Text 3. Drilling Crew

It is true that you can’t drill a well without skilled people. Personnel run the rig and keep it running until the well reaches its objective. Many people are involved in drilling. Let’s cover the drilling crew first – the group whose job it is to make the rig drill.

Personnel directly responsible for making the rig drill are collectively known as the “drilling crew”. The person in charge of the drilling crew, the top hand, may be called the “rig manager”, “rig superintendent”, or “toolpusher”, depending on the drilling contractor’s preference. Each rig has drillers, derrickmen, and rotary helpers also called “floorhands”, or “roughnecks”. Large land rigs and offshore rigs often have assistant rig supervisors, assistant drillers.

The rig superintendent (rig manager or toolpusher) oversees the drilling crews that work on the rig floor, supervises drilling operations, and coordinates operating company and contractor affairs.

On land rigs, the rig superintendent is usually headquartered in a mobile home or a portable building at the rig site and is on call at all times. Offshore, the rig superintendent has an office and sleeping quarters on the rig, and is also on call at times. The contractor may hire an assistant rig superintendent, who often relieves the superintendent during night-time hours and is thus sometimes nicknamed the “night toolpusher”.

The rig superintendent supervises the driller, who, in turn, supervises the derrickman and the rotary helpers. From a control consol or an operating cabin on the rig floor, the driller manipulates the controls that keep the drilling operation under way. This person is directly responsible for drilling the hole.

Most rigs require a derrickman when crew members run drill pipe into the hole, or when they pull pipe out of the hole. The derrickman handles the upper end of the pipe from the monkeyboard. The monkeyboard is a small platform in the mast or derrick on which the derrickman stands to handle the upper end of the pipe.

The contractor mounts the monkeyboard in the mast or derrick at a height ranging from about 15 to 34 metres, depending on the length of the joints of pipe crew members pull from the hole. The derrickman uses special safety equipment to prevent falls.

Depending on the size of the rig, its equipment, and other factors, a contractor usually hires two or three rotary helpers, or floorhands, for each work shift. Besides handling pipe, rotary helpers also maintain the drilling equipment, help repair it, and keep it clean and painted.

Because of a rig’s location, economic factors, and other reasons, the number of days and the number of hours per day that a drilling crew works vary a great deal. In a few areas, contractors employ 8-hour tours. In other areas, in countries outside the U. S., and in remote land locations, they use 12-hour tours. If the crews work 8-hour tours, then the contractor usually hires four drilling crews and two toolpushers, or rig superintendents, for each rig.

The crews consist of four drilling crews – 4 drillers and derrickmen, and 8 or 12 rotary helpers. Three drilling crews split three 8-hour tours per day. The fourth crew is off. Later, they relieve one of the working crews. One rig superintendent, or toolpusher, is on the site all the time.

If the crews work 12-hour tours on land, then the contractor may hire two drilling crews and two superintendents for each rig. One superintendent, two drillers, two assistant drillers, two derrickmen, and four or six rotary helpers – two full drilling crews – split two tours per 24-hour day. Offshore, crews also usually work 12-hour tours, but the contractor hires four drilling crews.

Two crews may work 14 days and then take off 14 days when the second crews come on board to relieve them. Some contractors based in the U. S. have rigs working abroad, such as in the North Sea or in Southeast Asia. In such cases, the contractor often employs a 28-and-28 schedule. Two crews are home for 28 days while the other two work 12-hour tours for 28 days.

1) Personnel run the rig and keep it running until….

2) Personnel directly responsible for making the rig drill are known as….

3) Large land rigs and offshore rigs often have….

4) On land rigs, the rig superintendent is usually headquartered in….

5) Offshore, the rig superintendent has….

6) The rig superintendent supervises the driller, who….

7) Most rigs require a derrickman when….

8) The monkeyboard is a small platform in the mast or derrick on which….

9) Besides handling pipe, rotary helpers also….

10) If the crews work 8-hour tours, then the contractor….

11) If the crews work 12-hour tours on land, then the contractor may….

12) Some contractors based in the U. S. have rigs working abroad, such as…

1. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the wrong ones:

1) Personnel run the rig and keep it running until the well reaches its objective.

2) The contractor doesn’t have the right to hire an assistant rig superintendent.

3) The rig superintendent supervises the derrickman, who, in turn, supervises the driller and the rotary helpers.

4) The monkeyboard is a small platform in the mast or derrick on which the derrickman stands to handle the upper end of the pipe.

5) The number of days and the number of hours per day that a drilling crew works do not vary a great deal.

6) In a few areas, particularly in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico, contractors employ 8-hour tours.

7) One rig superintendent, or toolpusher, is on the site all the time, he has much free time.

8) If the crews work 12-hour tours on land, then the contractor may hire two drilling crews and two superintendents for each rig.

9) On land, crews also usually work 12-hour tours, but the contractor hires four drilling crews.

4. Answer the questions:

1. How can you call the personnel, directly responsible for making the rig drill?

2) Who works at large land rigs and offshore rigs?

3) What does the rig superintendent supervise?

4) Where does a rig manager live on land and offshore?

5) Who often relieves the superintendent during night-time hours and is thus sometimes nicknamed the “night toolpusher”?

6) What is a driller directly responsible for?

7) Where does a derrickman stand to handle the upper end of the pipe?

8) Why does a derrickman use special safety equipment?

9) On what factors does the employment of rotary helpers depend on?

10) Why do the number of days and the number of hours per day that a drilling crew works vary a great deal?

11) How many drilling crews split three 8-hour tours per day?

12) Who has rigs working abroad, such as in the North Sea or in Southeast Asia?

5. Make up a plan and report on it in brief.

6. Say what you have learned from the text, using the outline:

1. Drilling crews.

2. Driller and assistant driller.

3. Derrickman.

4. Rotary helpers.

5. Drilling crew work shifts.

7. ROLE PLAY

Imagine that you are a rig superintendent. Your classmates are drilling contractors. Your task is to tell them in detail conditions, under which they can hire more workers.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 2088