The Boom


How Do You Drill
An Oil Well?



Drilling for oil is a tough and risky job. It takes strong and skilled workmen. It also takes patience and time to drill an oil well. However, drilling for oil can be a very exciting adventure. If you would like to drill an oil well, get a general idea of what you will need to do below:

Obtaining Leases &
Permits
  • Ask permission to drill on a site
  • Obtain a mineral lease
  • Get a drilling permit from the government
Preparing the Site
  • Clear land
  • Take special precautions, if necessary, due to climate or terrain
  • Build roads
  • Obtain electrical power
  • Develop a water system
Setting Up the Rig
  • Constuct the derrick over the spot where the well is to be drilled
  • Install the engines that power the drilling machinery
  • Assemble the various pipes, tanks, pumps, and other drilling equipment
  • The rig is now ready to be "spudded in" or started


There are two basic types of drilling methods.
  • The first oil wells drilled in the United States used cable-tool drilling. It is still used to bore shallow holes in hard rock. Cable-tool drilling is a simple process. This technique works much as a chisel is used to cut wood or stone. Steel cable repeatedly raises and drops the bit. The sharp edges of the bit breaks the rock into smaller pieces.

  • Rotary drilling is also a simple procedure. This drilling method was made famous by the Hamill Brothers. The Lucas Gusher is the result of the Hamills using rotary drilling. The drill bores through the ground much as a carpenter's drill bores through wood. The bit is attached to the drill pipe. The drill pipe is rotated by a turntable called the rotary table located on the floor of the derrick. Rotary drilling works best in softer rock formations.


Below is a simple diagram of a rotary drill rig. Click on the numbers to learn the name and job each part has in the drilling process.






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1. Traveling Block-Steel cable runs over the crown block, a large pulley at the top of the derrick, and down to the traveling block, which hangs inside the derrick. The drill pipe attaches to the traveling block with a giant hook. The drill pipe can then be lowered or raised.

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2. Hook-The hook is a giant piece of iron that attaches the drill pipe to the traveling block.

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3. Swivel-The swivel is located at the top of the drill stem and connects to the hook and mud hose.

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4. Draw Works-The draw works is the heart of the equipment. It is a hoisting mechanism that is used to raise or lower the drill stem in and out of the hole. It operates much like a fishing rod.

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5. Bit-The bit is a piece of heavy equipment that attaches to the end of the drill pipe. It is the bit that pounds and breaks the rock into smaller pieces. There are different types of bits for different types of rock formations.

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6. Drill Pipe-The drill pipe is the lower end of the drill stem. It is the part that attaches to the bit and is lowered and raised during the drilling process. In a rotary drill, the drill pipe is turned by the rotary table. The rotation makes the bit bore into the hole.

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7. Casing-The casing is a kind of protective lining for the well hole. It is made up of heavy steel pipe. The pipe is held in place with cement.

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8. Rotary Table-The rotary table is a heavy steel turntable. It is located on the floor of the derrick. The rotary table is turned by an engine which turns the bit.

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9. Mud Pump-The mud pump circulates the drilling mud in the hole. The drilling mud cleans the bit, carries pieces of rock to the surface, and coats the sides of the hole. The mud coating helps prevent leaks and cave-ins.

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10. Kelly-The kelly is the uppermost part of the drill stem. It is a hollow steel tube about 40 feet long with four or six sides.

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11. Mud Hose-The mud hose attaches to the mud pump at one end and attached to the drill stem at the other end. The drilling mud circulates through the mud hose.

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12. Crown Block-The crown block is a pulley located at the top of the oil derrick. Steel cable is run over the crown block down to the traveling block. This system of pulleys is used to raise or lower the drill pipe in and out of the well hole.

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travelingblock hook swivel drawworks bit drillpipe casing rotarytable mudpump kelly mudhose crownblock