Understanding the Key Systems and Equipment in a Drilling Tower

The five most important systems in drilling equipment are the power system, rotation system, hoisting or load lifting system, circulation system, and safety or blowout control system.

Drilling equipment associated with a drilling tower includes at least a mud tank, shale shakers, suction line, mud pump, and motor.

A mud tank is an open container made of square steel tubing and steel plates used to store drilling fluid, also known as mud pits.

Shale shakers separate the coarser fraction of cuttings, particles between 74 and 600 microns, using vibrating screens connected to an electric motor.

The suction line supplies drilling mud from the platform to cool and lubricate the drill bit and remove waste material.

Mud pumps are crucial for circulating drilling mud at low and high pressures, with common types being duplex and triplex pumps.

The motor is the power source for drilling operations, typically consisting of 1 to 4 diesel engines producing thousands of horsepower.

The pump hose injects mud from the feed tube to the swivel hook through the pump, dampening vibrations and injecting water in coke towers in refineries.

Malacate Awards, also known as carrete del aparejo, is a key component in drilling operations. It functions to raise and lower the drilling line using a drum where the metallic cable is wound. The block of crowns sits above the drum, allowing the drilling string to move vertically as the drum rotates.

Línea Vertical Stampa is a solid metal tube attached to the drilling rig structure on a platform. It is part of the drilling mud system, used to convey drilling fluid from mud pumps to the hose that contains pressure transducers and valves.

Manguera de Lodo, also known as kelly hose or rotter hose, is a high-pressure flexible steel-reinforced hose that connects the vertical pipe to the swivel neck. It allows free vertical movement of the drill string while facilitating the flow of drilling fluid through the system to the drilling bit.

Gancho Buzznet is a section of U-shaped rigid pipe used as a conduit for high-pressure drilling fluid. It connects the upper end of a vertical riser pipe to an injection sleeve, which is connected to another swivel neck between the flexible cable and the rotary joint.

Bloque Móvil Tribilín moves up and down between two positions on the drilling tower or mast. It supports the hook at its lower end, which holds the drill string during drilling advancement. It also supports the elevators' arms when the pipe enters and exits the well.

Cable del Aparejo Will Line is a twisted multi-strand wire cable that is wound between the traveling block and the crown block to facilitate the lowering and raising of the drill string in and out of the well.

Bloque Corona Ground Block is a fixed set of pulleys called sheaves located at the top of the drilling tower, where the drilling cable is inserted. The complementary blocks to these pulleys are the traveling blocks, creating a mechanical advantage and enabling the use of a relatively thin drilling cable to bear heavy loads.

Estructura de Ricky, mainly known as a drilling tower or derrick, is a metal structure that houses most of the drilling equipment. It is where the majority of drilling operations take place.

The Chango platform is where the tower operator stands while the drilling pipes travel. Lynn Hadas are two or three drilling pipe joints connected vertically on the drilling tower. Brack, also known as set pack, are supports connected to the drilling floor structure, providing vertical support for the drill pipes. The rotary drive connection rotates the drill string, supporting loads of hundreds of tons and withstanding hydraulic pressures exceeding 3,000 pounds per square inch. The drilling fluid circulates through the rotary drive connection at a maximum of 200 revolutions per minute.

The drill string includes the iDrive, a set of non-magnetic steel or metal tubes placed at the bottom of the drill string above the bit to provide rigidity and weight for effective drilling. The rotary table, or retegui table, is a robust machinery that rotates the drill string and bit through a transmission bushing, supporting the weight of the drill string. The rotary table is installed on the superstructure and must be level with the work floor for worker safety.

The drilling floor is the central area of any drilling platform where the drill string begins its journey into the earth. It is where pipe joints, the bottom hole assembly, the drill bit, and other tools are assembled. This area is the primary workspace for roughnecks who perform physically demanding tasks. The drilling floor is located directly below the drilling tower and consists of a casing head that serves as a funnel to guide drilling tools to the top of a well.

The blowout preventer (BOP) valve is a specialized mechanical device used to seal, control, and monitor oil and gas wells to prevent blowouts. It is typically installed in a stack of other valves and has a sealing element resembling a compressed rubber toroidal ring to close off drill pipes, casing, or production tubing to prevent uncontrolled release of oil or gas. The BOP valve is crucial for well safety and preventing environmental disasters.

Various types of valves are used in drilling operations, including blind valves such as the blind valve and the tubing valve. Blind valves, also known as healing hands, do not have openings for tubes and can seal the well when no drilling string or other tubing is present. On the other hand, tubing valves close around a drilling pipe, restricting the flow between the exterior of the drilling pipe and the wellbore without obstructing the flow inside the drilling pipe.

The drilling string consists of a column or string of pipes that transmit drilling fluid through mud pumps and provide torque to the drill bit. It plays a crucial role in the drilling process by facilitating the circulation of fluids and power to the drilling bit.

A drill bit is a tool designed to create a hole in the earth's crust using rotary drilling methods for the discovery and extraction of hydrocarbons. There are different types of drill bits available, categorized into roller cone bits and fixed cutter bits. Roller cone bits have rotating cones with protrusions that drill, scrape, and crush the rock as they rotate. On the other hand, fixed cutter bits do not have moving parts and primarily function by scraping and cutting the rock.

A flow line is a large-diameter pipeline, typically a section of the riser, that connects to the wellhead below the drilling floor and extends to the mud tanks. It acts as a return line for drilling fluid as it exits the wellbore and flows back to the mud tanks for recirculation.

A cementing head is a device attached to the top joint of a casing string to hold a cement plug before it is pumped into the casing during the cementing operation. It plays a crucial role in controlling the flow of cement and other fluids during the cementing process, ensuring proper wellbore integrity and zonal isolation.