Letra D

A device that removes air or gases (methane, H2S,

CO2 and others) from drilling liquids.

degasser

The structure used to support the crown blocks and

the drillstring of a drilling rig.

derrick

The relatively small work area in which the rig crew

conducts operations, usually adding or removing
drillpipe to or from the drillstring.
One of the rig crew members who gets his name
from the fact that he works on a platform attached
to the derrick or mast, typically 85 ft [26 m] above
the rig floor, during trips.
A hydrocyclone device that removes large drill
solids from the whole mud system. The desander
should be located downstream of the shale shakers
and degassers, but before the desilters or mud
cleaners.
A hydrocyclone much like a desander except that its
design incorporates a greater number of smaller
cones. As with the desander, its purpose is to
remove unwanted solids from the mud system.

derrick floor

derrickman

desander

desilter

The intentional deviation of a wellbore from the

path it would naturally take.

deviated drilling,
directional drilling

A wellbore that is not vertical. The term usually

indicates a wellbore intentionally drilled away from
vertical.

deviated hole

A completed measurement of the inclination and

azimuth of a location in a well (typically the total
depth at the time of measurement).

deviation survey,
directional survey

A tool for drilling rock that works by scraping

industrial grade diamonds against the bottom of the
hole.
diamond bit
The steel-sided room adjacent to the rig floor,
usually having an access door close to the driller's
controls.

dog house

A particularly crooked place in a wellbore where the

trajectory of the wellbore in three-dimensional
space changes rapidly.

dog leg

A drilling tool that uses polycrystalline diamond

compact (PDC) cutters to shear rock with a
continuous scraping motion.

drag bit

The machine on the rig consisting of a largediameter steel spool, brakes, a power source and
assorted auxiliary devices.

drawworks

The tool used to crush or cut rock. Everything on a

drilling rig directly or indirectly assists the bit in
crushing or cutting the rock.

drill bit

A component of a drillstring that provides weight on

bit for drilling.
drill collar
Tubular steel conduit fitted with special threaded
ends called tool joints.

drill pipe

A maritime vessel modified to include a drilling rig

and special station-keeping equipment.

drill ship

The combination of the drillpipe, the bottomhole

assembly and any other tools used to make the drill
bit turn at the bottom of the wellbore.
The supervisor of the rig crew. The driller is
responsible for the efficient operation of the rigsite
as well as the safety of the crew and typically has
many years of rigsite experience.

drill string

driller

Personnel who operate the drilling rig.

drilling crew
The speed at which the drill bit can break the rock
under it and thus deepen the wellbore. This speed is
usually reported in units of feet per hour or meters
per hour.
drilling rate
A wellbore that has not encountered hydrocarbons
in economically producible quantities.

dry hole

Slang term for dry hole

duster

Letra I

Inside or inner diameter. Casing, tubing and drillpipe

are commonly described in terms of inside diameter
and outside diameter (OD).
ID, inside diameter
A valve in the drillstring that may be used to
prevent the well from flowing uncontrollably up the
drillstring.
A length of pipe used below the surface casing
string, but before the production casing is run, to
isolate one or more zones of the openhole to enable
deepening of the well.
The deviation from vertical, irrespective of compass
direction, expressed in degrees. Inclination is
measured initially with a pendulum mechanism, and
confirmed with MWD accelerometers or gyroscopes.

inside blowout
preventer
intermediate casing
string

inclination

Letra J

A self-contained combination drilling rig and floating

barge, fitted with long support legs that can be
raised or lowered independently of each other.
jackup
A small-diameter tungsten carbide nozzle used in
drill bits to produce a high-velocity drilling fluid
stream exiting the bit.

jet

The exit velocity of the drilling fluid after it

accelerates through bit nozzles.

jet velocity

Anything in the wellbore that is not supposed to be

there.

junk

A self-contained combination drilling rig and floating

barge, fitted with long support legs that can be
raised or lowered independently of each other.
jackup rig
A mixing system used to mix dry powder materials
with a base liquid, such as cement slurry or drilling
muds.

jet mixer

A length of pipe, usually referring to drillpipe, casing

or tubing. While there are different standard
lengths, the most common drillpipe joint length is
around 30 ft [9 m]. For casing, the most common
length of a joint is 40 ft [12 m].
joint
A tool run into the wellbore to retrieve junk from the
bottom of the hole.
junk basket
A mechanical device used downhole to deliver an
impact load to another downhole component,
especially when that component is stuck.

jar

The part of the bit that includes a hole or opening

for drilling fluid to exit.

jet nozzle

Letra R

To place a stand of drillpipe in the derrick when

coming out of the hole on a trip.

racking back pipe

Another term for coiled tubing, a long, continuous

length of pipe wound on a spool.

reeled tubing

To make ready for use. Equipment must typically be

moved onto the rig floor, assembled and connected
to power sources or pressurized piping systems.

rig up

A tool designed to drill directionally with continuous

rotation from the surface, eliminating the need to
slide a steerable motor.

rotary steerable
system

A device that can be used to quickly seal the top of

the well in the event of a well control event (kick).

ram blowout
preventer

In onshore operations, an earthen-bermed storage

area for discarded drilling fluid.

reserve pit

To connect pipe together and lower the connected

length into the borehole in a controlled fashion.

RIH

The revolving or spinning section of the drillfloor

that provides power to turn the drillstring in a
clockwise direction (as viewed from above).
rotary table
The speed at which the drill bit can break the rock
under it and thus deepen the wellbore. This speed is
usually reported in units of feet per hour or meters
per hour.
rate of penetration
The pressure of the subsurface formation fluids,
commonly expressed as the density of fluid required
in the wellbore to balance that pore pressure.
reservoir pressure
A tool designed to crush rock efficiently while
incurring a minimal amount of wear on the cutting
surfaces.
roller cone bit
A pressure-control device used during drilling for the
purpose of making a seal around the drillstring
while the drillstring rotates. This device is intended
to contain hydrocarbons or other wellbore fluids and rotating control
prevent their release to the atmosphere.
device

letra C
A representation of the measured diameter of
a borehole along its depth
To prepare and pump cement into place in a
wellbore

caliper log

cementing

The binding material in sedimentary rocks that precipitates between

grains frompore fluids

cement

The set of valves, spools and fittings connected to

the top of a well to direct and control the flow
of formation fluids from the well.

Christmas tree

The loss of drilling fluid to a formation, usually caused when

the hydrostatic head pressure of the column of drilling fluid exceeds
theformation pressure

circulation loss

The complete, circuitous path that the drilling

fluid travels

circulation system

colloquial term for the crew member in charge of a

specialized cementing crew and trucks.

cementing engineer

Noun form of circulate

circulation

letra K
A long square or hexagonal steel bar with a hole drilled
through the middle for a fluid path

kelly

An adapter that serves to connect the rotary table to the

kelly.

kelly bushing

A flow of formation fluids into the wellbore during

drilling operations.

kick

kick off point(KOP)

Intentionally deviate a vertical well
To stop a well from flowing or having the ability to flow into
the wellbore.

kill

A high-pressure pipe leading from an outlet on the BOP

stack to the high-pressure rig pumps

kill line

A small-diameter channel worn into the side of a larger diameter

wellbore

keyseat

lost circulation

letra L

The reduced or total absence of fluid flow up the annulus when fluid is
pumped through the drillstring

Letra N
Cement that has no additives to modify its setting
time or rheological properties.
Any short piece of pipe, especially if threaded at
both ends with male threads.

neat cement

nipple

To take apart, disassemble and otherwise prepare to

move the rig or blowout preventers.
nipple down
To put together, connect parts and plumbing, or
otherwise make ready for use. This term is usually
reserved for the installation of a blowout preventer
stack.
nipple up

Letra O
Outside or outer diameter. Casing and tubing are
commonly described in terms of inside diameter
(ID) and outside diameter.

OD

The uncased portion of a well.

open hole

The company that serves as the overall manager

and decision-maker of a drilling project

operator

The amount of pressure (or force per unit area) in

the wellbore that exceeds the pressure of fluids in
the formation.

overbalance

An existing wellbore close to a proposed well that

provides information for planning the proposed well

offset well

Outside or outer diameter. Casing and tubing are

commonly described in terms of inside diameter
(ID) and outside diameter.

outside diameter

Letra P

Slang for penetration rate, or the speed that the bit

is drilling into the formation.
p rate
The speed at which the drill bit can break the rock
under it and thus deepen the wellbore. This speed is
usually reported in units of feet per hour or meters
per hour.
penetration rate

Letra B

Is the tool used to crush or cut rock.

Bit

The wellbore itself, including the openhole or

uncased portion of the well.

Borehole

Unscrew drillstring components downhole.

Backof

Intentional pumping of wellbore fluids down the

annulus and back up through the drillpipe

Back Wash

Average measure of gas entrained in circulating

mud.

Background Gas

Valve at the top of a well that may be closed if the

drilling crew loses control of formation fluids.

BOP

Pipe at the top of a casing string that serves to

guide drilling tools into the top of a well.

Bell Niple

Set of pulleys used to gain mechanical advantage

in lifting or dragging heavy objects.

Block

Container, usually made of steel to store drill bits,

especially higher cost PDC and diamond bits.

Bit Box

Process of pulling the drillstring out of the wellbore

for the purpose of changing a worn or
underperforming drill bit

Bit Trip

A flow of formation gas in the annulus between a

casing string and the borehole wall.

Annular Flow Gas

Uncontrolled flow of formation fluids from a well.

Blowout

Unscrew drillstring components

Break Out

To forcibly pump fluids into a formation

Bullhead

Referring to openhole.

Borehead

Tool used by the rig crew to prevent the drill bit

from turning while the bit sub on top of it is
tightened or loosened.

Bit Breaker

Part of the bit that includes a hole or opening for

drilling fluid to exit.

Bit Nozzle

record of how a bit performed in a particular

wellbore.

Bit Record

Anything left in a wellbore.

Fish

Mechanical devices used to aid the recovery of equipment lost

downhole.

Fishing Tool

Pipe that connects the bell nipple under the rotary table to the possum
belly at the mud tanks.

Flow line

formation
the measurement of formation properties during the evaluation while
excavation of the hole
drilling
Pressure exerted by a column of water from the formation's depth to sea
level.

Formation
Pressure

Platform in which the derrickman stores drillpipe and drill collars in an

orderly fashion during trips out of the hole.

Fingerboard

Water in the slurry that is in excess of what is required to fully hydrate

the Portland cement and other additives.

Free Water

Alteration of the far-field or virgin characteristics of a producing formation

Formation
Damage

The work shift of a drilling crew that starts in the evening or late
afternoon.

Evenning Tour

An electric motor that acts as a brake.

Electrodynamic
Break

Mechanism that may be closed around drillstring components to facilitate

lowering them into the wellbore or lifting them out of the wellbore.

Elevator

Term for coiled tubing, a long, continuous length of pipe wound on a

spool.

Endless Tubing

The process of denudation of rocks

Erosion

A steel cable attached to the rig derrick or mast near the work platform
for the derrickman.

Escape Line

The speed the drilling fluid attains when accelerated through bit nozzles.

Exit Velocity

Mechanism that may be closed aro drillstring components to facilitate

lowering them into the wellbore or lifting them out of the wellbore.

Elevator

Add a length of drillpipe to the drillstring to continue drilling.

make a
connection

To deepen a wellbore with the drill bit.

Make Hole

To connect tools or tubulars by assembling the threaded connections

incorporated at either end of every tool and tubular.

Make up

Term for coiled tubing, a long, continuous length of pipe wound on a

spool.

managed
pressure drilling

Method used to precisely control the annular pressure throughout a

wellbore.

managed
pressure drilling