Offshore drilling refers to the act of extracting crude oil which lie underwater near the shoreline in the oilfield . Offshore drilling is used to describe oil extraction off the coasts of continents.
The first offshore drilling was done at the end of the 19th century in Baku at the Bibi-Eibat field.[citation needed] In 1896 oil companies began drilling from wharves built out over the Pacific Ocean at Summerland field, California.
This is how offshore drilling done in detail preparation:
The crew makes the rig ready and starts the drilling perations. From the first hole, they drill a surface hole down to a pre-set depth, which is above where the oil trap is placed. There are five sequences to drilling the well:
1. Put the drill bit, collar and drill pipe in the hole.
2. Mount the kelly and turntable and begin drilling.
3. As drilling runs, circulate mud through the pipe and out of the bit to float the rock cuttings out of the hole.
4. Add new sections (joints) of drill pipes as the hole gets deeper.
5. Remove (trip out) the drill pipe, collar and bit when the pre-set depth (anywhere from a few hundred to a couple-thousand feet) is reached.
when they reach the depth they are expected, they operate and cement the casing -- put casing-pipe sections into the hole to avoid it from collapsing in on itself. The casing pipe has spacers around the outside to make the pipe keep staying in the center of the hole.
The crew installes the casing pipe in the hole. The cement crew pumps cement down the casing pipe using a bottom plug, a cement slurry, a top plug and drill mud. The pressure from the drill mud causes the cement slurry to flow through the casing and fill the space between the outside of the casing and the hole.
You might interested to read about the types to do offshore drilling and where is it done??
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Offshore Drilling In Detailed
Monday, March 23, 2009
How Difficult Is Offshore Drilling?
Offshore drilling in the oilfield can be done with 3 types of "vehicles" or Oil Drilling Rig, depending on the depth of water
1. Offshore drilling For depth of 7 - 15 ft (shallow sea) is often used type of oil rig "Swamp Barge." How to mobilize the oil rig to the location of the wells? after the rig was drowned by filling the tanks Ballast with water. After the rig sitting on the base and the Spud Can be fixed into its sea floor, we can start the offshore drilling. To prevent the oil rig from the sea flow , The oil rig is stabilized first by attaching it to the poles. If they are not stable and the position of rig is moving, there will be a serious problem, especially the well.
2. Offshore drilling for depth 15 - 250 ft, is usually used jack-up rig (typically 3 or 4 feet, and the independent legs with spud legs on its leg. There is also a non-independent leg with type "mat foundation" . The oil riglegs with a mat foundation is usually used in the sea that have soft seabed .
Jack-up oil rig can be used to drill exploration wells in the oilfield . The most critical time is when moving the oil rig aproaching to the platform, because the rig should be close to a certain distance from the platform. It should be done carefully, The oil rig might hit the platform and can cause significant damage. The distance between the oil rig and platform has been determined according to the design,so oil rig floor and derrick located on the cantilever on the deck that can moved so those all can reach the well slots on the platform . One platform can contain 4, 6, 9, 12 or more slots depending on the size of the well platform. Platform for approaching oil rig is guided by 2 or 3 towing boats, and supported by 2 or 4 anchors in the rig. After the rig in the final locked position, the rig legs are given the initial burden with water. The Oil Rig hull is increased slightly above sea surface until the rig legs is not going down at 100% preload. Usually after the oil rig is stable for three hours the "initial burden" is removed and the rig can be jacked up to the height of a certain mode position for Drilling on the platform. That's how the offshore drilling done for water depth 15 - 250 ft.
3. Offshore drilling for depth (> 250 ft), used drillships (floater) or semi-submersible.
This Floater Drilling Rig is usually used for drilling well since this type can be attached to developments wells.This type of oil rig is usually equipped with 8 anchors, which are spread around the rig. After the rig is in the position of the wells, all anchors are deployed and given tension (pretension) to 300000lbs for each anchor. Similar to 'preloading' in type jack-up oil rig, 'pretension' during mooring operations is very important to be done to floaters oil rig ,so it can be stable at the Drilling mode. In addition, the rig is also equipped with "motion compensator" system to overcome the problem heave, pitch and roll, so the relative position of the hole is stable all the times. After all these steps are done,we are ready to do offshore drilling. That's how the offshore drilling done for water depth more than 250 ft
Friday, March 20, 2009
Huge Oil Rig Is Floating In The Ocean??
Oil rig is one of modern technology in oilfield history. It is used to drill exploration wells to look for oil. And oil rigs are used to drill into an oil field to extract the oil. There are several different types of oil rig and oil rig.
1. Fixed oil rig
This type of oil rig is built on concrete and fixed directly onto the seabed, a wide deck with space for drilling rigs, production facilities and workers facilities. an oil rig is built for long term use. Usually the structure is made of steel , concrete , floating steel or floating concrete. Steel structures are the vertical sections made of tubular steel members, mounded into the seabed. Concrete structuresare for the tanks below the sea surface and these tanks fuction is for flotation capability. This type of oil rig is economically sufficient for water depths up to 520m.
2. Compliant towers oil rig
Compliant tower is fixed oil rig structure. This oil rig has slim compliant towers structures with a foundation for deck drilling operation . It is specially designed to maintain lateral deflection and force. This type of rig structure can be configured to adapt to existing fabrication and installation equipment. This flexibility makes this oil rig can be operated in depper water since, this rig can abbsorb the pressure from the wind and sea.
3. Semi-submersible oil rig
Semi Submersible oil rig is moving oil rig structure. It can be moved from one location to another location. The hulls system of these oil rigs make buoyancy. It makes the structure floating. It's balanced by weight, so the structure keep upright. It can be ballasted up or down by altering the amount of flooding in buoyancy tanks. Semi-submersibles can be used in water depths 180m to more than 10,600 m
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Oil Rig : Huge Structure in The Middle of Ocean
An offshore oil rig, is a huge structure used for oilfield operation. An oil rig become one of the most important elements needed in oilfield industry. By using this oil rig, oil can be extracted from the layer of the earth and ship them to shore. An oil rig can be fixed to the surface of the earth it's built on the artificial land. Another kind of oil rig is floating rig. All are depends on the situation.
Most oil rigs are still located on the continental shelf, since the cost for the structure cheaper and easier. But today oil companies with their advances in technology build oil rig in the deeper water.A typical oil rig has around thirty wellheads located on the oil rig and directional drilling allows reservoirs to be accessed at both different depths from the oil rig.
The first modern oil rig structure had ever been built is The Thames Sea Forts . It was pre-constructed in a very short time. It's floating oil rig. In 1938 it was placed on the shallow bottom of Thames Estuary. But the period where it is accepted as offshore oil era is in 1947 when Kerr-Mc Gee Company producing oil rig out of sight of land.
An oil rig structure is equipped with many equipments needed for processing oil, transporting oil by pipelines or tanker. The elements including wellhead, manifold, gas compressor,pump and still many things that support production and transportation. An oil rig is equipped also with workers facilities such as housing, electricity generator, water and etc.
The world tallest oil rig can be as tall as an television and radio broadcasting tower. Here are the examples of The tallest oil rig structures
* Petronius oil rig, 610 meters (2,000 ft)
* Baldpate oil rig, 579.1 meters (1,900 ft)
* Bullwinkle oil rig, 529.1 meters (1,736 ft)
The widest oil rig in the world is The Hibernia oil rig located in the Atlantic ocean with 364 feet high and storage capacity 1.3 million barrels.
Read also the article about many different kinds of huge oil rig
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
About Oilfield
An oilfield is an area with a big potential of petroleum or crude oil below the ground. an area of oilfield usually extend over a big area, possibly around hundred kilometres across. There might be several wells scaterred in that oilfield area . An oilfield is equipped with oil rig / oil platform, support facilities such as transportation, employer housing,electricity and still many things.
There are more than 40,000 oilfields of all sizes in the world.However, 94% of known oil is concentrated in fewer than 1500 giant oilfield. We can say it is a giant oilfield area if it has potential with 500 million barrels of recoverable oil. And these all 1500 giant oilfields are believed contains 40 percent of the world's petroleum . They are scattered in 27 regions of the world, with the largest is in the Persian Gulf,the Burgan OilField in Kuwait and Zagheh Oli Field in Iran .
There are several oilfield companies specialize in providing specialized service to operate an oilfield. They build a large scale infrastructure such as drilling rig, pipelines to transport the oil elsewhere to do the exploration. Schlumberger Limited, Baker Hughes and Halliburton are oilfield company who provide this service.
In this century, oilfield become something attracting for every country in the worlds. Oil is still our main energy,people say "oil is black gold". The profit from oil industry is still promissing. No wonder, whereever the location of oilfield with proven oil reserves is there,there always come with geopolitical conflicts.
Friday, September 12, 2008
When to File an Offshore Oil Rig Injury Lawsuit
The number one reason that an injured worker does not file an offshore oil rig injury lawsuit is because they don't know when it is appropriate to seek the advice of an attorney. The accident itself was most likely traumatic and dramatic, and involved a lot of effort to get the injured party back to solid ground in order to get them the best treatment possible. A lot of precious blood, fluids, nerve cells, and other vital organ functions can be lost during that time. Many companies require a waiver to be signed upon hiring that they are not responsible for injury losses between the time of the accident and the time of arrival at the hospital.
In many cases these waivers are completely illegal under the Jones Act, not to mention other basic standards of employment. There really is only one answer to the question regarding when to call an offshore oil rig injury lawyer. As soon as humanly possible. While there are doctors and nurses and specialists who may be working on your behalf to save what they can and to return you to pre-injury status, there isn't anyone looking out for your rights.
There isn't anyone who is seeking to make sure the right paperwork is being filed and that whatever mutterings of liability you may be coerced into agreeing to while you are coming out of anesthesia are inadmissible as evidence. There isn't anyone who is covering your legal rights. The sooner you pick up the phone and call a lawyer, the sooner there will be someone looking after your legal wellbeing while everyone else is focusing on your physical wellbeing.
Family members, next of kin, powers of attorneys, and other important people in the life of an oil rig worker should absolutely be instructed to contact an offshore oil rig injury lawyer before leaving for offshore duty. In the event of a serious accident, workers really need someone to protect their rights in the event of serious burns, unconsciousness, or any type of near fatal injury. Sometimes just the event of having a lawyer on record means that an injured party received better, more prompt care.
This is highly unfair, but there is enough reflection of truth to the statement that it is completely worth having one on record. Hopefully there will never be cause to contact an attorney or to file an offshore oil rig injury lawsuit. It is a situation of preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Filing a lawsuit is an exhaustive process that should only be considered when negotiations have failed.
It is difficult for injured parties to understand that their injury may entitle them to a large award, depending on the merits of their case. Most people who are seriously injured while on the job simply want to recover and to participate in life to the fullest. An offshore oil rig injury lawsuit doesn't seem like a means of getting there. Of course, whether to follow through on any particular case is completely up to the injured party, but the point of filing a lawsuit is to maintain as close to the quality of life the injured party had before the accident.
Sometimes the only compensation which can be offered is monetary. When an injury occurs that is detrimental to the mobility or wellbeing of the party, the only option we have in this country is to file lawsuits in hopes that at the very least, without financial strain, life can move forward with reasonable dignity. Offshore oil rig injury lawyers are here to help compensate the injured party for all they have lost through their tragic accident.
Author: Nick Johnson
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Learning to Cope with an Offshore Oil Rig Injury
Let's not be foolish. There are risks that come with jobs, and some jobs involve a higher level of risk than others.
Oil rig companies cringe at the word injury. Offshore oil rig injury lawyers should most likely be the second phone call placed after the injured party returns to solid ground. The first phone call should always be to the family members, especially the mother. Any competent attorney will tell you, it's very important how you deal with the insurance company, doctors, and even fellow co-worker.
An innocent comment can cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical expenses. The Jones Act is in place to protect the special needs of offshore oil rig workers. However, just like ordinary worker's compensation plans, the insurance company would love to find your claim voided. Insurance companies are in business to make money, not spend it, and the instant they can save a few thousand dollars, don't think that they'll be concerned with how this may affect your family or your house payment.
Ironically, a large number of injured rig workers are hesitant to call an offshore oil rig lawyer after an injury. Their loyalties to their company are admirable, but reality is clear and a company isn't worth the health of any employee. Cases almost invariably begin with an injured worker who didn't call a lawyer right away.
The majority of offshore oil rig injury cases begin with a compliant and willing injured worker who slowly begins to realize that their rights under the Jones Act are being subtly trampled. Only then do most sea going people reach for the phone and call an attorney. A good percentage of these cases end up going from a compliant injured party to a lawsuit in a matter of a year.
Many sea going employees live by a code of conduct that is highly honorable and notable. Too many of these highly honorable men and women do not realize that an offshore oil rig injury lawsuit is not taking more than (or asking for more than) is rightfully theirs. Many insurance companies rely in this unwritten code of conduct to dissuade potential litigants from filing a lawsuit. This "power of persuasion" is in fact illegal, yet it is employed by oil rig insurance companies throughout the world to keep their legal costs to a minimum whenever possible.
Offshore oil rig injury cases are nothing new and nothing that can be accomplished with a fly by night lawyer. Naturally, the nature of the lawyer will in effect determine the power of the outcome of any injury case. Violations of the Jones Act have been around for as long as the Jones Act.
Specialized lawyers were only too soon to follow and pretty soon a niche industry was born. The niche industry was born from necessity rather than desire, and before long offshore oil rig injury cases were becoming more commonplace with regard to the care that injured workers were receiving.
Every oil rig worker deserves the proper care for injury under law, and that's at a bare minimum. Insurance companies, which naturally need to be skeptical in regards to claims, are turning every long term case in to a lawsuit simply by denying the injured workers their most basic of rights.
Author: Nick Johnso