensate reservoir, the hydrocarbons may
exist as a gas, but, when brought to the surface, some of the heavier hydrocarbons condense
and become a liquid.
reservoir drive
n: see reservoir drive mechanism.
reservoir drive mechanism
n: the process in which reservoir fluids are caused to flow out of the reservoir rock and into a
wellbore by natural energy. Gas drive depends on the fact that, as the reservoir is produced,
pressure is reduced, allowing the gas to expand and provide the principal driving energy. Water
drive reservoirs depend on water and rock expansion to force the hydrocarbons out of the
reservoir and into the wellbore. Also called natural drive energy.
reservoir oil
n: oil in place in the reservoir; retained in a reservoir as residual gas saturation is an inverse
function of the pressure, due to the physics of gas.
reservoir pressure
n: the average pressure within the reservoir at any given time. Determination of this value is best
made by bottomhole pressure measurements with adequate shut-in time. If a shut-in period long
enough for the reservoir pressure to stabilize is impractical, then various techniques of analysis
by pressure buildup or drawdown tests are available to determine static reservoir pressure.
reservoir rock
n: a permeable rock that may contain oil or gas in appreciable quantity and through which
petroleum may migrate.
resistivity
n: the electrical resistance offered to the passage of current; the opposite of conductivity.
resistivity log
n: a record of the resistivity of a formation. Usually obtained when an electric log is run. See
resistivity well logging.
resistivity well logging
n: the recording of the resistance of formation water to natural or induced electrical current. The
mineral content of subsurface water allows it to conduct electricity. Rock, oil, and gas are poor
conductors. Resistivity measurements can be correlated to formation lithology, porosity,
permeability, and saturation and are very useful in formation evaluation.
retrievable packer
n: a packer that can be pulled out of the well to be repaired or replaced.
reverse circulation
n: the course of drilling fluid downward through the annulus and upward through the drill stem, in
contrast to normal circulation in which the course is downward through the drill stem and upward
through the annulus. Seldom used in open hole, but frequently used in workover operations.
rework
v: to restore production from an existing formation when it has fallen off substantially or ceased
altogether.
rig
n: the derrick or mast, drawworks, and attendant surface equipment of a drilling or workover unit.
rig down
v: to dismantle a drilling rig and auxiliary equipment following the completion of drilling
operations. Also called tear down.
rig floor
n: the area immediately around the rotary table and extending to each corner of the derrick or
mast—that is, the area immediately above the substructure on which the rotary table, and so
forth rest.
rig up
v: to prepare the drilling rig for making hole, for example, to install tools and machinery before
drilling is started.
rod blowout preventer
n: a ram device used to close the annular space around the polished rod or sucker rod in a
pumping well.
rod hanger
n: a device used to hang sucker rods on the mast or in the derrick.
rod pump
n: see sucker rod pump.
rod string
n: a sucker rod string, that is, the entire length of sucker rods, which usually consists of several
single rods screwed together. The rod string serves as a mechanical link from the beam pumping
unit on the surface to the sucker rod pump near the bottom of the well.
roller chain
n: a type of chain that is used to transmit power by fitting over sprockets attached to shafts,
causing rotation of one shaft by the rotation of another. Transmission roller chain consists of
offset links, pin links, and roller links.
rotary
n: the machine used to impart rotational power to the drill stem while permitting vertical
movement of the pipe for rotary drilling. Modern rotary machines have a special component, the
rotary or master bushing, to turn the kelly bushing, which permits vertical movement of the kelly
while the stem is turning.
rotary bushing
n: see master bushing.
rotary drilling
n: a drilling method in which a hole is drilled by a rotating bit to which a downward force is
applied. The bit is fastened to and rotated by the drill stem, which also provides a passageway
through which the drilling fluid is circulated. Additional joints of drill pipe are added as drilling
progresses.
rotary helper
n: a worker on a drilling or workover rig, subordinate to the driller, whose primary work station is
on the rig floor. Sometimes called floorhand, floorman, rig crew member, or roughneck.
rotary hose
n: the hose on a rotary drilling rig that conducts the drilling fluid from the mud pump and
standpipe to the swivel and kelly; also called the mud hose or the kelly hose. It is a steel-
reinforced, flexible hose that is installed between the standpipe and the swivel or top drive.
rotary shoe
n: a length of pipe whose bottom edge is serrated or dressed with a hard cutting material and
that is run into the wellbore around the outside of stuck casing, pipe, or tubing to mill away the
obstruction.
rotary speed
n: the speed, measured in revolutions per minute, at which the rotary table is operated.
rotary support table
n: a strong but relatively lightweight device used on some rigs that employ a top drive to rotate
the bit. Although a conventional rotary table is not required to rotate the bit on such rigs, crew
members must still have a place to set the slips to suspend the drill string in the hole when
tripping or making a connection. A rotary support table provides such a place but does not

include all the rotary machinery required in a regular rotary table.

rotary table
n: The principal component of a rotary, or rotary machine, used to turn the drill stem and support
the drilling assembly. It has a beveled gear arrangement to create the rotational motion and an
opening into which bushings are fitted to drive and support the drilling assembly.
roughneck
n: see rotary helper.
round trip
n: the procedure of pulling out and subsequently running back into the hole a string of drill pipe or
tubing. Also called tripping.
run casing
v: to lower a string of casing into the hole. Also called to run pipe.
run in
v: to go into the hole with tubing, drill pipe, and so forth.
run pipe
v: to lower a string of casing into the hole. Also called to run casing.
safety clamp
n: a clamp placed tightly around a drill collar that is suspended in the rotary table by drill collar
slips.
safety joint
n: an accessory to a fishing tool, placed above it. If the tool cannot be disengaged from the fish,
the safety joint permits easy disengagement of the string of pipe above the safety joint. Thus,
part of the safety joint and the tool attached to the fish remain in the hole and become part of the
fish.
safety slide
n: a device normally mounted near the monkey board to afford the derrickhand a means of quick
exit to the surface in case of emergency. It is usually affixed to a wireline, one end of which is
attached to the derrick or mast and the other end to the surface. To exit by the safety slide, the
derrickhand grasps a handle on it and rides it down to the ground. Also called a Geronimo.
salinity log
n: a special nuclear well log that produces an estimate of the relative amounts of oil, gas, or salt
water in a formation. This log is electronically adjusted to reflect gamma ray emissions resulting
from the collision of neutrons with chlorine atoms in the formations.
samples
n pl: 1. the well cuttings obtained at designated footage intervals during drilling. From an
examination of these cuttings, the geologist determines the type of rock and formations being
drilled and estimates oil and gas content. 2. small quantities of well fluids obtained for analysis.
sand
n: 1. an abrasive material composed of small quartz grains formed from the disintegration of pre-
existing rocks.
sand consolidation
n: any one of several methods by which the loose, unconsolidated grains of a producing
formation are made to adhere to prevent a well from producing sand but permit it to produce oil
and gas.
sand control
n: any method by which large amounts of sand in a sandy formation are prevented from entering
the wellbore. Sand in the wellbore can cause plugging and premature wear of well equipment.
sandfrac
n: method of fracturing subsurface rock formations by injecting fluid and sand under high
pressure to increase permeability. Fractures are kept open by the grains of sand.
sandline
n: 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 (14 millimeters) in diameter and
several thousand feet or meters long.
sandstone
n: a sedimentary rock composed of individual mineral grains of rock fragments between 0.06 and
2 millimeters (0.002 and 0.079 inches) in diameter and cemented together by silica, calcite, iron
oxide, and so forth.
saver sub
n: an expendable substitute device made up in the drill stem to absorb much of the wear
between the frequently broken joints (such as between the kelly or top drive and the drill pipe).
scale
n: 1. a mineral deposit (for example, calcium carbonate) that precipitates out of water and
adheres to the inside of pipes, heaters, and other equipment. 2. an ordered set of gauge marks
together with their defining figures, words, or symbols with relation to which position of the index
is observed when reading an instrument.
scraper
n: any device that is used to remove deposits (such as scale or paraffin) from tubing, casing,
rods, flow lines, or pipelines.
scratcher
n: a device that is fastened to the outside of casing to remove mud cake from the wall of a hole to
condition the hole for cementing.
screening effect
n: the tendency of proppants to separate from fracture fluid when the speed, or velocity, of the
fluid is low.
secondary recovery
n: 1. the use of water-flooding or gas injection to maintain formation pressure during primary
production and to reduce the rate of decline of the original reservoir drive. 2. water-flooding of a
depleted reservoir. 3. the first improved recovery method of any type applied to a reservoir to
produce oil not recoverable by primary recovery methods. See primary recovery.
self-potential (SP)
n: see spontaneous potential.
self-propelled unit
n: see carrier rig.
service company
n: a company that provides a specialized service, such as a well-logging service or a directional
drilling service.
service rig
n: see production rig.
service well
n: 1. a nonproducing well used for injecting liquid or gas into the reservoir for enhanced recovery.
2. a saltwater disposal well or a water supply well.
set back
v: to place stands of drill pipe and drill collars in a vertical position to one side of the rotary table
in the derrick or mast of a drilling or workover rig. Compare lay down pipe.
set casing
v: to run and cement casing at a certain depth in the wellbore. Sometimes called set pipe.
set pipe
v: see set casing.
set up
v: to harden (as cement).
shaker
n: shortened form of shale shaker. See shale shaker.
shale
n: a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed mostly of consolidated clay or mud. Shale is the
most frequently occurring sedimentary rock.

shale shaker
n: a vibrating screen used to remove cuttings from the circulating fluid in rotary drilling
operations. Also called a shaker.
shear ram
n: the component in a blowout preventer that cuts, or shears, through drill pipe and forms a seal
against well pressure.
shear ram preventer
n: a blowout preventer that uses shear rams as closing elements.
sheave
(pronounced "shiv") n: 1. a grooved pulley. 2. support wheel over which tape, wire, or cable rides.
shoulder
n: 1. the flat portion machined on the base of the bit shank that meets the shoulder of the drill
collar and serves to form a pressure-tight seal between the bit and the drill collar. 2. the portion of
the box end or the pin end of a tool joint; the two shoulders meet when the tool joint is connected
and form a pressure-tight seal.
shut in
v: 1. to close the valves on a well so that it stops producing. 2. to close in a well in which a kick
has occurred.
shut-in bottomhole pressure (SIBHP)
n: the pressure at the bottom of a well when the surface valves on the well are completely
closed. It is caused by formation fluids at the bottom of the well.
sidetrack
v: to use a whipstock, turbodrill, or other mud motor to drill around the original planned path of
the well.
single
n: a joint of drill pipe. Compare double.
single-pole rig
n: a well-servicing unit whose mast consists of but one steel tube, usually about 65 feet (19.8
meters) long.
sinker bar
n: a heavy weight or bar placed on or near a lightweight wireline tool. The bar provides weight so
that the tool will lower properly into the well.
slack off
v: to lower a load or ease up on a line. A driller will slack off on the brake to put additional weight
on the bit.
sleeve
n: a tubular part designed to fit over another part.
slick line
n: see wireline.
slip-and-cutoff program
n: a procedure to ensure that the drilling line wears evenly throughout its life. After a specified
number of ton-miles (megajoules) of use, the line is slipped-for example, the traveling block is
suspended in the derrick or propped on the rig floor so that it cannot move, the deadline anchor
bolts are loosened, and the drilling line is spooled onto the drawworks drum. Enough line is
slipped to change the major points of wear on the line, such as where it passes through the
sheaves. To prevent excess line from accumulating on the drawworks drum, the worn line is cut
off and discarded.
slip bowl
n: a device in a rotary table or other tool into which tubing or drill pipe it is wrapped with specially
shaped wire that is designed to prevent the entry of loose sand into the well as it is produced. It
is also often used with a gravel pack.

slips
n: wedge-shaped pieces of metal with teeth or other gripping elements that are used to prevent
pipe from slipping down into the hole. Rotary slips fit around the drill pipe and wedge against the
master bushing to support the pipe. Power slips are pneumatically or hydraulically actuated
devices. Packers and other down hole equipment are secured in position by slips that engage
the pipe by action directed at the surface.
sloughing hole
n: a condition wherein shale that has absorbed water from the drilling fluid expands, sloughs off,
and falls downhole. A sloughing hole can jam the drill string and block circulation.
slug
n: a quantity of fluid injected into a reservoir to accomplish a specific purpose, such as chemical
displacement of oil.
slurry
n: 1. in drilling, a plastic mixture of cement and water that is pumped into a well to harden. There
it supports the casing and provides a seal in the wellbore to prevent migration of underground
fluids. 2. a mixture in which solids are suspended in a liquid.
solution gas
n: lighter hydrocarbons that exist as a liquid under reservoir conditions but that effervesce as gas
when pressure is released during production.
sonic log
n: a type of acoustic log that records the travel time of sounds through objects, cement, or
formation rocks. Often used to determine whether voids exist in the cement behind the casing in
a wellbore.
sour corrosion
n: embrittlement and subsequent wearing away of metal caused by contact of the metal with
hydrogen sulfide.
sour crude oil
n: oil containing hydrogen sulfide or another acid gas.
SP
abbr: spontaneous potential or self potential.
spear
n: a fishing tool used to retrieve pipe lost in a well. The spear is lowered down the hole and into
the pipe being fished.
speed reducer
n: a set of gears installed between a prime mover and the equipment it drives to reduce the
running speed. For example, on a beam pumping unit, the engine may run at a speed of 600
revolutions per minute, but the pumping unit it drives may need to operate at 20 strokes per
minute. The speed reducer makes it possible to obtain the correct pump speed.
spent
adj: descriptive of a substance whose strength or merit has been exhausted in a process. For
example, after a well has been acidized, any acid that remains in the well is said to be a spent
acid because its strength has been used up in the acidizing process.
spinning cathead

n: see makeup cathead, spinning chain.

spinning chain
n: a relatively short length of chain attached to the tong pull chain on the manual tongs used to
make up drill pipe. The spinning chain is attached to the pull chain so that a crew member can
wrap the spinning chain several times around the tool joint box of a joint of drill pipe suspended
in the rotary table. After crew members stab the pin of another tool joint into the box end, one of
them then grasps the end of the spinning chain and with a rapid upward motion of the wrist
"throws the spinning chain"-that is, causes it to unwrap from the box and coil upward onto the
body of the joint stabbed into the box. The driller then actuates the makeup cathead to pull the
chain off of the pipe body, which causes the pipe to spin and thus the pin threads to spin into the
box.
spinning wrench
n: air-powered or hydraulically powered wrench used to spin drill pipe in making or breaking
connections.
spontaneous potential (SP)
n: one of the natural electrical characteristics exhibited by a formation as measured by a logging
tool lowered into the wellbore. Also called self-potential or SP.
spontaneous potential (SP) curve
n: a measurement of the electrical currents that occur in the wellbore when fluids of different
salinities are in contact. The SP curve is usually recorded in holes drilled with freshwater-base
drilling fluids. It is one of the curves on an electric well log. Also called self-potential curve.
spontaneous potential (SP) log
n: a record of a spontaneous potential curve.
spool
n: the drawworks drum. Also a casing head or drilling spool. v: to wind around a drum.
spot
v: to pump a designated quantity of a substance (such as acid or cement) into a specific interval
in the well. For example, 10 barrels (1,590 litres) of diesel oil may be spotted around an area in
the hole in which drill collars are stuck against the wall of the hole in an effort to free the collars.
spud
v: 1. to begin drilling a well; such as, to spud in. 2. to force a wireline tool or tubing down the hole
by using a reciprocating motion.
spud in
v: to begin drilling; to start the hole.
spud mud
n: the fluid used when drilling starts at the surface, often a thick bentonite-lime slurry.
split master bushing
n: a master bushing that is made in two pieces.
squeeze
n: 1. a cementing operation in which cement is pumped behind the casing under high pressure to
recement channeled areas or to block off an uncemented zone.
squeeze cementing
n: the forcing of cement slurry by pressure to specified points in a well to cause seals at the
points of squeeze. It is a secondary cementing method that is used to isolate a producing
formation, seal off water, repair casing leaks, and so forth. Compare plug-back cementing.
squeeze job
n: a remedial activity whereby a cement slurry is pumped into open perforations, split casing, or a
fractured formation, to effect a blockage.
squeeze packer
n: a downhole permanent, or drillable, packer that is set by lowering some of the weight of the
tubing string onto the packer. The weight expands the packer's sealing element to prevent flow
between the tubing string and the casing below the packer.
squeeze point
n: the depth in a wellbore at which cement is to be squeezed.
squeeze tool
n: a special retrievable packer set at a particular depth in the wellbore during a squeeze
cementing job. See also squeeze cementing.
stabilizer
n: 1. a tool placed on a drill collar near the bit that is used, depending on where it is placed, either
to maintain a particular hole angle or to change the angle by controlling the location of the
contact point between the hole and the collars.
stack
n: 1. a vertical arrangement of blowout prevention equipment. Also called preventer stack. See
blowout preventer. 2. the vertical chimney-like installation that is the waste disposal system for
unwanted vapor such as flue gases or tail-gas streams.
stack a rig
v: to store a drilling rig on completion of a job when the rig is to be withdrawn from operation for a
time.

stairways
n: stairs leading from one level to another.
stand
n: the connected joints of pipe racked in the derrick or mast when making a trip. On a rig, the
usual stand is about 90 feet (about 27 meters) long (three lengths of drill pipe screwed together).
standard derrick
n: a derrick that is built piece by piece at the drilling location, as opposed to a jackknife mast,
which is preassembled. Compare mast.
standing valve
n: a fixed ball-and-seat valve at the lower end of the working barrel of a sucker rod pump. The
standing valve and its cage do not move, as does the traveling valve. Compare traveling valve.

standpipe
n: 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.
steam flooding
n: a thermal recovery method in which steam is injected into a reservoir through injection wells
and driven toward production wells. The steam reduces the viscosity of crude oil, causing it to
flow more freely. The heat vaporizes lighter hydrocarbons; as they move ahead of the steam,
they cool and condense into liquids that dissolve and displace crude oil. The steam provides
additional gas drive. This method is also used to recover viscous oils. Also called continuous
steam injection or steam drive. Compare thermal recovery.
steel-tooth bit
n: a roller cone bit in which the surface of each cone is made up of rows of steel teeth. Also
called a milled bit, although some steel teeth are forged.
stimulation
n: the action of attempting to improve and enhance a well's performance by the application of
horsepower using pumping equipment, placing sand in artificially created fractures in rock, or
using chemicals such as acid to dissolve the soluble portion of the rock.
straight hole
n: a hole that is drilled vertically. The total hole angle is restricted, and the hole does not change
direction rapidly.
string
n: the entire length of casing, tubing, sucker rods, or drill pipe run into a hole.
string up
v: 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 drill-line anchor.
structural mast
n: a portable mast constructed of angular as opposed to tubular steel members.
stuck pipe
n: drill pipe, drill collars, casing, or tubing that has inadvertently become immovable in the hole.
Sticking may occur when drilling is in progress, when casing is being run in the hole, or when the
drill pipe is being hoisted.
stuck point
n: the depth in the hole at which the drill stem, tubing, or casing is stuck. Also called freeze point.
stuffing box
n: 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.
sub
n: a short, threaded piece of pipe used to adapt parts of the drilling string that cannot otherwise
be screwed together because of differences in thread size or design. A sub (a substitute) may
also perform a special function. Lifting subs are used with drill collars to provide a shoulder to fit
the drill pipe elevators; a kelly saver sub is placed between the drill pipe and the kelly to prevent
excessive thread wear of the kelly and drill pipe threads; a bent sub is used when drilling a
directional hole.
submersible pump
n: a pump that is placed below the level of fluid in a well. It is usually driven by an electric motor
and consists of a series of rotating blades that impart centrifugal motion to lift the fluid to the

surface.
substructure
n: the foundation on which the derrick or mast and usually the drawworks sit; contains space for
well control equipment.
sucker rod
n: a special steel pumping rod. Several rods screwed together make up the mechanical link from
the beam pumping unit on the surface to the sucker rod pump at the bottom of a well. Sucker
rods are threaded on each end and manufactured to dimension standards and metal
specifications set by the petroleum industry. Lengths are 25 or 30 feet (7.6 or 9.1 meters);
diameter varies from 1/2 to 1 1/8 inches (12 to 30 millimeters). There is also a continuous sucker
rod (trade name: Corod™).
sucker rod pump
n: the downhole assembly used to lift fluid to the surface by the reciprocating action of the sucker
rod string. Basic components are barrel, plunger, valves, and hold-down. Two types of sucker
rod pumps are the tubing pump, in which the barrel is attached to the tubing, and the rod, or
insert, pump, which is run into the well as a complete unit.
sucker rod pumping
n: a method of artificial lift in which a subsurface pump located at or near the bottom of the well
and connected to a string of sucker rods is used to lift the well fluid to the surface. The weight of
the rod string and fluid is counterbalanced by weights attached to a reciprocating beam or to the
crank member of a beam pumping unit or by air pressure in a cylinder attached to the beam.
surface casing
n: see surface pipe.
surface hole
n: that part of the wellbore that is drilled below the conductor hole but above the intermediate
hole.
surface pipe
n: the first string of casing (after the conductor pipe) that is set in a well. It varies in length from a
few hundred to several thousand feet (meters).
surface stack
n: a blowout preventer stack mounted on top of the casing string at or near the surface of the
ground or the water.
suspending agent
n: an additive used to hold the fine clay and silt particles that sometimes remain after an acidizing
treatment in suspension; for example, it keeps them from settling out of the spent acid until it is
circulated out.
swab
n. a hollow mandrel fitted with swab cups used for swabbing. v. to operate a swab on a wireline
to lower the pressure in the well bore and bring well fluids to the surface when the well does not
flow naturally. Swabbing is a temporary operation to determine whether the well can be made to
flow. If the well does not flow after being swabbed, a pump is installed as a permanent lifting
device to bring the oil to the surface.
swab cup
n: a rubber or rubberlike device on a special rod (a swab), which forms a seal between the swab
and the wall of the tubing or casing.
swage
n: a solid cylindrical tool pointed at the bottom and equipped with a tool joint at the top for
connection with a jar. It is used to straighten damaged or collapsed casing or tubing and drive it
back to its original shape. v: to reduce the diameter of a rod, a tube, or a fitting by forging,
hammering, or other method.
swamper
n: (slang) a helper on a truck, tractor, or other machine.
sweet crude oil
n: oil containing little or no sulfur, especially little or no hydrogen sulfide.

swivel
n: a rotary tool that is hung from the rotary hook and traveling block to suspend and permit free
rotation of the drill stem. It also provides a connection for the rotary hose and a passageway for
the flow of drilling fluid into the drill stem.
uncased hole
n: see open hole.
unconsolidated formation
n: a loosely arranged, apparently unstratified section of rock.
unconsolidated sandstone
n: a sand formation in which individual grains do not adhere to one another. If an unconsolidated
sandstone produces oil or gas, it will produce sand as well if not controlled or corrected.
undergauge bit
n: a bit whose outside diameter is worn to the point at which it is smaller than it was when new. A
hole drilled with an undergauge bit is said to be undergauge.
undergauge hole
n: that portion of a borehole drilled with an undergauge bit.
unit operator
n: the oil company in charge of development and production in an oilfield in which several
companies have joined to produce the field.
unloading a well
n: removing fluid from the tubing in a well, often by means of a swab, to lower the bottomhole
pressure in the wellbore at the perforations and induce the well to flow.
upper kelly cock
n: a valve installed above the kelly that can be closed manually to protect the rotary hose from
high pressure that may exist in the drill stem.
valve
n: 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.
V-belt
n: a belt with a trapezoidal cross section, made to run in sheaves, or pulleys, with grooves of
corresponding shape.
V-door
n: an opening at floor level in a side of a derrick or mast. The V-door is opposite the drawworks
and is used as an entry to bring in drill pipe, casing, and other tools from the pipe rack.

waiting on cement (WOC)

adj: pertaining to the time when drilling or completion operations are suspended so that the
cement in a well can harden sufficiently.

walkways
n: an area cleared for moving through by personnel.
walking beam
n: the horizontal steel member of a beam pumping unit that has rocking or reciprocating motion.
wash over
v: to release pipe that is stuck in the hole by running washover pipe. The washover pipe must
have an outside diameter small enough to fit into the borehole but an inside diameter large
enough to fit over the outside diameter of the stuck pipe. A rotary shoe, which cuts away the
formation, mud, or whatever is sticking the pipe, is made up on the bottom joint of the washover
pipe, and the assembly is lowered into the hole. Rotation of the assembly frees the stuck pipe.
Several washovers may have to be made if the stuck portion is very long.
washover pipe
n: an accessory used in fishing operations to go over the outside of tubing or drill pipe stuck in
the hole because of cuttings, mud, and so forth, that have collected in the annulus. The
washover pipe cleans the annular space and permits recovery of the pipe. It is sometimes called
washpipe.
washover string
n: the assembly of tools run into the hole during fishing to perform a washover. A typical
washover string consists of a washover back-off connector, several joints of washover pipe, and
a rotary shoe.
water drive
n: the reservoir drive mechanism in which oil is produced by the expansion of the underlying
water and rock, which forces the oil into the wellbore. In general, there are two types of water
drive: bottom-water drive, in which the oil is totally underlain by water; and edgewater drive, in
which only a portion of the oil is in contact with the water.
water pump
n: on an engine, a device, powered by the engine, that moves coolant (water) through openings
in the engine block, through the radiator or heat exchanger, and back into the block.

water tank
n: the water tank is used to store water that is used for mud-mixing, cementing, and rig cleaning.
water well
n: a well drilled to obtain a fresh water supply to support drilling and production operations or to
obtain a water supply to be used in connection with an enhanced recovery program.
weight indicator
n: an instrument near the driller’s position on a drilling rig that shows both the weight of the drill
stem that is hanging from the hook (hook load) and the weight that is placed on the bottom of the

hole (weight on bit).

weight indicator
n: a device for measuring the weight of the drill string.
weight on bit (WOB)
n: the amount of downward force placed on the bit.
well
n: the hole made by the drilling bit, which can be open, cased, or both. Also called borehole,
hole, or wellbore.
wellbore
n: a borehole; the hole drilled by the bit. A wellbore may have casing in it or it may be open
(uncased); or part of it may be cased, and part of it may be open. Also called a borehole or hole.
wellbore soak
n: an acidizing treatment in which the acid is placed in the wellbore and allowed to react by
merely soaking. It is a relatively slow process, because very little of the acid actually comes in
contact with the formation. Also called wellbore cleanup. Compare acid fracture.
well completion
n: 1. the activities and methods of preparing a well for the production of oil and gas or for other
purposes, such as injection; the method by which one or more flow paths for hydrocarbons are
established between the reservoir and the surface. 2. the system of tubulars, packers, and other
tools installed beneath the wellhead in the production casing; that is, the tool assembly that
provides the hydrocarbon flow path or paths.
well control
n: the methods used to control a kick and prevent a well from blowing out. Such techniques
include, but are not limited to, keeping the borehole completely filled with drilling mud of the
proper weight or density during operations, exercising reasonable care when tripping pipe out of
the hole to prevent swabbing, and keeping careful track of the amount of mud put into the hole to
replace the volume of pipe removed from the hole during a trip.
well fluid
n: the fluid, usually a combination of gas, oil, water, and suspended sediment, that comes out of
a reservoir. Also called well stream.
wellhead
n: the equipment installed at the surface of the wellbore. A wellhead includes such equipment as
the casinghead and tubing head. adj: pertaining to the wellhead.
well logging
n: the recording of information about subsurface geologic formations, including records kept by
the driller and records of mud and cutting analyses, core analysis, drill stem tests, and electric,
acoustic, and radioactivity procedures.
well servicing
n: the maintenance work performed on an oil or gas well to improve or maintain the production
from a formation already producing. It usually involves repairs to the pump, rods, gas-lift valves,
tubing, packers, and so forth.
well-servicing rig
n: a portable rig, truck-mounted, trailer-mounted, or a carrier rig, consisting of a hoist and engine
with a self-erecting mast. See carrier rig. Compare workover rig.
well site
n: see location.
well stimulation
n: any of several operations used to increase the production of a well, such as acidizing or
fracturing. See acidize.
wickers
n pl: broken or frayed strands of the steel wire that makes up the outer wrapping of wire rope.
wildcat
n: 1. a well drilled in an area where no oil or gas production exists.
window
n: 1. a slotted opening or a full section removed in the pipe lining (casing) of a well, usually made
to permit sidetracking.
wireline
n: a slender, rodlike or threadlike piece of metal usually small in diameter, that is used for
lowering special tools (such as logging sondes, perforating guns, and so forth) into the well. Also
called slick line.
wireline formation tester
n: 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 test 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 trip in the hole, so they are very useful in formation testing.
wireline log
n: any log that is run on wireline.
wireline logging
n: see well logging.
wireline operations
n pl: the lowering of mechanical tools, such as valves and fishing tools, into the well for various
purposes. Electric wireline operations, such as electric well logging and perforating, involve the
use of conductor line.
wireline survey
n: a general term used to refer to any type of log being run in a well.
wireline tools
n pl: special tools or equipment made to be lowered into and retrieved from the well on a wireline,
for example, packers, swabs, gas-lift valves, measuring devices.
wire rope
n: 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.
WOB
abbr: weight on bit.
WOC
abbr: waiting on cement; used in drilling reports.
workover
n: the performance of one or more of a variety of remedial operations on a producing well to try
to increase production. Examples of workover jobs are deepening, plugging back, pulling and
resetting liners, and squeeze cementing. See recompletion.
workover fluid
n: a special drilling mud used to keep a well under control while it is being worked over. A
workover fluid is compounded carefully so that it will not cause formation damage.
workover rig
n: a portable rig used for working over a well.
work string
n: 1. in drilling, the string of drill pipe or tubing suspended in a well to which is attached a special
tool or device that is used to carry out a certain task, such as squeeze cementing or fishing. 2. in
pipeline construction, the string of washpipe that replaces the pilot string in a directionally drilled
river crossing. The work string remains in place under the river until the actual pipeline is made
up and is ready to be pulled back across the river.