National Oilwell Varco 2010 Annual Report Download - page 26

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Riser pipe The pipe and special fitting used on floating offshore drilling rigs to established a seal between the top of the
wellbore, which is on the ocean floor, and the drilling equipment located above the surface of the water. A
riser pipe serves as a guide for the drill stem from the drilling vessel to the wellhead and as a conductor or
drilling fluid from the well to the vessel. The riser consists of several sections of pipe and includes special
devices to compensate for any movement of the drilling rig caused by waves. Also called marine riser pipe,
riser joint.
Rotary table The principal piece of equipment in the rotary table assembly; a turning device used to impart rotational
power to the drill stem while permitting vertical movement of the pipe for rotary drilling. The master bushing
fits inside the opening of the rotary table; it turns the kelly bushing, which permits vertical movement of the
kelly while the stem is turning.
Rotating blowout preventer
(Rotating Head) A sealing device used to close off the annular space around the kelly in drilling with pressure at the surface,
usually installed above the main blowout preventers. A rotating head makes it possible to drill ahead even
when there is pressure in the annulus that the weight of the drilling fluid is not overcoming; the head
prevents the well from blowing out. It is used mainly in the drilling of formations that have low permeability.
The rate of penetration through such formations is usually rapid.
Safety clamps A clamp placed very tightly around a drill collar that is suspended in the rotary table by drill collar slips.
Should the slips fail, the clamp is too large to go through the opening in the rotary table and therefore
prevents the drill collar string from falling into the hole. Also called drill collar clamp.
Shaker See Shale Shaker
Shale shaker A piece of drilling rig equipment that uses a vibrating screen to remove cuttings from the circulating fluid in
rotary drilling operations. The size of the openings in the screen should be selected carefully to be the
smallest size possible to allow 100 per cent flow of the fluid. Also called a shaker.
Slim-hole completions
(Slim-hole Drilling) Drilling in which the size of the hole is smaller than the conventional hole diameter for a given depth. This
decrease in hole size enables the operator to run smaller casing, thereby lessening the cost of completion.
Slips Wedge-shaped pieces of metal with serrated inserts (dies) or other gripping elements, such as serrated
buttons, that suspend the drill pipe or drill collars in the master bushing of the rotary table when it is
necessary to disconnect the drill stem from the kelly or from the top-drive units drive shaft. Rotary slips fit
around the drill pipe and wedge against the master bushing to support the pipe. Drill collar slips fit around a
drill collar and wedge against the master bushing to support the drill collar. Power slips are pneumatically or
hydraulically actuated devices that allow the crew to dispense with the manual handling of slips when
making a connection.
Solids See Cuttings
Spinning wrench Air-powered or hydraulically powered wrench used to spin drill pipe in making or breaking connections.
Spinning-in The rapid turning of the drill stem when one length of pipe is being joined to another. Spinning-out refers
to separating the pipe.
Stand 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), or a treble.
String The entire length of casing, tubing, sucker rods, or drill pipe run into a hole.
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