Glossary

acidise injecting acid solution down a well to dissolve carbonate rocks in

a reservoir, or improve the flow of hydrocarbons to the well.
acoustic log a measurement of the velocities of sound waves imparted to
a formation in a well and used mainly for determination of rock porosity.
anomaly a divergence from the background levels of physical or chemical
properties of an area under survey.
anticline an upfold in rock strata producing an arch or dome structure.
One of the most common hydrocarbon traps.
API American Petroleum Institute. API gravity is a standard method of
measuring density of crude oils and is expressed in degrees.
appraisal well a well or wells drilled to follow up a discovery and
evaluate its commercial potential.
assay a mini distillation process carried out in a laboratory to determine
the exact composition and the physical properties of crude oil.
associated gas natural gas found as part of or in conjunction with other
constituents of crude oil, as opposed to gas found on its own.
AVO amplitude variation with offset. This is a variation in seismic
reflection amplitude with a change in the distance between the energy
source and the geophone/hydrophone. It indicates differences in lithology
and fluid content in rocks above and below the reflecting layer.
ballast extra weight taken on to increase a ships stability to prevent
rolling and pitching. Most ships use seawater as ballast. Empty tank space
is filled with inert (non-combustible) gas to prevent the possibility of fire
or explosion.
barite a sulphate of barium used to add weight to drilling fluids.

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barrel (bbl) measure of crude oil equal to 42 USA gallons, 35 Imperial

gallons or 159 litres. Takes its name because the first oil produced in the
USA was stored and transported in wooden barrels.
basin a dip in the earths crust usually filled or being filled with sediment.
It is a basic concept in petroleum geology.
bathymetry relates to the measurement of water depths, usually referring
to the ocean.
bentonite a type of clay often added to drilling fluid because of its
swelling properties when added to water.
bit the cutting part of the drilling equipment.
blowout when downhole pressure overcomes the weight of drilling fluid
and rises in a well to the surface out of control. An underground blowout
is where the overpressuring enters another formation higher in the well,
but before it reaches the surface.
blowout preventer a system of valves and rams set in a well which can
be closed successively to counteract the uncontrolled rise of oil or gas from
a reservoir below.
boe barrels of oil equivalent. A figure used when expressing the combined
volume of oil and gas reserves.
bright spot a point on a seismic profile which shows up brighter than
surrounding traces because of an increase in amplitude of seismic waves
passing from hydrocarbons to water within the pores of a rock.
calliper log a measurement of the diameter of a well.
cap rock an impermeable layer of rock that traps or halts the upward
movement of oil and gas, forming the top or cap of a reservoir.
casing steel pipe screwed together to line the inside of a well bore and
cemented into place.
casing shoe a heavy section steel tube fitted to the lower end of a casing string
to protect the end of the string from damage when running into a well.

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cat cracking a secondary refining process which uses heat and the presence
of a catalyst to crack apart the molecules of the various components of
crude oil obtained from the primary distillation process to form refined
petroleum products.
cement bond log a measurement of the strength and bonding of cement
to the casing in a well.
choke a valve or valves used to control the flow of hydrocarbons from a
well by changing the diameter of the orifice.
Christmas tree the system of valves and controls placed at the wellhead.
CIF cost including freight, where the seller of a cargo of petroleum or
petroleum product provides the transport to its destination.
city gate the point at which high pressure pipelines deliver natural gas to
low pressure pipelines for distribution to individual users.
closure a term used to indicate that a trap exists in the subsurface and
there are no avenues for hydrocarbons (if present) to escape.
completion the final preparations to ready a well for production.
concession an arrangement whereby an oil company is given exclusive
permission by a government to explore a large portion of a country over
a long period of time in return for an agreed percentage of any oil or gas
production that results.
condensate hydrocarbons which are gaseous in a reservoir, but which
condense to form a liquid as they rise to the surface where the pressure is
much less.
conductor the first casing string in a well.
coning this occurs when an oil well is produced at excessive rates.
The reduction in reservoir pressure may draw up water underlying the oil
and gas can be drawn down from an overlying gas cap.
coring an operation whereby a sample of rock being drilled is allowed
to pass through the centre of a special bit and be collected in a core barrel
mounted directly behind it.

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crown block an assembly of sheaves at the top of the drilling derrick of

a rig over which the hoist lines are passed.
cuttings the broken pieces of rock formed by the bit during drilling.
These are flushed up the well and examined by the well site geologist to
determine the type of formations being drilled.
darcy the unit of measurement of permeability of rock.
delineation well see appraisal well.
development well a well drilled specifically into a previously discovered
field for the purpose of producing oil or gas.
deviated well a well whose path has been deliberately diverted from
the vertical.
diamond bit a drill bit with impregnated diamonds as the cutting edge.
dipmeter an instrument lowered down the well to measure the dip of the
drilled formations relative to the well.
directional well see deviated well.
distillation the refining process of separating crude oil components by
heating and subsequently condensing of the fractions by cooling. The basic
principle in refining is that of heating crude oil until various vapours or
gases boil off, and then condensing them to form a condensate or distillate.
The first to boil are the very light, dry gases; then highly volatile natural
gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, light lube oil stock, and so on until heavy resin
is left. This resin is broken up by other, more sophisticated processing.
distribution cost usually refers to the cost of transporting gas to the
consumer through low pressure pipelines and includes a fee for the
pipeline owner.
distribution system usually refers to the network of low pressure gas
pipelines delivering gas to individual consumers.
downstream refers to all petroleum operations occurring after delivery
of crude oil or gas to refinery or fractionation plant.

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downtime the time an operation is postponed, usually due to bad

weather or mechanical failure.
draw-works the hoisting winch for handling drill pipe and casing on a rig.
drill collar the top of a well, usually a cemented section from which the
conductor pipe is hung.
drill pipe steel pipe screwed together and used to carry and rotate the
drilling tools in a well and to permit the circulation of drilling fluid.
drill stem test a valved test tool is lowered down a well on the end of the
drill string to a specific reservoir formation and the valve opened to admit
formation fluids.
drill string the column of drill pipe lengths screwed together.
drilling fluid see drilling mud.
drilling line the wire cable on a rotary rig, one end of which is wound
around the drum of the draw-works and the other passes through the
crown and travelling block sheaves to a fixed point on the derrick frame.
As the wire round the drum is wound in or paid out, it is the means of
raising and lowering the travelling block.
drilling mud (drilling fluid) is the suspension of minerals and chemicals
in oil or water which forms the well circulatory system.
drillship a ship-shaped marine exploration drilling vessel usually with
its own means of locomotion.
dry gas natural gas (methane and ethane) with no significant content of
heavier hydrocarbons.
dry tree a subsea wellhead where the equipment is enclosed in a watertight chamber.
dynamic positioning a method of keeping an offshore drilling rig on
location without anchors using computer-controlled propellers around the
vessels hull.

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electric logs measurement of rock properties (e.g. resistivity, radioactivity)

down a well which leads to determination of the rock types.
ethane a component of natural gas and the basic feedstock for
petrochemical industries.
extended reach well a well in which the horizontal distance from the
wellhead to the target location is much greater than the vertical depth to
the reservoir horizon.
farminee a company which earns an interest in an oil and gas permit
from the company holding the lease. This may be done through a direct
cash payment, a share trade or, more usually, by agreeing to pay all or
some of the costs of a seismic survey, a drilling program or a development
project on that permit.
farminor a company holding the exploration or production rights in
a permit which agrees to bring in another company to help defray the
costs of its work program in return for allowing the newcomer to take a
percentage interest in the permit.
farm-in/out an arrangement between one or more parties and the
company or group holding a lease title to an exploration or production
area whereby the former pays to earn an interest in the permit. Payment
may be in cash or in the form of a work program.
fault a break or fracture in the earths sub-strata where one side of the
break moves relative to the other.
FEED front end engineering and design. This process provides definitive
costs and technical data on a proposed project to enable a decision on final
commitment to construction.
fishing to retrieve equipment which has fallen into or is caught in the well.
flaring the practice of burning off waste gas or oil as a safety measure in
a refinery or during a test of an exploration well. It is rarely done during
production as associated gas is used or returned to the reservoir.
flat spot a flat trace on the seismic profile indicative of a fluid interface
in the subsurface.

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FOB free on board, where a buyer of a cargo of petroleum or petroleum

product arranges the shipping from the sellers port.
formation interval test see wireline test.
FPSO a floating production storage and offtake (offloading) vessel
fraccing a process used to improve the permeability of a tight reservoir.
A specially blended fluid, charged with proppants like sand or aluminium
pellets, is pumped down a well at high pressure to force passageways into
the rock. The proppants keep them open once the pressure is released.
gas cap the natural accumulation of associated gas in the top of an oil
reservoir.
gas oil a medium distilled oil from the refining process that is intermediate
between light lubricating oils and kerosene. Used to produce diesel fuel
and in heating and air conditioning systems.
gas/oil ratio (GOR) the ratio of gas to oil by volume, measured during
a production test.
gazettal the advertisement of permits by the government calling for
applications for exploration licences.
geophones microphones used in seismic surveys to electronically pick
up returning shock waves and pass them on to the recording equipment.
geo-steering a modern drilling technique in which a hydraulic motor
turns the drilling bit independently of the drill string. A bend in the motor
housing enables the trajectory of the well to be changed as the full weight
of the drill string bears down on the bit.
gross pay the total thickness of a reservoir rock, including the impervious
layers which do not contain hydrocarbons.
guyed tower a type of offshore production platform surrounded by a
series of cables anchored in the sea bed to hold it in place, much like the
guy ropes of a tent.

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heavy crude crude oil with high viscosity and high specific gravity.
The API classifies heavy oil as crudes with a gravity below 22.3 API.
hedging forward selling of petroleum shipments at a price believed to be
competitive when the physical cargo is available.
heli-rig a land rig capable of being broken down into loads small enough
to be carried by a helicopter. Usually used in inaccessible terrain to replace
land transport.
horizontal drilling a technique for deviating wells through up to
90 degrees from the vertical, usually to produce thin reservoirs by exposing
more of the oil zone to the well perforations.
hydrocarbon kitchen the part of a sedimentary basin containing mature
petroleum source rocks. A general term for conditions deep in the subsurface
rich in organic sediments which, with the necessary burial history (heat
and pressure) generate significant amounts of hydrocarbons.
hydrophones the marine equivalent of geophones.
infill drilling production wells drilled between existing wells to increase
hydrocarbon recovery. Often the wells are drilled to reach oil or gas
stranded by the rising water drive in a reservoir and unable to flow to the
original wells.
injection well a well through which water or gas is injected to maintain
reservoir pressure.
in situ (in place) refers to total oil or gas reserves contained in a reservoir
in the ground as opposed to those reserves which may be recovered.
isogals contour lines drawn through points of equal gravity values and
referring to the gal which is the unit of gravity measurement.
jacket the leg section of an offshore production platform, so called because
it surrounds and protects the well conductors as well as supporting the
deck and its equipment.
jack-up a type of mobile drilling rig which jacks its legs down to the sea
bed and then hoists its deck and drill floor above the sea surface.

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jet bit a drilling bit with nozzles through which fluids like air, mud or water
are forced under pressure, thus breaking up the formation to be penetrated.
J-lay an offshore pipe laying technique in which the pipeline is lowered
vertically to the sea bed from the lay barge and then allowed to bend in a
J-curve shape as the vessel moves forward adding new sections of pipe.
joint venture a group of companies or individuals who share the cost
and rewards of exploring for and producing oil or gas from a permit.
kelly hexagonal or square pipe about 15 metres long attached to the top
of the drill string and turned by the rotary table. It is used to transmit the
twisting movement from the rotary machinery to the drill string and thus
the bit.
kelly bushing a piece of equipment which fits around the kelly at the
point where it passes through the rotary table. It is often used as a datum
from which to measure the depth of a well.
kerogen the organic matter which is the base for the formation of oil or
gas.
kick a sudden influx of high pressure into a well, usually experienced
while drilling.
kill the process of increasing drilling fluid weight to control a potential
blowout.
landmen generally only applicable in the USA where the rights to
subsurface minerals are often owned by private individuals. These
individuals are entitled to ask for a royalty on any oil or gas production
from their portion of the subsurface. These subsurface rights began by
being attached to the surface landholding of the original landholder.
However, they can be bequeathed or sold and onsold separately to the
surface rights, such that after a period of time it is difficult for an oil
explorer to trace who actually owns the rights in question and who to
deal with when negotiating royalties. Landmen are employed by the oil
explorers specifically to unravel the paper trail and find the royalty holders
in the lease they want to drill.

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lay barge a specially designed vessel used to lay a pipeline along the
sea bed.
lease a specific area of land or sea bed marked out by a government
and usually put up for tender. The successful bidder is given exclusive
right to explore for oil and gas for a specified length of time provided it
upholds the work program mentioned in the winning bid and obeys the
set conditions of the leasehold agreement.
light crude generally refers to crude oil with an API gravity of 30 degrees
or more.
liner steel tube of small diameter extending into a producing reservoir
from the bottom of the last string of casing in a well.
lithology a study of the rock types in a given region, including
descriptions of mineral content.
LNG liquefied natural gas.
LNG train the liquefaction of natural gas to form LNG is carried out in
a refrigeration unit that has four main elements in the cooling cycle a
compressor, a condenser, a pressure-expansion valve and an evaporator.
A single liquefaction unit is called a train. An LNG plant may comprise
just one train. Larger plants comprise a number of trains arranged side by
side each doing exactly that same liquefaction task.
logging tools devices lowered down a well to measure various parameters
and properties of the formations being drilled (electric loop).
LPG liquefied petroleum gas, usually refers to propane and butane.
marine riser the conductor pipe for offshore wells. It extends from the
drill floor to the sea bed.
marker crude a commonly traded crude oil in a particular region that is
used as a quality standard to price other crudes.
mercaptans compounds of carbon, hydrogen and sulphur found in sour
crude and natural gas which have a strong, repulsive odour. They are
re-introduced in small amounts as a safety measure so that the presence of
sales (retail) gas can be detected by smell.

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migration the movement of oil/gas from a petroleum source rock into

and then within a reservoir rock.
monkey board the small platform high in the derrick of a rig occupied by
the derrickman when guiding stands of drill pipe and casing to and from
storage racks during drilling operations.
moonpool the open hole in the centre of the hull of a drillship through
which drilling takes place.
mud logging this includes routine geological examination of drill cuttings
from a well, plus a record of the variations in drilling rate, mud pumping
pressure, depths of formation changes and an analysis of the mud for oil
and gas traces.
naphtha a collective name given to a range of distillates covering the
heavier end of the gaseous fuel and the light end of the kerosene range.
net pay the aggregate thickness of only those parts of the reservoir which
contain and produce hydrocarbons.
nuclear logs a measurement of gamma rays and thermal neutrons from
downhole formations which can be used to determine rock porosity and
lithology.
on stream in production.
open hole refers to a well which has no casing or which is cased only to
the top of the reservoir section.
operator the company which organises the exploration and production
programs in a permit on behalf of all the interest holders in the permit.
override interest this occurs when a company holding the permit sells all
its working interest to an incoming party in return for an agreed percentage
of the proceeds from any commercial discovery.
P1 reserves see proved reserves.
P2 reserves see probable reserves.
P3 reserves see possible reserves.

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packer a device (often rubber) which seals off a section of the well during
testing.
paper crude crude oil which is sold on the futures market, but which will
not be physically produced for several months or longer.
pay zone a formation within a reservoir containing producible
hydrocarbons.
percussion drilling a system whereby the drill bit penetrates rock with a
hammer action. The drill can either be dropped using its own weight and
gravity or it can be pressure driven into a rock face.
perforations holes punched through the casing of a well at the pay zone
to allow oil and gas to enter the well.
permeability the degree to which fluids can move through a rock.
permit an area of specified size within a sedimentary basin which is
licensed or allocated to a company or companies by the government for the
purpose of exploring for and producing oil and gas. In Australia separate
licences are issued for exploration and production.
petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) a form of profit-based tax which
applies after a producing oil/gas project has reached a set rate of return.
The tax itself is levied at specified percentage. Usually exploration and
development costs can be deducted from cash flow so they are recouped
before tax trigger or threshold is reached.
pig a mechanical device sent through a pipeline to scour the inside walls
or to run internal checks on the integrity of the line.
plug a seal deliberately placed in a well to prevent escape of high pressure
material from the substance after it has been abandoned. Usually plugs are
of cement.
plugged and abandoned where all the reservoir and high pressure zones
in a well are sealed off with cement so that no fluids can escape after the
drilling rig leaves the location.

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porosity a measure of the pore space within a rock and expressed as a

percentage of volume.
possible reserves those unproved reserves which analysis of geological
and engineering data suggests are less likely to be recoverable than
probable reserves. In this context, when probabilistic methods are used,
there should be at least a 10 per cent probability that the quantities actually
recovered will equal or exceed the sum of estimated proved plus probable
plus possible reserves. [Society of Petroleum Engineers, www.spe.org]
probable reserves are those unproved reserves which analysis of
geological and engineering data suggests are more likely than not to be
recoverable. In this context, when probabilistic methods are used, there
should be at least a 50 per cent probability that the quantities actually
recovered will equal or exceed the sum of estimated proved plus probable
reserves. [Society of Petroleum Engineers, www.spe.org]
production platform a fixed facility on an offshore field from which
development wells are drilled. It carries all the associated processing plant
and other equipment needed to keep the wells flowing and treat the oil
and gas once it reaches the onboard wellheads, as well as accommodation.
See also jacket.
production sharing contract see PSC.
production test a test conducted in a well to assess its production
potential by measuring pressures and fluid volumes produced through
various choke sizes at specified time intervals.
production well see development well.
proppant (propping agent) a granular substance such as sand grains,
aluminium pellets, glass balls and in the early days even walnut shells,
that are carried in suspension in a fluid that is injected into a formation at
high pressure during a well fraccing program to improve the permeability
of a reservoir. The proppant keeps the newly made fractures open when
the fluid is withdrawn.

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proved reserves are those quantities of petroleum which, by analysis of

geological and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty
to be commercially recoverable, from a given date forward, from known
reservoirs and under current economic conditions, operating methods,
and government regulations. If deterministic methods are used, the term
reasonable certainty is intended to express a high degree of confidence
that the quantities will be recovered. If probabilistic methods are used,
there should be at least a 90 per cent probability that the quantities
actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate. [Society of Petroleum
Engineers, www.spe.org]
PSC production sharing contract, where an oil company is contracted
to explore for and produce oil and gas under pre-set arrangements to
share the proceeds with the host government or its national petroleum
company.
recovery factor the amount of oil or gas that can be recovered from a
reservoir is considerably less than the total volume of hydrocarbons
actually in place. Recovery factor is expressed as a percentage of the total
reserves believed to be in place.
refinery an installation that manufactures finished petroleum
products from crude oil, unfinished oils, natural gas liquids and other
hydrocarbons.
reservoir a rock or formation which holds hydrocarbons within the pore
spaces between individual grains.
retention lease a permit enabling a company to keep ownership of a
hydrocarbon discovery that is not commercial at the time of discovery, but
that may be in the future if parameters change, such as a higher oil price
or the discovery of significant new fields nearby.
rolling cutter bit a bit with hardened steel or tungsten carbide teeth of
varying lengths and spacings mounted on three roller cones.
rotary drilling a system whereby a bit is forced against a rock face and
mechanically rotated to penetrate the various formations.

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rotary swivel the part of a rotary drilling rig which connects the travelling
block to the drill string.
rotary table a flat plate in the drill floor which is turned mechanically
at varying speeds and directions imparting the rotary action to the drill
string which passes through its centre.
roughneck a rig worker who handles the drill pipe and other equipment
on the drill floor.
round trip the complete operation of pulling out the drill string from a
well (for instance to change a bit) and then running it back into the well.
roustabout a general labourer on a rig.
safety case where government sets broad safety goals to be attained
at industrial facilities and the companies concerned develop the most
appropriate methods for achieving those goals. The basic tenet is that the
ongoing management of safety is the responsibility of the operator and
not the regulator.
sales gas natural gas that is sold into the distributor/retail market after
being treated to remove impurities.
sand lenses porous sandstone reservoirs that are completely surrounded
by fine-grained impervious rocks. The lenses are often buried river beds
or deltas.
sedimentary cycle the period encompassing an encroachment of the sea
over the land and then a subsequent withdrawal of the sea.
seep a point where migrating oil or gas, not already trapped, reaches the
earths surface.
seismic survey a method of determining the subsurface features by
sending sound waves into the various buried rock layers in the earth and
measuring the time they take to return to the surface.

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semi-submersible an offshore drilling vessel which has its deck

supported by columns fixed to pontoons which can be ballasted below the
wave action and provide a stable drilling base.
shale shaker equipment near the rig floor which separates the drill
cuttings from the drilling mud.
side wall coring is the extraction of a small core of rock from the side
of a drill hole. It is obtained by lowering a percussion gun to the required
depth and firing a small core tube into the well wall. The core in the tube
is then pulled back to the surface.
sidetracking when a well is deliberately deviated around an obstruction
or branched off part way down a completed well to reach another part of
the reservoir.
slim hole drilling drilling a hole where 90 per cent of its length has a
diameter of seven inches (180 millimetres) or less. The smaller hole and
casing sizes result in reduced costs and are sometimes used in the initial
phase of an exploration drilling program.
slug catcher a device which uses a very long length of pipe to create
a pressure drop in an incoming natural gas pipeline sufficient to allow
slugs of associated heavier hydrocarbons like condensate to drop out and
be separated from the gas flow.
sour crude crude oil that contains appreciable amounts of sulphur
compounds.
spot market the sale of individual shipments of crude oil priced at the
international market rate at the time of sale.
spud date the date when drilling of a well begins.
spud in to begin drilling. To start a well.
stinger a ramp or boom mounted on the stern of a lay barge used to
gradually lower the pipe onto the sea bed.

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stratigraphy a description of the rock formations in sequence from top to

bottom in a sedimentary basin.
streamer the string of cable with hydrophones attached which is towed
behind a vessel during an offshore seismic survey.
structure in oil industry terms it refers to a feature within the earths
crust with the potential to trap migrating hydrocarbons.
submersible a form of floating drill rig which can be ballasted down to
sit on the sea floor or lake floor during marine drilling mode. The term can
also refer to a remote-controlled or a manned submarine used in inspection
and maintenance offshore.
subsea completion a production wellhead which is placed on the sea bed
instead of on a platform at the surface.
suspended a well is suspended when it is likely to be re-entered at a later
date, either to continue drilling or to run a test of a reservoir that was not
possible or convenient during the original drilling. The well is suspended
by setting cement plugs that can be drilled out when re-entry takes place.
sweet crude crude oil that is free of sulphur compounds.
tension leg platform a type of floating offshore production facility that
is tethered to the sea bed with steel cables and uses its buoyancy to keep
the cables tight (in tension).
term contracts when shipments of a particular crude oil or condensate are
contracted and sold to one buyer or group of buyers for a specific period
of time (often 510 years) at a negotiated price which is set at a differential
to the floating price of a bench mark crude.
thin stringers a term referring to oil and gas reservoirs that measure a
few metres or less in thickness.
three dimensional seismic survey (3D) a survey with seismic lines set
out in close grid pattern to gain better resolution of detail in an area.

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tight a term indicating that a formation has little permeability.

time map a plan of mapped horizons from the seismic sections where the
contours connecting equal values in times of waves reaching the geophones
are plotted on the grid map for the survey. To convert this to a geological
map, velocity measurements are used to change time to depth values.
toolpusher the chief driller in charge of operations on the rig floor.
top drive a drilling system where a motor is attached to the top of the
drill string in the rig derrick to impart a rotary action directly, rather than
use a kelly and rotary table.
trap a formation in the earths subsurface which prevents the onward
migration of hydrocarbons.
travelling block a large pulley with sheaves at the top end that allow
the drilling line to pass through and a hook at the bottom end which is
attached to the drill pipe. Raising or lowering the drilling line will move
the travelling block and the attached drill pipe up or down within the
derrick.
tri-cone bit see rolling cutter bit.
tubing see liner.
turbo drill a drill bit which is rotated via a multi-stage turbine mounted
at the bottom of the drill pipe. Power to rotate is supplied by the drilling
fluid being pumped down hole from the surface.
underbalanced drilling where the weight of the drilling mud in the
well is less than the formation pressure of the rock layers penetrated. This
allows formation fluids to rise up the well to the surface where the flow is
continuously monitored to detect hydrocarbons.
unitisation agreement where owners of petroleum reserves pool their
individual interests in return for an interest in the overall unit which is
then operated by a single company on behalf of the group.

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up-dip a term referring to any point in a reservoir that is higher up in

the structure or trap.
vibroseis a form of survey where the seismic waves are created by
mechanically vibrating a steel pad or plate on the earths surface.
wet gas natural gas that contains significant amounts of associated
liquid hydrocarbons such as condensate, propane and butane. In terms of
quantity, gas is sometimes declared wet when 10 or more barrels of liquid
hydrocarbons can be separated from 1 million cubic feet of gas.
wet tree a subsea wellhead where the equipment is exposed to the sea.
whipstock a wedge-shaped piece of equipment placed in the bottom of
a well which forces the bit and the drill pipe to deviate from their original
direction when drilling is resumed.
wildcat the first well drilled in a new area. It can also mean the first well
in a new structure or prospect.
wireline logging an operation to obtain information about the rock
formations in the well by lowering a suite of logging tools down the hole
on a cable called a wireline.
wireline test a test for hydrocarbons in a formation by lowering a
chamber downhole on the end of a wire and allowing reservoir fluids to
flow into it.
working interest where a company pays a percentage of a survey,
drilling or development program and receives a proportional part of the
resultant benefits.
workover the re-entry into a completed well for modification or repair
and maintenance work.

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