Petroleum Unit 1

1 Label these pictures with words from the box.

hole / well / drill / bit / pipe / tank / field / string / barrel / collar

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

2 Label these diagrams with words from the box.

well hole / drill pipe / oil field / drill string / drill collar / drill bit

J7260
1 PEARSON Technical English
aw_01_01

J7260
4 PEARSON Technical English
aw_01_02
2
5

6
3

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 1
a) it sits on the drill bit
3 Match the words rm s an d th ei r m eanings
Some oil te
with their meanings.
1 drill bit 5 tank b) about 159 litres of oil c) it cuts the rock
2 drill pip e 6 col lar
3 barrel 7 drill str ing
8 oil field d) many drill pipes e) area with oil under the
4 well hole ground

is
f) you drill th g) it holds water or fuel h) it turns the bit
4 Write out these numbers and units.
1 90 rpm ninety revolutions per minute
2 417 mm
3 159 L
4 14 km
5 518 m
6 880 b/d barrels per

5 Write the numbers and units from 4 in the spaces.

1 The drill bit turns at a speed of 90 rpm .
2 The oil well produces .
3 The diameter of the well hole is .
4 The depth of the well hole is .
5 The length of the pipeline is .
6 An oil barrel contains about of oil.

6 Complete these pairs of instructions. Write the opposite of the underlined word(s) in the second
sentence of each pair.
right / stop / lower / down / pick up

1 Please start the engine. OK, now please the engine again.
2 Pull the drill bit up. Now push it again.
3 Please raise the drill pipe. Now it into the well.
4 Turn the drill collar to the left. Now turn it to the .
5 Please put down that pipe. Now please this pipe.

7 Complete this conversation.

What’s / Pleased / I’m / do / What’s / name’s / I’m / work

A: Hello. My (1) Tom. I work on an oil rig in the desert. (2) your
name?
B: (3) Ali. I (4) on an offshore oil platform.
A: (5) to meet you, Ali. What do you (6) on the oil rig?
B: I operate the drills. (7) your job?
A: (8) a crane operator.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 1

Word list
8 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS VERBS

barrel contain

diameter operate

driller produce

oil UNIT OF MEASUREMENT

tank barrels per day (bpd)

NOUN PHRASES

crane operator

drill bit

drill collar

drill pipe

drill string

offshore oil platform

oil field

oil rig

well hole

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 2

1 Label these pictures with words from the box.

well hole / drill string / drill bit / drill pipe / drill collar

How to drill a well

1 2 3
A
kelly

4 5 6

turntable POWER

ON

7 8 9

10

casing

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish J7260

 Petroleum Unit 2

2 Put these instructions in the correct order. Write a number (1 – 10) next to each one.

Instructions: How to drill for oil

Trip the drill string into the well hole. Attach another drill pipe to the string.
Slide the kelly into the turntable. Install the casing in the well hole.
1
Put the collar on the drill bit. Attach the drill pipe to the drill bit.
Trip the drill string out of the well hole. Drill the hole
trip in the drill string =
Fix the kelly to the drill pipe. Switch on the power. lower the drill string into
the well
trip out the drill string =
3 Write the opposite of these instructions. Use the words in brackets. raise the string out of the
1 Lower the drill bit into the well hole. (Raise / out of) well
.
2 Put the collar on the drill pipe. (Take / off)
.
3 Pull the drill string out of the well hole. (Push / into)
.
4 Loosen the drill bit and take it off the drill pipe. (Put / on / tighten)
.

4 Complete this dialogue between the Driller (A) and th e Supplies Manager (B) on the oil rig.
Use words from the box.
called / what / what’s / They’re / do / It’s / some / how / need / what

A: I need (1) drill pipes, please.

B: OK, but (2) diameter do you need?
A: Five inches inside diameter, please.
B: OK, what length do you need?
A: 30 feet, please.
B: And (3) many do you need?
A: I (4) 24.
B: OK. I’ll send them to you.
A: Thanks. Excuse me, (5) this called in English? 30 feet

B: It’s (6) a kelly.

A: And (7) are those called?
B: (8) called drill collars.
A: OK, thanks. How (9) you spell kelly?
B: (10) K – E – L – L – Y.
A: I see. Thanks.
5 inches

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 2

Word list
6 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS VERBS

casing attach

dimension fix

foot (pl feet) install

inch (pl inches) loosen

kelly screw

length tighten

pump trip in

turntable trip out

NOUN PHRASES ADVERB

inside diameter approximately

outside diameter

5 inches = 127 mm
(approximately)
1 foot = 305 mm
(approximately)
30 feet = 9.1 m
(approximately)

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 3

1 Circle T (true) or F (false) next to each statement about the diagram below.
1 The turntable is on the platform at the bottom of the derrick.  (T / F)
2 The block and the hook are at the top of the derrick.  (T / F)
3 The engines are below the platform.  (T / F)
4 The pipe racks are to the left of the platform.  (T / F)
5 The motor is above the generator.  (T / F)
6 The water tank is to the right of the mud pit below the platform.  (T / F)

An oil rig

derrick

block

swivel hook
fuel tanks

turntable
engines
pump platform
motor

pipe ramp

generator pipe racks

mud pit water tank

2 Underline all the mistakes in these statements. Write the correct word(s) on the line.
1 The motor is below the platform, to the left of the engines. on / to the right of
J7260
2 The fuel tanks are above the platform, to the right of the engines. PEARSON Technical English
aw_03_01
3 The ramp is to the left of the platform and to the right of the racks.
4 The mud pit is to the right of the pump and above the water tank.
5 The pump is below the platform, to the left of the derrick.

3 Write three sentences in your notebook. Describe the location of the water tank, the generator and
the engines.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 3

4 Match the first, middle and final parts of each sentence. Underline the correct form of the verbs.
Part Function
1 The derrick drive/ drives the drill pipes.
2 The engines 1 support/ supports fuel for the engine.
3 The fuel tanks turn/ turns the motor.
4 The generator hold/ holds the generator.
5 The pipe racks store/ stores 1 the block and the kelly.

6 The motor drive/ drives the turntable.

5 Complete these questions about the table in 4.

1 Does the generator drive the motor ? Yes, it does .
2 What do the pipe racks ? They .
3 Do the engines ? Yes, they .
4 What the motor ? It .
5 the generator store fuel for the engine? No, it .
6 the pumps hold the drill pipes? No, they .

6 Complete this dialogue about the pipe tong.

jaws chain handle

chain grips pipe

A: What (1) is (is / has) that tool?

B: (2) (It’s / Is) a pipe tong. Drillers (3) (use / uses) it.
A: What (4) (does / has) it do?
B: It (5) (grip / grips) pipes.
A: What (6) (have / are) the main parts?
B: It (7) (is / has) a handle and a chain.
A: Does it (8) (has / have) jaws? J7260
PEARSON Technical English
B: Yes, it (9) (does / do). The jaws (10) (holds / hold) the chain.
aw_03_02

A: How does it (11) (do / work)?

B: The chain (12) (go / goes) round the pipe and through the jaws. Then you
(13) (pull / pulls) the handle, and the chain (14) (grip / grips)
the pipe.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 3

Word list
7 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS NOUN PHRASES

block fuel tank

chain mud pit

derrick pipe rack

engine pipe ramp

fuel pipe tong

generator water tank

hook VERBS

jaws carry

motor drive

mud grip

pit store

platform support

rack

ramp

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 4

1 Study this diagram of the lifting and rotary pulley crown block
systems of an oil rig. Circle T (true) or F
(false) next to each statement. derrick
1 The crown block is in the centre of the
travelling block
derrick.  (T / F) hook
2 The travelling block is below the crown swivel cable
block.  (T / F)
3 The swivel is between the kelly and the kelly winch
turntable.  (T / F)
4 The cable moves diagonally downwards
turntable
from the winch.  (T / F)
drill pipe diesel
5 The hook on the travelling block does not drill collar engines
rotate.  (T / F) drill bit
6 The turntable moves vertically
downwards.  (T / F)

2 Read this description of the rotary system of an oil rig and match parts with functions in the
table below. J7188
PEARSON Technical English
aw_04_01.eps
The lifting and rotary systems of an oil rig
Lifting system. When the winch rotates, it pulls the cable. The two blocks hook
have lots of pulleys. The cable passes round the pulleys in the two blocks. The
crown block does not move up or down. It is fixed to the top of the derrick. The swivel
travelling block moves vertically. When the winch turns, it raises the travelling
block up towards the crown block. kelly
Rotary system. The swivel hangs from a hook on the travelling block. The kelly
(a long square pipe) is fixed to the swivel at one end. The lower end of the
kelly is attached to the drill pipe. It goes through the turntable. The square
shape of the kelly slides exactly into the square hole of the turntable. When turntable
the engines are on, the turntable rotates. The turntable turns the kelly and
the kelly turns the drill pipe. When the drill pipe rotates, the drill bit rotates drill pipe
and cuts the rock.

Part Function
J7188
1 The winch a) turns the kelly. PEARSON Technical English
aw_04_02.eps
2 The kelly b) raises and lowers the rotary equipment.

3 The turntable c) supports the swivel and the kelly.

4 The engines d) pulls the cable.

5 The hook e) turns the drill pipe.

6 The cable f) drive the turntable.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 4

3 Complete these statements with can or can’t, according to the text in 2 and the diagram.
1 The top half of the swivel rotate, but the bottom half .
2 The hook move up and down, but it rotate.
3 The crown block move up and down, but the travelling block .
4 The turntable rotate, but it move up and down.

4 Join up parts of the table to make six meaningful instructions. Then write out the full instructions
in your notebook.

1 Slide the handle from the hook.

2 Lower the drill pipe out of the well hole.
3 Turn the kelly into the well hole.
4 Attach the drill pipe of the winch.
5 Raise the swivel to the kelly.
6 Hang the drill pipe into the turntable.

5 Match the first part of each sentence with the second part. Underline the correct verb forms. Then
write out the full sentences in your notebook.
1 You (switches on/ switch on) the winch, and D
2 When the driller (switches on/ switch on) the turntable,
3 (Turns off/ Turn off) the winch, and
4 When the drillers (turns off/ turn off) the turntable,
A the cable (doesn’t/ don’t) move.
B the kelly (rotates/ rotate).
C the turntable and the kelly (doesn’t/ don’t) rotate.
D the cable (move/ moves) up and down.

6 Complete this description of the lifting and rotary systems. Choose the correct verb and use the
correct verb form.
The swivel
The swivel is an important piece of equipment. It connects the lifting system to the rotary system. The
swivel (1) (have / not have) two parts. The top part is fixed. It can’t (2) (move
down / rotate), but the bottom half can rotate freely. When the turntable and the kelly rotate, the bottom
half of the swivel turns, but the top half (3) (do / do not) rotate. This protects the travelling
block and the cable.
How to lower the drill pipe into the well
The winch turns and (4) (pull / release) the cable. The cable (5) (rotate / move)
diagonally upwards towards the crown block. Then the cable goes round the pulleys of the crown block
and the travelling block.
The travelling block moves vertically downwards and (6) (raise / lower) the kelly into the
hole in the turntable. When the diesel engines (7) (start / stop), the turntable and the kelly
(8) (move up / rotate) together.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 4

Word list
7 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS NOUN PHRASES

block crown block

cable diesel engine

derrick drill bit

engine drill collar

equipment drill pipe

hook lifting system

kelly rotary system

pulley travelling block

swivel

system

turntable

winch

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 5

1 Label items 1 – 6 on the diagram with words from the box.

kelly / swivel / drill string / drill collar / drill bit / casing

The circulation system in an oil rig

I 1

G H

flow of drilling
fluid (mud) F

3
mud pits E
4
rock
A
D

6
C B

2 Read this text and label items A – I on the diagram in 1. Use some of the words in italics in the text.

The circulation system

J7260
The circulation system cleans out the well. It pumps a special liquid (called drilling fluid or PEARSON
drilling mud) down
Technical English
the drill string into the well hole. This liquid picks up pieces of rock (rock cuttings) and carries them up the well
aw_05_01

hole and out of the well.

This is how the system works. The mud pump sucks the drilling fluid from large open tanks (called mud pits)
and pumps it through the stand pipe and the rotary hose. The fluid then enters the kelly through a hole in the
swivel. The fluid then moves through the kelly and the drill string to the drill bit. Then the mud flows out of the
drill bit and around the bottom of the well. It collects the rock cuttings and carries them up through the annulus
(the space between the drill string and the casing). At the top of the annulus, the mud and cuttings leave the
well through the mud return line (or pipe).
Now the mud flows into the shaker. This moves quickly from side to side. The fluid flows through the small holes
in the shaker, but the large rock cuttings stay on the shaker. The fluid then flows back into the mud pits, and the
large cuttings slide down the shale slide into the reserve pit.

3 Complete these statements. Underline the correct words.

1 The mud enters the swivel through an (inlet / outlet) in the swivel.
2 The mud leaves the drill bit through an (inlet / outlet) in the bit.
3 The rotary hose connects the (pump / drill bit) to the rotary equipment.
4 The mud flows (into / out of) the well through the drill string.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 5

4 Put these stages in the circulation system in the correct order. Number each one.

Stages in the circulation system

It then flows down through the drill string.
From the rotary hose it enters the swivel and the kelly.
1
The pumps suck the drilling mud out of the mud pits.
It then leaves the drill bit and flows around the annulus.
The fluid picks up pieces of rock and sand.
The fluid then goes into the mud pits again, and the cuttings enter the reserve pit.
The shaker takes the cuttings out of the fluid.
At the top of the well, the fluid flows through the mud return line into the shaker.
Then the mud rises up the well hole between the drill pipe and the casing.
They then pump the fluid through a hose to the rotary equipment.

5 Choose the correct word and complete this text about the circulation system.
down / up / into / out of / around / through / up / from

This is how the drilling mud flows (1) the whole circulation system. The pump sucks the
mud (2) the mud pits. The pump then pushes the mud (3) the stand pipe and
(4) the rotary hose (5) the swivel. Next, it flows (6) the kelly and the
drill string. Then the mud comes (7) the drill bit and enters the well hole. Finally, the fluid
collects the cuttings and flows back (8) the well hole.

6 Complete these statements. Choose the correct verb and use the correct verb form.
1 The pumps (push / pull) drilling mud out of the mud pits and (push / pull) it
through the rotary hose.
2 The rotary hose (carry / flow) the drilling mud into the swivel.
3 The mud (pass / leave) into the drill string through a hole in the swivel and then
(flow / contain) through the kelly.
4 The drilling mud (enter / leave) the well hole through the mud return line.
5 In the shaker, the mud (rise / sink) through the holes, but the rock cuttings
(stay / flow) on the shaker.

7 Answer the questions. Use if and the present simple.

1 What happens if the pump is off? Does the drilling mud flow to the drill string?

2 What happens if the drilling mud doesn’t flow? Do the rock cuttings rise to the top of the well?
If the pump is off, the drilling mud doesn’t flow to the drill string.
3 What happens if the engines are off? Do the kelly and the drill string rotate?

4 What happens if the drill string doesn’t rotate? Does the drill bit cut the rock?

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 5

Word list
8 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS VERBS

annulus carry

circulation collect

fluid connect

liquid pump

shaker shake

stage slide

system stay

NOUN PHRASES suck

circulation system

drilling fluid

drilling mud

mud return line

reserve pit

rock cutting

rotary equipment

rotary hose

shale slide

stand pipe

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 6

1 Match the statements with the letters cable

on the diagram.
1 If you pull this material, it doesn’t B

stretch or break. A

2 If you compress or press down on this

material, it doesn’t bend or hose
break.
3 This material can cut things, but you turntable C

can’t cut or scratch the material.

4 This material doesn’t corrode when it platform

holds water or chemicals.

5 This material is strong, but it can bend
easily. D
E

6 When this material rotates it becomes

hot, but it doesn’t burn or melt.
water tank
drill bit

2 Complete the statements (1–6) about this table. Use the correct verb forms. Use some verbs twice.
make / bend / heat / melt / cut / break / crack / corrode / pull / stretch / push

Part Material Property

J7260
hose plastic flexible, tough PEARSON Technical English
aw_06_01
bit diamond hard, heat-resistant
casing concrete strong in compression
derrick steel rigid
drilling pipe steel tough; corrosion-resistant
cable high-carbon steel strong in tension

1 The rotary hose is of plastic. It easily, but it doesn’t .

2 You can diamond up to high temperatures and it doesn’t . It hard
rock easily.
3 The casing is made of concrete. This material doesn’t when heavy equipment
down on it.
4 The steel in the derrick does not when the heavy rotary equipment down
on it.
5 The drilling pipe is of a tough steel. When you twist or rotate the pipe, it doesn’t
. And drilling mud can’t it.
6 The cable is made of a strong steel. When you it with a heavy weight, you can’t
it.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 6

3 Read this text about petroleum products and match the items in the table below.

Petroleum products
Petrol (also called gasoline). This is a liquid fuel for vehicles on land and sea. It ignites easily in engines.
It remains liquid at normal temperatures.
Jet fuel. This is a liquid fuel for aircraft and rockets. It can remain liquid at very low temperatures. It is suitable
for use at high altitudes.
Plastics (also called polymers). These are generally light, durable and corrosion-resistant. You can shape them.
There are two types: thermosets and thermoplastics.
• Thermoplastics. When you heat them, they melt and you can shape them. Then you can re-heat them and
melt them again and again. This means that you can recycle them. But they are not heat-resistant. Water
bottles are made of thermoplastics.
• Thermosets. You can mould them into shape. But you cannot re-melt them. They are heat-resistant. Plastic
parts in or near engines are made of thermosets.
Synthetic fibres. These are made from plastics. Many textiles and ropes are made from synthetic fibres such as
nylon. These are often water-resistant and don’t stretch or break when you pull them.
Synthetic rubber. This is a heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant material. Oil and petrol can’t corrode it. For
this reason, fuel hoses are often made of synthetic rubber.

Material Properties Example of use

1 Petrol a) light-weight; you can melt it many times A climbing ropes
2 Jet fuel b) chemical-resistant B plastic bottles
3 Thermoplastic c) can burn C hoses in petrol stations
4 Thermoset d) you can hang heavy weights from it D fuel for aeroplanes
5 Synthetic fibre e) doesn’t freeze E plastic parts on heaters
6 Synthetic rubber f) light-weight; heat-resistant F fuel for cars and boats

4 In your notebook, rewrite these statements to give the same or a similar meaning. Use the words in
the brackets to replace the words in italics. Add any other words.
1 The plastic in the engine is heat-resistant. (not / melt / when / heat)
2 This pipe is made of synthetic rubber because it doesn’t corrode. (corrosion / resistant)
3 The rope is made of nylon because it doesn’t stretch if you pull it. (you / cannot)
4 If you pull this synthetic fibre, you can’t stretch it or break it. (does / not)

5 A trainer is showing a DVD of the drilling operation and talking about it. Complete the description.
Use the present continuous.
Right. Here they (1) are raising (raise) the kelly. The winch (2) (turn), and the travelling
block (3) (move) upwards. The block (4) (pull) the kelly upwards. Now they
(5) (attach) the drill pipe to the kelly. What (6) (happen) now? That’s right, the
men (7) (lower) the kelly and the drill pipe through the turntable and into the well hole. Now
the turntable (8) (rotate). The drilling mud is (9) (flow) through the kelly and
the drill pipe. Now you can see the drill string and the drill bit. What (10) (they/ do)? They
(11) (rotate), and the bit (12) (cut) the rock at the bottom of the well.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 6

Word list
6 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS NOUN PHRASE

chemical high-carbon steel

compression ADJECTIVES

diamond synthetic

fibre water-resistant

fuel VERBS

gasoline compress

jet corrode

petrol ignite

plastic melt

polymer recycle

rubber re-heat

tension re-melt

thermoplastic shape

thermoset

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 7

1 Study this diagram of an offshore oil platform and complete the specification table below.

The Scorpio offshore fixed platform

crane
derrick
crew quarters 100 m
deck
200 m
heli-port (20 x 25 = 500 m2)

drilling platform (40 x 30 m = 1200 m2)

production
platform

10 m sea level

jacket
510 m leg 500 m

sea bed

20 m pile
vertical well
300 m

400 m
directional well

The Scorpio offshore fixed platform

1 height of jacket above sea bed
2 height of deck (including derrick) above jacket
3 number of platforms
4 height of derrick above drilling platform
J7260
5 depth of piles below sea floor PEARSON Technical English
aw_07_01

6 depth of vertical well below sea bed

7 length of directional well below sea bed
8 area of drilling platform

2 Write the words in the correct order.

1 pipeline kilometres is long The five
2 five hundred is The deep sea metres
3 width in The metres is heli-port twenty
4 metres The drilling platform the forty length of is

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 7

3 Make statements about the dimensions in the table in 1.

1 vertical well / deep The vertical well is 300 m deep.
2 derrick / high
3 heli-port / long / and / wide
4 piles / deep/
5 drilling platform / long

4 Write questions and answers about the platform in 1.

1 high/ derrick/ above sea level
Q: How high is the derrick above sea level? ? A: It’s 210 metres high .
2 area / heli-port
Q: ? A: .
3 deep / sea at the platform
Q: ? A: .
4 width / drilling platform
Q: ? A: .
5 total height / jacket / above sea bed
Q: ? A: .

5 Scorpio is planning a new offshore oil platform. Disagree with each statement about the future oil
platform and make a new statement. Write in your notebook.
Example. 1 The new platform won’t be ready next year. It’ll be ready two years from now.
1 The new offshore oil platform will be ready next year. (two years from now).
2 The rig will have horizontal wells. (diagonal and vertical)
3 The piles will extend 40 metres below the sea bed. (only 35 metres)
4 The crew quarters will accommodate 500 workers. (only 400)
5 The platform will produce about 40,000 bpd. (more than 60,000)

6 Complete this dialogue using much and many.

A: Tell me about the Scorpio platform. How (1) oil does it produce?
B: It produces about 21,000 barrels per day.
A: How (2) tonnes is that per year?
B: Let me see. That’s over one million tonnes per year.
A: How (3) oil workers are on the platform?
B: I think there are about 120.
A: How (4) money do the oil workers earn?
B: They earn quite a lot because they have to work hard.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 7

Word list
7 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS VERBS

crane accommodate

crew extend

deck produce

jacket ADJECTIVES

leg offshore

pile onshore

platform

tonne

worker

NOUN PHRASES

crew quarters

directional well

drilling platform

fixed platform

heli-port

offshore platform

production platform

sea bed

sea level

vertical well

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 8

1 Look at this diagram, read the text and put the instructions below into the correct order.

surveyor

pipe section
string
crane
welder

sign
trench bulldozer

digger
pipeline

route

Laying a pipeline
Before work begins, two teams of surveyors travel along the route of the pipeline. One team drives along the J7260 route,
and the other team flies over the route by helicopter or small plane. They survey the whole route Technical
PEARSON and inspect
English it
aw_08_01
carefully. After the survey, the work begins. First, workers drive bulldozers along the route and clear it. They take
out trees and bushes or other obstacles, and they level the ground. Next, they string (place in a line) pipes along
the route. After this, the diggers excavate trenches next to the pipe string. The trenches are about two metres deep.
Then they weld the pipes together into a pipe section. They also bend the pipe section into the shape of the route.
Next, cranes lift up the pipe section and place it carefully into the trench. The welders weld the section to the rest of
the pipeline. Then diggers push earth into the trench and cover the pipeline. Workers place signs above the pipeline
to warn the public. Finally, engineers pump water at high pressure through the complete pipeline. This tests the
strength of the pipeline. If there is a leak, they will detect it now.

Test the pipeline. Pump fluid through it and check for leaks.
Lower the welded pipe section into the trench and weld it to the pipeline.
Dig a 2-metre trench along the route next to the pipe string.
String pipes in a line along the route.
Clear the route and level it.
Weld the pipes into a long pipe section and bend it into shape.
Cover the pipeline with earth.
1 Survey the land along the planned route.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 8

2 Complete this dialogue between a company director (A) and a project manager (B) about the
company’s pipeline project.
A: How’s your team’s progress on the pipeline?
B: They’ve (1) (plan) the route, and the surveyors have (2) (survey) the area.
The bulldozers have (3) (clear) the path for the pipeline.
A: Good. Have they (4) (do) the whole route?
B: Yes, they have.
A: That’s good. Have they (5) (lay) pipe sections along the route?
B: Yes, they’ve (6) (string) the pipes along about 2 km of the route. They’ve also
(7) (dig) a trench about 1.5 km long.
A: That’s great. When did they (8) (finish) the trench?
B: They (9) (complete) it yesterday morning.
A: Right. So they haven’t (10) (weld) all the pipe sections yet?
B: No, they haven’t. They’re (11) (weld) some sections right now.
A: OK. When will they (12) (finish) the welding, do you think?
B: Probably by the end of this week.

3 Underline the correct words in this report.

Safety inspector’s report

My team has inspected the damage to the pipeline after the fire at km 5.3 marker. Here are our main findings:
1 Fifteen metres of pipeline are (burn / burnt).
2 There are three large (cracks / cracked) in the pipeline.
3 Two safety valves are (missing / missed).
4 There are two deep (dents / dented) in the pipeline.
5 Five metres of pipeline are (blocking / blocked). No fluid can pass through them.
6 One metre of pipeline is (twist / twisted).
7 Some oil is (leaking / leaked) from the pipe near the pump.
8 The welding between two pipe sections is (break / broken).

4 Complete the text. Use the past simple.

Some dates in the early history of oil drilling

In AD 47, the Chinese (1) (dig) oil wells 250 m deep. They (2) (use) drill bits attached
to bamboo poles. In 1264, Marco Polo (3) (see) oil mines in Baku, Persia. In the 1500s, people in
Poland (4) (light) their street lamps with oil. The oil (5) (come) from the surface of
the ground. In 1594, the Persians in Baku (6) (make) oil wells 35 metres deep. In 1735, French
people (7) (excavate) oil from sand. In 1848, a Russian engineer (8) (drill) the
first modern oil well near Baku. In 1857, Michael Dietz (9) (invent) the kerosene lamp. In 1858,
Canadian engineers (10) (complete) the first oil well in North America.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 8

Word list
5 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS VERBS

bulldozer clear

crane detect

digger drill

earth excavate

fluid fill in

gas lay

kerosene plan

leak string

pipeline survey

pressure test

route weld

sign ADJECTIVES

team blocked

trench welded

welder

NOUN PHRASE

pipe section

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 9

1 Read the text and complete the labels on this diagram.

supply station / terminal / regulator station / gauges / control station / pipeline

satellite

RTU

pump pressure
1 2
station gauge

F P T P

valve 6
4 station 5

Components of oil and gas pipelines

Pipeline. This is made of high-carbon steel and covered with a moisture-resistant material. It carries gas or oil from
a supply station to a terminal.
Supply station. This injects the product (oil or gas) into the pipeline.
Pump station (for oil) or compressor station (for gas). These push the product along the pipeline. J7260
PEARSON Technical English
Valve station. The operator can close two valve stations and isolate the pipeline between them. Then he can do aw_09_01

maintenance work or isolate a break or leak in the pipe. Valve stations are usually located every 10 to 30 km along
the line.
Regulator station. The operator can release pressure from the pipeline here.
Terminal. The product leaves the pipeline here.
There are three measuring instruments: flow gauges measure the speed of product along the pipeline, pressure
gauges measure pressure, and temperature gauges measure temperature.
The remote terminal unit (RTU) receives the information from the three gauges and sends it to the control station
by satellite or mobile phone link.
The control station contains computers. They receive all the data from the RTUs and check for leaks. The computer
operator can open or close valves, and control compressors or pumps.

2 Match the pipeline components with their functions.

1 pipeline a) measure heat, pressure and flow along the pipeline

2 valve station b) is the outlet for the whole pipeline

3 supply station c) transports oil or gas from one place to another

4 regulator station d) lowers the pressure in the pipeline

5 terminal e) is the inlet for the whole pipeline

6 gauges f) can stop the flow of oil or gas

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 9

3 Complete these sentences. Choose the correct verb and use the correct verb form.
pump, measure, compress, receive, switch off, give, transmit, fall, send, check

1 The purpose of the flow gauge is to the speed of the oil along the pipeline.
2 The compressor station the gas and it under pressure along the line.
3 One function of the control station computers is to valve stations and to
compressors if there is a leak.
4 One function of the temperature gauge is to a warning if the heat is rising.
5 If there is a leak in the pipeline and the pressure , the pressure valve this
information through the RTU to the control station.
6 The job of the RTU is to information from the gauges and to it to the control
station.

4 Answer these questions. Use contractions where possible.

1 ‘Are the valve stations open?’ ‘Yes, .’
2 ‘Will the operators open the valves if there is leak?’ ‘No, .’
3 ‘Have they checked the temperature gauges yet?’ ‘No, .’
4 ‘Is the compressor switched off?’ ‘No, .’
5 ‘Did the pressure gauges indicate a rise in pressure?’ ‘No, .’
6 ‘Has the computer received all the data from the RTUs?’ ‘Yes, .’

5 Complete these sentences.

mounted on, connected to, disconnected from, suspended from

1 The kelly is the hook on the travelling block.

2 The derrick is the drilling platform.
3 If the hose is the swivel, the drilling mud flows into the kelly.
4 If the hose is the swivel, the drilling mud can’t flow into the kelly.

6 In your notebook, write part of a troubleshooting guide based on these flow charts.
Start like this: Check the pressure valve. If the pressure is …

check YES check YES

pressure close valve switch off
pressure stations temperature temperature pump
too low? too high?
valve valve

NO NO

pressure release increase

too high? pressure pump speed

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 9

Word list
7 Write the meanings of these wor ds and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS NOUN PHRASES

component compressor station

control control station

data flow gauge

flow pressure gauge

gauge pump station

inspection remote terminal unit

pipeline supply station

pressure temperature gauge

product valve station

pump VERBS

regulator compress

remote inject

satellite measure

station transport

supply

terminal

unit

valve

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 10

1 Match the hazards below with the illustrations.

1 2

3 4

5 6 Monkeyboard Fingerboard

7 8
Tong

9 10

Safety hazards on an oil rig

J7260
PEARSON Technical English
aw_10_01

1 If there are obstructions in the walkway, you might trip or fall over them.
2 If you carry tools when you are climbing, you might drop them on someone.
3 If rungs are missing from a stairway or ladder, you could fall from a height.
4 The rotating kelly might catch your loose clothing.
5 A kelly or pipe could swing and strike your head.
6 If a guard rail is missing from a walkway, you could fall off.
7 If you step off a monkeyboard onto a fingerboard, you might fall off.
8 The moving pipes could trap your hand and crush it.
9 When the handle of the tong swings, it might strike you.
10 You could fall into an uncovered mouse hole.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 10

2 Complete these safety instructions. The words can be used

more than once. Tong Swing Radius

must, mustn’t, always, never, don’t

1 When you are operating the tong, you must stand hazardous
area
in the hazardous area. mouse
hole

2 If you are working with the kelly, wear your hard

hat, safety gloves and safety boots. You stand radius
4 feet
directly under the kelly. well
hole

3 When you are working on the monkeyboard,

attach your tools to a wire line. When you are climbing,
carry tools in your hands. caution area

4 If a rung on a ladder is broken or missing, you

use it. You report it to the safety officer
immediately.
Safety report
3 Write these notes as a report. Use the past tense. I inspected the oil rig on 24th August, and I observed
these safety hazards:
missing – no
guard rail on stairway illers with 1 A guard rail on a stairway was missing.
guards on winch – 3 dr bolts missing
J7260
2 There were no PEARSON Technical English
.
no hard hats – nuts &s for tools
aw_10_02

from swivel – no cable hoses 3 Three drillers did not .

– walkway blocked with 4 .
5 .
4 Complete this dialogue between the Safety 6 .
Investigator and the Oil Rig Manager.
A: What has (1) ?
B: There’s been an accident on the rig.
A: When (2) ?
B: At 6 am this morning.
A: Who (3) the accident?
B: A derrickman called Peter Willis.
A: Where (4) when the accident happened?
B: He was on the monkeyboard on the main derrick.
A: How (5) up the derrick?
B: He was about 9 metres up.
A: Did (6) from the monkeyboard?
B: Yes, he fell to the deck.
A: (7) a safety line or a harness?
B: Yes, he wore a safety line, so he wasn’t too badly hurt.
A: What injuries (8) ?
B: He had a twisted ankle and some cuts on his leg.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 10

Word list
5 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS NOUN PHRASES

bolts guard rail

catwalk hazardous area

derrickman mouse hole

fingerboard safety line

guard safety officer

hand rail tong swing radius

hose wire line

ladder VERBS

monkeyboard catch

obstruction swing

radius ADJECTIVE

railings hazardous

rung

stairway

tong

walkway

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 11

1 Read the text and complete the labels on the diagram.

well head / casing / valve / well hole

C 2
A
3

production zone

perforation gun
steel pipe

tubing
B
explosions

flow of oil

packer

perforations

Completing a well J7260

PEARSON Technical English
aw_11_01
When the well is at the correct depth (the production zone), the crew completes the well.
First, they run a steel pipe all the way to the bottom of the hole. This stops oil, gas, and salt water from coming into
the hole from levels above the production level.
They lower a perforating gun into the hole to the production zone. The gun contains explosives.
These explosives blast holes (perforations) in the steel casing and cement, up to several feet out into the rock.
Then they run a small-diameter pipe (tubing) into the hole.
The perforations allow the oil and gas fluids to flow through the holes into the bottom of the well. The tubing allows
the oil and gas to flow up the well to the surface.
Then the crew runs a device called a packer down the outside of the tubing. When it reaches the production zone, it
expands and fills the space outside the tubing. This prevents oil and gas from flowing outside the tubing.
They attach a well head to the top of the tubing and fix it with cement. This has many valves. The valves allow them
to control the flow of oil from the well.
If the production zone contains limestone rock, they pump acid down the well and into the perforations. The acid
dissolves part of the rock. This allows the oil to flow easily into the well.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 11

2 Match the first, middle and final parts of each sentence. Underline the correct verb forms.
Part Function
1 The steel pipe a) cause/ causes A oil from flowing between tubing and casing.
2 The perforating gun b) allow/ allows B limestone rock to dissolve and break up.
3 The perforations c) prevent/ prevents C oil from escaping from well.
4 The tubing d) make/ makes D water from entering well hole.
5 The packer e) stop/ stops E oil to enter bottom of well.
6 The well head f) let/ lets F oil rise up to well head.
7 Acid g) prevent/ prevents G holes form in side of casing.
8 Valves h) permit/ permits H crew to stop flow of oil through well head.

3 Write full sentences from 2 in your exercise book.

Example. 1 The steel pipe prevents water from entering the well hole.

4 Make sentences from these notes in your exercise book.

Example: 1 The turntable makes the kelly rotate.
1 turntable ⇒ kelly ⇒ rotate (make)
2 heli-port ⇒ helicopters ⇒ land on oil platform (allow)
3 pumps ⇒ mud and rock cuttings ⇒ rise to top of well (cause)
4 shaker ⇒ large cuttings ⇒ enter mud pit (prevent)
5 hole in swivel ⇒ drilling mud ⇒ flow into kelly (let)
6 blowout preventer ⇒ oil and gas ⇒ explode out of well hole (stop)

5 Put these sentences about the diagram into the correct order. lever

This rod is connected to a piston.

gear box
The suction from the pump makes the oil flow up polish rod
the tubing. motor

This makes a lever move up and down.

The lever causes a polish rod to go up and down.
1 The electric motor makes the gear box operate. casing

tubing
This rod is attached to a sucker rod.
When the sucker rod moves up, it causes the pump sucker rod

to move up.

piston

packer

production
zone

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 11

Word list
6 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.

NOUNS VERBS

beam complete (a well)

perforation run (a pipe down

a well)
gun
dissolve
tube
install
tubing
blast
packer
ADJECTIVES
acid
explosive
explosion
small-diameter
diameter

lever

NOUN PHRASES

polish rod

sucker rod

production zone

well head

steam injector

perforating gun

flow of oil

limestone rock

gear box

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 12

1 It is the fourth week of February in an oil rig project. Answer these questions.
1 Have they excavated the reserve pit yet?
2 When did they transport the equipment to the rig location?
3 What are they doing now?
4 When will they put the kelly into position?

Preparing the site and the rig before drilling

Task January February March
Week 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Level the site (use bulldozers)

Dig the mud and reserve pits
Drill starter hole and mouse hole
Transport equipment to rig location
Install power system
Assemble rig platform
Raise the derrick on the platform
Install the lifting and rotary system
Set up mud tanks and mud pumps
Connect the mud pipes and hoses
String the electric cables
Put kelly into position on the block

2 Complete this dialogue between the Project Manager (A) and the Project Supervisor (B).
Use information from the chart in 1.
A: (1) the derrick on the platform yet?
B: Yes, we have.
A: When (2) the rig platform?
B: We (3) it in the first week of February.
A: (4) the lifting and rotary system now?
B: Yes, we are.
A: What else are you doing now?
B: We’re (5) the tanks and pumps, and (6) the pipes and hoses.
A: When (7) the electrical cables?
B: We’ll (8) that in the second week of March.

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 12

3 Complete this progress report. Write one or two verbs in each space.
The team have levelled the site with bulldozers. They’ve (1) the mud and reserve pits,
and they (2) the starter hole and the mouse hole. During the fourth week of January
they (3) the equipment to the rig location. They (4) the power
system at the end of January, but they didn’t (5) the rig platform then. They
(6) it in the first week of February. The crew have (7) the derrick on
the platform, but they haven’t (8) the lifting and rotary systems yet. They’re still
(9) that. Another crew are (10) the mud tanks and the mud pumps.
And a third crew (11) the mud pipes and hoses right now as we speak. They haven’t
(12) the electric cables yet. According to the schedule, they’ll (13)
the cables in the second week of March, but they (14) the kelly into position then.
They’ll (15) the kelly into position during the third week of March. I expect that they
(16) the pipe racks and drill pipes at the end of March.

4 The well is completed and you want to dismantle the rig. Choose the correct verb and write the
opposite of these instructions.

dismantle, lower, detach, disconnect, uninstall, remove, fill in (a hole), take down

1 Attach the kelly to the travelling block.

1
Detach the kelly from the travelling block.
2 Dig out the mud and reserve pits.

3 Connect the mud pipes and hoses to the equipment.

4 Assemble the rig platform.

5 Put up all the electric cables.

6 Raise the derrick.

7 Bring the equipment to the site.

8 Install the power system and connect it to the cables.

5 Put your new instructions in 4 into the best order to dismantle the rig. Number your instructions
1 – 8 in the boxes in 4.
Example: Detach the kelly from the travelling block. [ 1 ]

6 Complete this report explaining how your team dismantled the rig.
First of all, my team detached the kelly from the travelling block. Next, we

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish

 Petroleum Unit 12

Word list
7 Write the meanings of these words and phrases in your own language.
NOUNS VERBS

site set up

location dig out

position excavate

schedule prepare

NOUN PHRASES load

starter hole unload

power system drill

rig location install

oil rig project assemble

project manager fill in

project supervisor detach

rig platform uninstall

mud tank level

mud pump

electric cable

© Pearson Longman 2008 www.pearsonlongman.com/technicalenglish