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nate the mud. The driller cannot recirculate this gas-cut mud back into the hole
because the gas makes the mud lighter, or less dense. If the mud gets too light, the
well can kick –formation fluids under pressure can enter the hole. If not handled
properly, a kick can lead to a blowout. (The Spindletop well was a blowout. Oil
gushed out of the well at an uncontrolled rate and did so until Lucas and his workers
could cap it – that is, put a heavy-duty valve on top of the well and close it.)
To add noncorrosive and non caustic powdered components to the drilling
mud, the derrickman often uses a mud hopper. The derrickman opens the sack of
material, places it at the top of the hopper’s large funnel, and gradually adds the
powder to the funnel. At the bottom of the hopper, a high-speed stream of mud picks
up the powdered material, thoroughly mixes it, and puts it into the mud tanks. Mud
components that are needed in large quantities, such as clay or weighting materials,
are usually stored in large tanks called “P-tanks”. As for caustic components, the
derrickman usually adds them directly to the mud tanks through a special chemical
barrel.
With knowledge of the power system, hoisting equipment, rotating
components, and circulating equipment, the next step is to learn how crew
members use these components to make hole. So, let’s look next at normal
drilling operations.

4 Find synonyms in the text for the following words.

movable intake
propellant strain
reel up rotate
control mechanism raiser
exclude strained
mechanical equipment

5 Find antonyms in the text for the following words.
To shut down associate
extinguish joint
release decouple
reassemble elevate
reel out open

6 Say whether the following statements are true or false.

1 Like a regular swivel, a kelly hangs from the rig’s large hook and it has a

passageway for drilling mud to get into the drill pipe.
2 Rigs often use downhole motors to drill directional holes.
3 In special situations, the rig may use a drilling motor torotate the bit.
4 The main function of a rotary rig is to work well.

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