石油钻井英语.docVIP

Well control The drilling fluid that courses through the system also provides the first line of defense against blowouts. A blowout can be an impressive sight. Gas ,oil , or salt water spews into the air with tremendous roar. If gas is present , the whole thing will probably be on fire , and the rig will lie as a melted, twisted mass of junk. Human lives are threatened ; pollution may occur ; precious oil and gas are wasted ; and a rig worth many thousands or even millions of dollars may be a total loss. Obviously, it is very desirable not to allow blowouts, and , in fact, not many occur. But ,because a blowout is often a spectacular show and human lives a sometimes lost, a blowout often becomes a media event. Unfortunately, the impression may linger that blowouts are not the rarity they actually are. In reality, rig crews go to great lengths to see that the well they are drilling remains under control and control and does not get away from them. A hole full of mud that weights the right amount, or has the proper density, will not blow out. But sometimes the unexpected occurs. Since a rig crew is only human, an error can be made and formation fluids such as gas, salt water, oil, or all three enter the hole. When a kick occurs, it make its presence known by certain things that happen in circulating system. For example, the level of mud in the pits may rise above the normal level, or mud may flow out of the well even with the pump stopped , or shut down. An alert crew can spot these anomalies (even though the anomalies are sometimes stubtle) and take action to prevent a blowout. It is here that the second line of defense against blowouts is brought into play—the blowout preventers (BOPS). On land rigs and on offshore rigs, such as platforms and jackups that are not floats, BOPs are attached to the top of the well beneath the rig floor. The preventers are nothing more than large, high-pressure valves capable of being remotely controlled. When closed, they form a pres