PETE 225 Exam 1 – Study Guide, Revision Notes, and Practice Questions for Exam
Preparation
Crown Blocks - ✔✔A set of stationary pulleys or sheaves at the top of the derrick. Part of the
hoisting system. There is a wire rope (a.k.a drilling line) strung between the travelling blocks and
crown blocks that through a tremendous mechanical advantage allows the weight of drill string,
drill stem or casing string to be supported and moved by the rig.
V-door - ✔✔The opening in the railings at the top of the slide (a.k.a. Beaver slide).
Components are brought from the catwalk, up the beaver slide and through the v-door to the
rig floor.
Tongs - ✔✔There are several types, each sized for what drillstring or casing component they
are meant for. Tongs can be powered (typically hydraulically) or mechanical (using the make-up
and break out lines). They are used make-up (put together) or break out (take apart) drillstring,
BHA, and casing by rotating or spinning one of the components being made-up or broken out.
Mousehole - ✔✔The hole in the rig floor between the rotary table and v‐door. It is typically
drilled then cased with steel liner
similar to casing. During drilling operations the next joint or stand of drillpipe or hevi ‐wate
drillpipe will be placed here and
made‐up (if a stand) prior to being picked up and made‐up onto the drillstring.
BHA - ✔✔Bottom-hole assembly
Monkeyboard - ✔✔is where the derrickman stands while tripping pipe. It is located at the
same height of 2/3 of a stand of pipe.
The monkeyboard has racking fingers on it that divide each side of the board area into a series
of slots. Pipe is racked into
, these slots as it is pulled out of the hole. This way it can be quickly run back into the hole as
opposed to breaking each stand
into 2 or 3 individual joints each time a trip is made.
Pipe racks - ✔✔are steel frames (typically an A-frame) that hold the
casing/tubing/drillstring/BHA in storage or on the rigsite.
They are used to store the casing, etc off of the groun as well as put them at the same height as
the catwalk. This allows the
casing, etc to rolled directly onto the catwalk.
Drawworks - ✔✔The primary hoisting mechanism for the rig, it picks up and lowers the blocks,
kelly or topdrive and drillstring.
It consist of a large drum that has drilling line spooled around.
Slips - ✔✔On the rig floor, slips are a set of slip inserts that are connected. The slips can be
wrapped around the drillstring and then lowered down into the rotary table. As the slips slide
into the rotary table, the weight of the drillstring force the slip
inserts to "bite" into the drillstring, thus suspending the drillstring (or casing) and keeping it
from falling downhole. The slip inserts look like wedges with ridges on one side, they are made
out of tungsten steel so that they are harder than the drillstring.
Reserve pit - ✔✔A waste pit for drilling fluids, typically dug into the ground. It is usually lined
with plastic and has several
different compartments with weirs to allow for settling of solids.
Desander - ✔✔A series of hydrocyclones mounted on the mud pits. Fluid is routed through
them and through centrifugal force, particles down to 50 microns are removed from the mud
(assuming a standard 2.7 SG).
Preparation
Crown Blocks - ✔✔A set of stationary pulleys or sheaves at the top of the derrick. Part of the
hoisting system. There is a wire rope (a.k.a drilling line) strung between the travelling blocks and
crown blocks that through a tremendous mechanical advantage allows the weight of drill string,
drill stem or casing string to be supported and moved by the rig.
V-door - ✔✔The opening in the railings at the top of the slide (a.k.a. Beaver slide).
Components are brought from the catwalk, up the beaver slide and through the v-door to the
rig floor.
Tongs - ✔✔There are several types, each sized for what drillstring or casing component they
are meant for. Tongs can be powered (typically hydraulically) or mechanical (using the make-up
and break out lines). They are used make-up (put together) or break out (take apart) drillstring,
BHA, and casing by rotating or spinning one of the components being made-up or broken out.
Mousehole - ✔✔The hole in the rig floor between the rotary table and v‐door. It is typically
drilled then cased with steel liner
similar to casing. During drilling operations the next joint or stand of drillpipe or hevi ‐wate
drillpipe will be placed here and
made‐up (if a stand) prior to being picked up and made‐up onto the drillstring.
BHA - ✔✔Bottom-hole assembly
Monkeyboard - ✔✔is where the derrickman stands while tripping pipe. It is located at the
same height of 2/3 of a stand of pipe.
The monkeyboard has racking fingers on it that divide each side of the board area into a series
of slots. Pipe is racked into
, these slots as it is pulled out of the hole. This way it can be quickly run back into the hole as
opposed to breaking each stand
into 2 or 3 individual joints each time a trip is made.
Pipe racks - ✔✔are steel frames (typically an A-frame) that hold the
casing/tubing/drillstring/BHA in storage or on the rigsite.
They are used to store the casing, etc off of the groun as well as put them at the same height as
the catwalk. This allows the
casing, etc to rolled directly onto the catwalk.
Drawworks - ✔✔The primary hoisting mechanism for the rig, it picks up and lowers the blocks,
kelly or topdrive and drillstring.
It consist of a large drum that has drilling line spooled around.
Slips - ✔✔On the rig floor, slips are a set of slip inserts that are connected. The slips can be
wrapped around the drillstring and then lowered down into the rotary table. As the slips slide
into the rotary table, the weight of the drillstring force the slip
inserts to "bite" into the drillstring, thus suspending the drillstring (or casing) and keeping it
from falling downhole. The slip inserts look like wedges with ridges on one side, they are made
out of tungsten steel so that they are harder than the drillstring.
Reserve pit - ✔✔A waste pit for drilling fluids, typically dug into the ground. It is usually lined
with plastic and has several
different compartments with weirs to allow for settling of solids.
Desander - ✔✔A series of hydrocyclones mounted on the mud pits. Fluid is routed through
them and through centrifugal force, particles down to 50 microns are removed from the mud
(assuming a standard 2.7 SG).
