Oilfield Glossary

Acidize treat oil-bearing limestone or other formations with acid to increase production.
Acoustic (sonic) well logging recording the time required for sound to travel a specific
distance through rock, using a wireline of LWD instrument. The rate of travel varies with
rock composition, porosit, and fluid content.
Along hole depth (AHD) the distance along the path of the wellbore from a measured
depth datum !e.g., the drilling rig floor" to a point in the well.
American Petroleum Institute (API) an oil industr organi#ation that is the leading
standard-setting bod for oilfield equipment and products.
Anisotropy variation of a phsical propert depending on the direction in which it is
measured. $n geophsics, a difference between velocit parallel to the bedding plane and
velocit perpendicular to the bedding plane for a lithologic unit. $n geolog, anisotrop
usuall refers to the differenc between vertical and hori#ontal permeabilit.
Annulus in a borehole, the space between the drill pipe and the borehole, between tubing
and casing, or between casing and formation.
AutoTra
!
"#$% - a rotar steerable drilling sstem that combines an automated downhole
guidance sstem, formation evaluation sensors, advanced drill bits and two-wa
communication with the surface to deliver high performance drilling and precise
geosteering.
&arefoot completion !also open-hole completion" a method of preparing a well for
production in which no casing or liner is set opposite the producing formation.
&it whirl the motion a bit makes when examples/popup_bitwhirl.htm examples/popup_bitwhirl.htm
it does not rotate about its center, but in a spiral motion. %suall occurring in soft
formations, it results in an over gauge !bigger than the bit" hole and e&cessive bit wear.
&arrel (''l) '( %.). gallons
&ird a device with moveable vanes attached to a marine seismic streamer to maintain the
streamer at a predetermined depth.
&ull plug a threaded, clindrical device with a rounded closed end, used to seal off the
casing string or instrument barrel to ensure pressure integrit.
#ae compacted solid or semisolid material remaining after liquid*solid separation
processes.
#asing a borehole lining !pipe" separating the formation from the borehole, with or
without cement between pipe and formation.
#asing hanger in a well, a circular device with a frictional gripping arrangement of slips
and packing rings used to suspend casing from a casinghead.
#asinghead a flanged steel fitting connected to the first string of casing. $t allows
suspension of intermediate and production strings of casing and is the means for sealing off
the annulus.
#ement a powder consisting of alumina, silica, lime and other substances. $t hardens
when mi&ed with water and is used to bond casing to the walls of the borehole and to
prevent fluids from migrating between permeable #ones.
#entrifuge a machine that uses centrifugal force to separate substances of varing
densities.
#hemical inhi'itor liquid chemical compounds in+ected into lines carring fluids that
contain ,(). -ost inhibitors coat surfaces to isolate them from corrosive substances. )ome
react to produce less-destructive compounds.
#hoe a device to restrict the flow of fluids in a pipe.
#hristmas tree control valves, gauges, and chokes at the surface to control oil and gas
flow in a completed well.
#(P .ommon midpoint the assumption that a recorded seismic trace was reflected b a
point midwa !hori#ontall" between the source and detector.
#oiled Tu'ing - long sections of small-diameter tubulars deploed in rolls and used to
replace +ointed pipe in stimulation, workover and drilling operations.
#ollar a device used to +oin two lengths of pipe.
#ompletion technolog used to bring a well to production. -atched to the reservoir and
formation for optimum production, completion technolog includes perforating, gravel
packing, packers, safet valves, flow control, and completion fluids and services.
#on)entional production logging wireline well logs run in vertical production wells for
the purpose of determining the wellbore oil, water, and gas inflow. .onventional production
logging sensors include center-sampling !center-of-the-borehole" measurements of
temperature, pressure, spinner velocit, fluid capacitance, differential pressure, and nuclear
fluid densit coupled to gamma ra, casing collar locator, and caliper measurements.
#oring %er)ices - .oring is the removal of sample formation material from a wellbore. To
the e&tent possible, core samples are taken in an undamaged, phsicall unaltered state.
The formation material ma be solid rock, friable rock, conglomerates, unconsolidated
sands, coal shales, gumbos, or clas. .oring can be conducted b various methods with a
variet of tools.
Darcy a unit of permabilit. That value which will allow flow of / milliliter*sec of /
centipoise viscosit through / cm
(
under pressure of / atmosphere per cm.
Decon)olution the process of undoing the effect of a filter.
Deepwater 0enerall defined as operations in water depths of /111 ft. or greater.
Deepwater *pper #ompletions - 2ffshore wells in water depths greater than /111 feet
are considered 3deepwater3. These wells are characteri#ed b high drilling and intervention
costs. 4oth 3dr tree3 and 3wet tree3 completion methods are common.
Depth migration special seismic data processing used to focus subsurface events to their
proper location in depth. 5restack depth migration, a computing-intensive process, has been
highl successful for comple& imaging, including subsalt formations.
Desander a centrifugal device for removing sand from drilling fluid to prevent pump
abrasion.
De)elopment well a well drilled in a proven field to complete a pattern of production.
De)iation .the angle between the wellbore a&is !in the direction of the end, or bottom, of
the well" and the downward vertical. Deviation values are alwas positive. 6lso called
$nclination.
Dip the angle that a refractor or reflector makes with the hori#ontal. 6lso, the angle of
inclination of a geologic laer or sedimentar bed.
Directional drilling the method of guiding a well along a
predetermined path to a specific target. 6 directional drilling compan
provides technolog and rig site supervision to efficientl meet
directional drilling ob+ectives.
D(O Dip moveout offset the difference in arrival times at different
seismic detectors due to reflector dip.
Downhole +actory, a 4aker ,ughes concept for the future in which man tasks
associated with hdrocarbon production are performed in the wellbore instead of on the
surface. Downhole oil*water separation and automated well maintenance are e&amples.
Downhole motor - a tool directl above the drill bit in a drill string that converts the
hdraulic energ of the circulating drilling fluid into mechanical energ to turn the bit
independentl of drill string rotation. -a include a bent section to perform directional
drilling. !)ee steerable motor"
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Downhole oil.water separation a sstem comprising a downhole hdrocclone and
electrical submersible pump that separates oil from water downhole, rein+ects water, and
produces oil to the surface.
Drill 'it - the component at the end of the drill string that cuts the rock and makes hole.
!)ee Tricone bit and 5D. bit"
Drill collar - heav-walled sections of pipe included at the bottom of the drill string to appl
weight to the drill bit during drilling.
Drill ship - 6 vessel designed for drilling in deep water without legs or anchors holding it to
the sea floor and using dnamic positioning to hold it over the subsea wellhead.
Drill stem all components in a rotar drilling assembl from the swivel to the bit.
Drill %tem Testing - 6 method of determining the potential productivit of a subsurface
formation in either open or cased hole.
Drill string the total string of drill pipe with attached tools and bit.
Drill-in fluid a specialt drilling fluid designed to minimi#e formation damage in the
reservoir.
Drilling fluid fluid used in the wellbore to lubricate and cool the bit, control bottom-hole
pressures, and remove cuttings.
Drilling mud see drilling fluid
D/O Demigration to #ero offset in seismic processing an improvement over D-2 in
situations where velocit varies significantl as a function of depth.
0lastomer an elastic snthetic rubber or plastic material often the main component of
packing material in downhole packers.
0lectrical su'mersi'le pump (0%P) a sstem comprised of a downhole pump, a
downhole electric motor, cabling, and surface controller to lift larger quantities of fluids from
wells that do not flow under their own pressure.
0mulsifier a material that causes water and oil to form an emulsion, i.e.7 fine oil droplets
suspended in the water.
01panda'les - 8&pandables refers to an of a series of sstems and products based on
e&pandable solid tubular, which relies on forcing an e&pansion device !i.e., mandrel or pig"
through standard oilfield tubulars to permanentl e&pand the diameter of the pipe
downhole.
01ploration well a well drilled in search of an undiscovered reservoir or to greatl e&tend
the limits of a known reservoir.
+ishing the process of recovering equipment lost or stuck in the wellbore. Tools and
services that perform specialt and repair work downhole. 9ishing activities include
retrieving lost tools and repairing wellbore damage.
+loat e2uipment .heck valves that permit fluid to pass downward, but not upward
through the casing. 6 float collar is a special coupling device inserted one or two +oints
above the bottom of the casing string. 6 float shoe is positioned at the end of the casing.
+locculation the coagulation of solids in a fluid, produced b special additives or
contaminants.
+low #ontrol 02uipment - are mechanical devices that use conventional wireline
techniques for the e&press purpose of directing, managing and controlling the flow of
produced or in+ected fluids in the production tubing.
+luid a substance which deforms continuousl under the action of a shear force, however
small. Wellbore fluids include oil and water !with or without gas in solution" and free gas.
+oaming agent 6 chemical used in gas wells to lighten the water column to promote gas
production. 6lso, a chemical used while drilling wells with air or gas as the drilling fluid, to
force water with the air and cuttings.
+old in seismic processing, the number of traces with different source-to-receiver
separations summed into a single trace.
+O"(ation 3unction, a 4aker 2il Tools sstem using formed metal technolog to create
a multilateral +unction of two :-in. casing strings, the overall outside diameter !2D" of which
is no more than /(.1 in. The technolog allows the +unction to pass through /; ;*<-in.
casing or a /( /*'-in. open hole. !see multilateral"
+racturing (frac) a method of stimulation production b opening new flow channels in
the rock surrounding a production well b pumping proppant and fluid into the well at high
pressure and volume.
+ull &ore Isolation 4al)e (+&I4) - is a normall closed disc valve, designed to provide
isolation within the tubing string, holding pressure from both above and below.
Gamma-ray log well log that records natural radioactivit of formations around the
wellbore.
Gauge the diameter of a bit or the hole drilled b the bit.
Gather a displa of the input data to a stacking process arranged to show all the seismic
traces corresponding to some criterion are displaed side b side.
Geophone a device to transform seismic energ !movement" to an electrical voltage
voltage that is proportional to the velocit of the seismic wave motion.
Geosteering a subset of hori#ontal drilling in which measurements of formation
properties are used to place the wellbore in specific geologic targets.
GeoThermal - ,igh temperature energ from the 8arth located where the earth=s ma+or
Tectonic 5lates are +oined.
Gra)el Pac a completion technique used to control production of sand from loosel
consolidated formations.
Gyroscopic %ur)ey surve conducted inside a well>s casing to measure is position and
tra+ector. The steel>s casing prevents use of magnetic readings to compute the directional
and coordinate information.
/inteq/evaluation/survey/gyrotrak/index.htm
/inteq/evaluation/survey/gyrotrak/index.htm GyroTra, (5D Gyro %er)ice - $?T8@>s patented
0ro-WD sstem, has been launched in %) markets. The modular tool is run in con+unction
with the ?aviTrakA probe-based -WD and provides an alternative to wireline gros in re-
entr and kick-off applications.
Highly De)iated 5ells a class of nonvertical wells where the deviation angle is
appro&imatel ;1-<1 degrees.
Holdup the fraction of the total volume of the borehole sampled b the measurement
device that contains a particular phase7 more specificall, oil holdup, water holdup, and gas
holdup.
Horizontal Direction Drilling - a trenchless construction technique, which uses guided
drilling for creating an arc profile. )ee ,DD )ervices
Horizontal Drilling a subset of directional drilling in which the angle of deviation of the
wellbore reaches at least <1 degrees from the vertical, ma&imi#ing the length of wellbore
e&posed to the formation.
Horizontal 5ell a class of nonvertical wells where the wellbore a&is is near hori#ontal
!within appro&imatel ten degrees of the hori#ontal", or undulating !fluctuating above and
below B1 degrees deviation".
Hydrates - ?atural gas hdrates, also referred to as clathrates, are crstalline structures of
water that surround low molecular weight gases, such as methane, ethane, propane or
butane. )ee ,$---56.T ,drate $nhibitors
Hydrocyclone a cone-shaped device for separating mi&ed liquids !e.g., oil and water".
Hydrophone a pressure-sensitive sensor to transform changes in !water" pressure to an
electrical voltage voltage which is proportional to the velocit of the seismic wave
Inclination - the measurement of a well>s deviation from vertical, in degrees. 6lso the
angle between the direction of the produced fluid flow and the hori#ontal. $nclination values
are positive for fluid flowing upward and negative for fluid flowing downward.
Infill Drilling . 5ell wells placed between known producing wells to further e&ploit a
reservoir.
Inflata'le %ystems - $nflatable tools are designed with a nitrile based bladder that is
e&panded b means of hdraulic pressure much in the same manner as blowing up a
Cballoon>.
Intelligent #ompletions a completion technolog in which formation propert
measurements are made and the completion dnamicall ad+usts itself to ma&imi#e
production from the well.
Intelligent 5ell Technology technolog that combines sensors and remote control to
detect production problems and solve them without costl well intervention.
Isotropic of equal phsical properties in all directions.
3acup drill rig a mobile, bottom-supported offshore drilling structure. Legs or columns
rest on the seafloor and the platform is raised or ad+usted b moving up or down on the
legs.
3et cutter a fishing tool that uses shaped charges to sever casing, tubing, or drill pipe
stuck in a hole.
6icoff point the depth in a vertical wellbore at which some tpe of directional drilling
operations !e.g., deviated or slant hole" begin.
6riging the geostatistical method of appling known values in one sample to produce an
unbiased estimate of values in another.
$ateral 'ore normall referred to as the deviated or hori#ontal e&tension in the drilling of
a hori#ontal well or multilateral well.
$iner a string of pipe used to case open hole below e&isting casing, overlapping inside the
upper string and held in place b a liner hanger packer.
$ithology - /. the stud of rocks, usuall macroscopic. (. the individual character of a rock
in terms of mineral composition, structure, and so forth.
$ogging-while-drilling ($5D) a variation of measurement-while-drilling in which the
LWD tool gathers information !i.e.7 resistivit, densit, porosit, gamma ra" about the
formation while the well is being drilled.
(ain 'ore the main casing string from which subsequent directional drilling operations or
openhole operations are initiated. Lateral bores e&tend from the main bore to the desired
target depth.
(easurement-5hile-Drilling ((5D) measuring directional information !a#imuth,
inclination, and tool orientation" downhole to ad+ust the drilling process and guide the
wellbore to a specific target.
(igration a computational process applied to seismic data that returns reflection events
to their origin in the subsurface.
(inerals (anagement %er)ice (((%) 4ranch of the %) Department of $nterior that
governs oil operations in %) waters on the 2uter .ontinental )helf.
(o)eout the difference in arrival times of reflected seismic data at different detectors.
(ud see drilling fluid
(ulticomponent %eismic a surve conducted using ;-component !;-." geophones for
sensing seismic reflections in the vertical, hori#ontal, and crossline directions. $n the marine
environment, a hdrophone is included to acquire '-component !'-." data.
(ulti-#ycle Tool ((#T) - is primaril a circulating device that is operated hdraulicall
from the surface using internal tubing pressure.
(ultilateral the construction of two or more wellbores into one or more reservoirs for the
purpose of managing and optimi#ing fluid movement within the reservoir!s". These lateral
wellbores are connected back to a common main bore that e&tends to surface. Darious
levels of completion sstems can be installed in a multilateral well to enable it to produce
from several #ones simultaneousl.
7(O ?ormal moveout offset the difference in arrival times of reflected seismic data at
different detectors due to different source and detector separations.
7orth %ea &rent crude oil produce from the 4rent field in the 4ritish sector of the ?orth
)ea. 2ften quoted as a benchmark for world oil prices.
Oilfield chemicals chemicals used to treat produced fluids and control corrosion and
deposition in producing wells.
Open hole an wellbore in which casing has not been set.
OnTra, (5D %ystem - This full integrated sstem offers a full suite of directional
control, formation evaluation services along with pressure and dnamics monitoring in the
shortest possible 4,6. The integrated design provides increased reliabilit, fewer
connections to deal with at the rig site and optimi#es sensor to bit spacing to compliment
directional control with critical real-time data collection.
Outer #ontinental %helf (O#%) 'loc a unit of defined area for purposes of
management of offshore petroleum e&ploration and production b the -inerals -anagement
)ervice !--)" of the %) Department of $nterior.
Pacer open and cased-hole devices used to create seals to control fluid flow.
PD# drill 'its use fi&ed position polcrstalline diamond compact cutters that shear the
formation instead of grinding it. $n man applications, 5D. bits offer higher penetration
rates and longer life than Tricone bits.
Perforate to open holes through casing walls and cement into a formation so that fluids
can flow into the borehole, or vice-versa.
Perforating gun a device fitted with shaped charges or bullets that is lowered to a
desired depth in a well and fired to create penetrating holes in casing, cement, and
formation.
Permea'ility a measure of the ease with which a fluid can pass through the pore spaces
of a formation.
Phase in reference to multiphase flows, the phase refers to oil, water, or gas !for three-
phase flow", or liquid and gas, or oil and water !for two-phase flow".
Pic select an event on a seismic record.
Pipeline (anagement - Derif the integrit and improve the deliverabilit of our pipeline
network with Direct 6ssessment 5ipeline $nspection and 5ipeline .leaning )ervices from
4aker ,ughes 5-0.
Polymer a substance containing large molecules formed from smaller molecules in
repeating structural units. $n the oilfield, various polmers are used to thicken drilling fluids,
fracturing fluids, acid and other liquids. $n petrochemical production, polmers are used as a
feedstock for plastics.
Production Integrity (anagement - The sstematic management of production pipeline
integrit through the prediction, identification and prevention of pipeline failures occuring
from corrosion and erosion.
Proppant a granular substance that is carried into the formation b the fracturing fluid
and helps keep the cracks open after a fracture treatment.
P%-wa)e !or converted wave" seismic energ which has traveled partl as a 5-wave and
then as an )-wave7 having been converted upon reflection at an interface.
P-wa)e a wave in which particle motion is in the direction of source propagation. 6lso
called compressional wave, primary wave, pressure wave, and longitudinal wave.
"ate of penetration ("OP) the speed !rate" with which the bit drills the formation,
measured in feet or meters per hour.
"aypath a line everwhere perpendicular to wavefronts !in isotropic media".
"esisti)ity a measurement of a formation>s resistance to electrical current used to
determine whether the formation holds hdrocarbons or water.
"eynolds num'er the dimensionless ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces in flowing
fluids. $t ma be viewed as a ratio of the shear stress due to turbulence to the shear stress
due to viscosit. 9low with a Eenolds number less than (111-'111 is laminar flow7 that
with a Eenolds number greater than (111-'111 is turbulent flow.
"otary drilling 8 the method of drilling oil and gas wells in which the entire drill string is
rotated from the surface to turn the drill bit, and cuttings are removed from the hole b a
circulating fluid.
"otary steera'le system F a drilling sstem that can perform directional drilling
operations without interrupting drill string rotation. Eotar steerable sstems include
downhole guidance sstems that continuall ad+ust the drill bit>s course. The offer
significant advantages over steerable motor sstems. !)ee 6utoTrak
G
"
"un in to go into the hole with tubing, drill pipe, tools, or other devices.
%addle for pipe, a fitting made in parts to clamp on to a pipe to stop a leak or provide an
outlet.
%afety 4al)es - are fail-safe shut-off devices located at the surface and*or subsurface
which shut-off the produced flow in the event of a catastrophic event, such as fire, collision,
or sabotage.
%aturation the fraction of the effective porosit of the formation that contains a particular
phase7 more specificall, oil saturation, water saturation, or gas saturation.
%eismic ac2uisition (9-D: ;-D: <-D) seismic data are used to map
subsurface formations. 6 (-D surve reveals a cross section of the
subsurface. $n a ;-D surve, seismic data are collected in the inline and
crossline directions to create a three-dimensional image of the
subsurface. $n a '-D or time-lapse ;-D surve, ;-D surves are repeated over time to track
fluid movement in the reservoir.
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%emi-su'mersi'le rig - a mobile offshore drilling unit that floats on the water>s surface
above the subsea wellhead and is anchored in place. The semi-submersible rig gets its
name from pontoons at its base which are empt while being towed to the drilling location
and are partiall filled with water to stead the rig over the well.
%haped charge a small container of high e&plosive that is loaded into a perforating gun.
The charge releases a small, high-velocit stream !+et" of particles that penetrate the
casing, cement, and formation.
%hot hole a relativel small hole drilled into the earth to hold a high-e&plosive charge
that creates vibrations in the earth>s crust for seismic recording.
%liding slee)e a flow-control device that can be opened or closed to allow or prevent
production to flow into the well.
%nell=s law an e&pression to determine the change of direction of a wave crossing the
boundar between two isotropic media.
%onde a well logging tool.
%onic log a well log of the travel time for acoustic waves per unit of distance.
%ono'uoy a free-floating sea buo containing radio equipment to rela data received b
one or more detectors to recording equipment tpicall aboard the source vessel.
%tac a composite record made b combining traces from different seismic records.
.ommonl, to combine data from several detectors in a limited area.
%tatics corrections applied to seismic data to determine the reflection arrival times which
would have been observed, were no weathering or low-velocit material present.
%teera'le motor - a downhole motor used for directional
drilling which can turn the drill bit independentl of drill string
rotation. 5laced +ust above the bit, a steerable motor has a
bend in its housing that can be oriented to steer the well>s
course. During 3rotar3 mode the entire drill string is rotated from the surface, negating the
effect of this bend and causing the bit to drill a straight course. During 3sliding3 mode, drill
string rotation is stopped and the bit drills in the direction that it is oriented, graduall
turning the well.
%toneley wa)e a tpe of seismic wave propagated along an interface. 6 surface wave in
a borehole.
%traddle the placement of completion equipment across a multilateral +unction to achieve
hdraulic integrit !level H", or means to isolate the internals of the +unction!s" from fluid
flow and*or pressure from the reservoir.
%treamer a marine cable containing regularl spaced hdrophones. During a marine
seismic surve, several of these streamers are towed behind the surve vessel.
%urfacant a soluble compound that concentrates on the surface boundar between two
substances, such as oil and water, and reduces the surface tension between the substances.
)urfacants permit mi&ing of substances that ordinaril remain separate.
%wage tool a device that passes through a 92E-ation Iunction>s preformed leg,
reforming the leg into a full, round shape.
%-wa)e shear wave or transverse wave. )ometimes called converted waves because the
particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of propagation. )hear waves are generated
b the incidences of 5-waves on surfaces at other than normal incidence.
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Tension-leg platform an offshore drilling platform attached to the seafloor with
tensioned steel tubes. The buoanc of the platform applies tension to the tubes.
Thru tu'ing - operations performed from inside the production tubing of an e&isting well.
Trace a record of one seismic channel.
Transition zone the region between land and deep water consisting tpicall of surf,
swamps, and baous.
Tricone
!
Drill &it a rotar drill bit emploing three cones
and either hardened steel teeth or tungsten carbide inserts
!T.$". This bit works b grinding awa at formation rock as it
is turned.
Trip ,oist !remove" the drill stem from the wellbore to
perform one or more operations, such as changing bits,
running a logging tool, or taking a core sample, and then return the drill stem to the
wellbore.
True )ertical depth (T4D) the vertical distance from a measured depth datum !usuall
the drilling rig floor" to a point in the well.
*ltra Deepwater - 0enerall defined as operations in water depths of H111 ft. or greater.
5ater cut the percent of the total liquid production of the well represented b the water
phase.
5ater (anagement - 4aker ,ughes provides a broad range of solutions to help upstream
and downstream customers manage water associated with hdrocarbon production,
processing and transportation. We offer drilling, completion, monitoring and workover
technologies to manage water production from the reservoir, identif problems as the
occur, and take action to limit water production. We also offer chemical solutions to address
water-related problems in flow lines, pipelines and during refiner processing.
5eight on 'it !5O&) the amount of downward force placed on a bit b the weight of the
drill stem.
5ell log a record of one or more subsurface formation measurements as a function of
depth in a borehole.
5hipstoc a long steel tool that uses an inclined plane to cause the bit to deflect from
the original borehole at a slight angle.
5ireline a slender rod-like or threadlike small-diameter piece of metal used to lower
tools, such as logging tools, perforating guns, valves, and fishing tools into a well. -a
include electrical conductors to power and control instruments and to conve data to the
surface.
5oro)er maintenance procedures performed on a previousl completed well to
stimulate or restore production or increase the life of the well.
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-2D 9ile !/.'H mb"