Page 132 - How It Works - Book of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, 12

� AMAZIG ANSWERS TO CURIOUS QUESTIONS -------------------

Derrick
The derrick usually
towers over the rest of
the rig and is used to
house the drill machinery •
and feed in new pipe as
the drill descends .
ngs vvor
•

The world produces over 82 million
barrels of oil every day, much of
it in harsh conditions, miles from
shore and safety if an emergency1
happens. So how is it done?

0 il has been around for millions of years,
located deep below the land or sea where it
became trapped under layers of
permeable rocks or slowly seeping to
the surface. Although examples of
oil drilling were documented in
4th Century China, the first
modern oil gathering structure
was built in 1897 and by 1928
mobile rigs consisting of a simple
barge with a drill mounted on top
had set the scene for a revolution Offshore rigs have
multiple cranes that are
that fuelled Western industrial
continually used for
dominance for the next century. lifting containers, drill
Over 82 million barrels of oil equipment and
sections of piping to
are produced every single day, a the top of the derrick.
process that usually starts with a
range of surveys; from
geographical and geomagnetic
Platforms required to drill
surveys to the deep echo sounding or thousands of feet below The working space aboard
seismic reflection surveys that pinpoint an offshore platform where
drilling rigs, production
the likely location of a substantial deposit. facilities and crew quarters
Only then, and after the necessary permits are located. Larger
have all been obtained of course, can the rigs platforms may use nearby
'flotels' for crew quarters.
move in- multi-million pound structures and
teams of professionals that locate, make the well
safe and finally drill down to its precious commodity.
Jackets are usually vertical
Today, there are over 40,000 oil fields around the steel sections piled into the
world, with most offshore drilling undertaken in the seabed, protecting the
central drill shaft against
Continental shelf- the sunken perimeter of a
damage or interference.
continent's original glacial shape. From the $100
million monsters that plumb the deepest waters in
the Gulf of Mexico, to the smaller North Sea
structures that nevertheless have to withstand
90-knot winds and 6o-foot waves. Mobile rigs are
usually reserved for exploratory work, owned by Wells
private contractors and leased to the oil companies With each platform needing
to service up to 30 wells at
who then have limited time to find, tap and process
different depths and
their precious bounty. Larger manned platforms positions, flow lines and
and spars can service up to 30 wellheads, tapping umbilical connections are
required to connect them
into multiple wells up to five miles from the all to the main rig.
platform itself. 0
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