Page 13 - 4714

which raises it above ground level. Accordingly, we have to walk up a
set of steel stairs. Keep a hand on the handrail as you walk up and
don't hurry. It could be a 40-foot (12 -metre) climb. Once on the floor,
stop for a minute to catch your breath and take a good look around the
floor. You may see the crew handling several lengths, or joints, of drill
pipe, the steel tubes that put the bit (the hole-boring device) on the
bottom of the hole. On the other hand, the rig may be drilling, or
"making hole," as they sometimes say. If it's drilling, from time to
time you may hear the distinctive and loud squawk or squeal of the
drawworks brake as it slacks off the drilling line to allow the bit to
drill ahead. The drawworks is a large, powerful hoist that, among
other things, regulates the weight the drill string puts on the bit. A
loud screech comes every time the friction brake bands ease their grip
on the steel hubs of the drawworks drum to apply weight. It's loud, but
it's music to the ears of the rig owner because it usually means the bit
is drilling ahead without problems.
Regardless of what's occurring on the rig floor, take time to
observe, for you're standing in a place that is vital to the oil and gas
industry. Certainly, many operations besides drilling are involved in
getting crude oil and natural gas out of the ground and into forms we
can use, such as gasoline and heating fuel. However, without a drilled
well – a hole in the ground – oil companies could not obtain oil and
gas, or petroleum, at all.
At this point, you may not know what the equipment is for or
what the personnel are doing, but don't be troubled. This book will
identify most of the people and tools it takes to drill, and will give you
a better appreciation of oilwell drilling. Before launching into
equipment and processes, however, let's cover a little drilling history.

4 Find synonyms in the text for the following words.

to be reasonable or comprehensible eye-catching
aim to protect

12