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casings into a well bore
2 tool pusher b the catwalk along the side of the derrick where the derrick man works
3 casing coupling c large diameter pipe that is inserted into a recently drilled section of a
borehole and typically held into place with cement
4 monkey board d department head in charge of the drilling department
5 subsea blowout e short length of pipe used to connect two joints of casing
preventer
6 roustabout f mechanically powered wrench used to make up or break out a drill
rod, casing, or pipe string
7 casing g a specialised marine vessel used in a number of specific offshore roles
such as offshore drilling rigs, safety vessels, oil production platforms,
and heavyliftcranes
8 power tongs h a mixture of clays, water, and chemicals pumped down the drill string
while an oil well is being drilled to lubricate the mechanism, carry
away rock cuttings, and maintain pressure so that oil or gas does not
escape
9 semisubmersible rig i a large, specialized valve used to seal, control and monitor oil and gas
wells
10 drilling mud j a worker who maintains all things in the oil field

Pre-reading and while-reading tasks

3 Scan the text and answer the following questions.

 Which types of operating companies do you know?
 What is the difference between daywork, footage and turnkey contracts?
 What is the main function of supply companies?
 What is the difference between the power tongs and wrenches?
 What is “tour”? How is it pronounced?
 Who is company representative?
 What are the main duties of the company representative?
 Is there any difference between company representative and area drilling superintendent?
Explain you answer.
 How many hours a day do drilling crews work?
 What is IADC?

PEOPLE AND COMPANIES
People who work for companies involved in drilling work all over the world. They drill
wells on land and ice, in swamps, and on waters as small as lakes or as large as the Pacific Ocean.
Drilling is demanding; it goes on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in all types of weather. Moreover,
drilling is complex; so complex that no single company is diverse enough to perform all the
required work. Consequently, many companies and individuals are involved. Companies include
operating companies, drilling contractors, and service and supply companies.
OPERATING COMPANIES
An operating company, or an operator, is usually an oil company, a company whose
primary business is working with oil and gas, or petroleum. An operating company may be an
independent or a major. An independent company may be one or two individuals or it may have
hundreds of employees. Major companies, such as ExxonMobil, BP Amoco, or Shell, may have
thousands of employees. Besides size, another difference between an independent and a major is
that, in general, an independent only produces and sells crude oil and natural gas. A major, on the
other hand, produces crude oil and natural gas, transports them from the field to a refinery or a
plant, refines or processes the oil and gas, and sells the products to consumers.

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