PIPELINE DICTIONARY OF TERMINOLOGY

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Accommodation Platform/Rig

An offshore platform, or semi-submersible rig, built or adapted to provide living quarters for drilling and production personnel.

Acreage

Land leased for oil and gas exploration and development; usually descriptive of more than one lease.

Additive

A term used generally to indicate special chemicals that may be added to products to improve their characteristics.

Air Drilling

A rotary drilling technique in which compressed air is used instead of fluids to circulate, or bring to the surface, bits of rock and other cuttings from the drill bit.

Air eliminator

A device designed to separate and remove gases (air or vapor) from the flowing stream.

Air Injection

An enhanced recovery technique in which air is injected into the petroleum formation to increase reservoir pressure.

Air Lift

A production technique in which an air balance beam pumping unit is used to lift oil to the surface.

Air/Gas lift

Lifting of liquids by injection, directly into the well, of air or gas.

Alkylation

A refining process for converting light, gaseous olefins into high-octane gasoline components (the reverse of cracking).

All‑Levels

One obtained by submerging a stoppered sample beaker or bottle to a point as near as possible to the draw‑off level, then opening

the sampler and raising it at a rate such‑that it is about three‑fourths full (maximum 85 per cent) as it emerges from the liquid. An all‑levels sample is not necessarily an average sample because the tank volume may not be proportional to the depth and because the operator may not be able to raise the sampler at the variable rate required for proportionate filling. The rate of filling is proportional to the square root of the depth of immersion.

Allowables

In most producing states the production of natural gas and oil is governed by regulations of a state agency. These agencies after study of the characteristics of a well, establish the amount of gas

and/or oil which can be removed from that well each day. These quantities are "allowables "

Alloy 

A composition of two or more metals.

Anode

The point where a voltaic current enters an electrolyte the positive pole, or the plate or other piece constituting it;

opposed to cathode.

Annulus 

The space between the drill string and the earthen wall of the well bore, or between the production tubing and the casing.

Anticlines

Reservoir formed by folding of the rock layers or strata with oil collecting in the crest of the dome.

API

"American Petroleum Institute", headquarters of the API Division of Production are 300 Corrigan Tower Building, Dallas, Texas.

API Gravity

The universally accepted scale adopted by the American Petroleum Institute (API) for expressing the density of liquid petroleum products. The higher the API gravity, the lighter the oil.

API gravity

An arbitrary scale established by the American Petroleum institute to express gravity or density of liquid petroleum products according to a single standard. It is expressed ln degrees API.

Appraisal Drilling

Drilling carried out following the discovery of a new field to determine the physical extent, amount of reserves and likely production rate of the field.

Appraisal Well

A well drilled as part of an appraisal drilling program.

Apron ring

The first or lowest ring of plates in a tank.

Apron spreader

A flat place in the bottom of a gun‑barrel spreader tank that causes fluid coming into the tank to spread out.

ARDS

The refiner's shorthand for "atmospheric residual desulfurization," a refining process that removes sulfur from oils.

Aromatics

Class of hydrocarbons that have at least one benzene ring as part of their structure. Generally describes benzene and benzene derivatives.  These products are used as components of unleaded gasolines and as feedstocks for petrochemicals such as cyclohexane and paraxylene, both of which are used in end products like nylons and polyesters.

Artificial Drives

Techniques for producing oil after depletion or in lieu of natural drives; includes waterflooding, natural gas reinjection, inert gas injection, flue gas injection and in-situ combustion.

Artificial Lift

Any of the techniques, other than natural drives, for bringing oil to the surface.

Associated Gas

Natural gas found in association with oil, either dissolved in the oil or as a cap of free gas above the oil.

Associated Liquids

Liquid hydrocarbons found in association with natural gas.

Auxiliary equipment

The equipment which is installed in conjunction with a meter, such as an air eliminator, strainer, vacuum breaker, or regulating valve, to permit or facilitate the use or operation of the meter.

Average sample

One that consists of proportionate parts from all sections of the container.

Aviation gasoline (Avgas)

Gasoline made especially for piston aircraft engines. It has a relatively high octane or performance rating and a distillation range between 129° F and 338° F.

- B -

Babbit

Soft, easily melted metal used for bearings.

Back‑Off

To unscrew.

Back pressure

The pressure resulting from restriction of full natural flow of oil or gas.

Back‑Up man

The person who holds one length of pipe while another length is being screwed into or out of it.

Baffles

Plates which change the direction of flow of fluids.

Ball and seat

The main parts of the valves in a plunger seat type oil well pumps.

Barge

Non-self-propelled marine vessel used as cargo tankers, equipment and supply carriers, crane platforms and support and accommodation bases in offshore drilling, and as submarine pipe-laying vessels.

Barrel

As the standard unit of measurement of liquids in the petroleum industry, it contains 42 U.S. standard gallons. Abbreviated to "bbl."

Barrel (U. S.)

A standard unit of measurement of liquid petroleum equal to 42 U. S, standard gallons.

Barrel‑Mile

A unit of measurement of pipeline shipment of oil which signifies one barrel moved one mile.

Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE)

BOE = gas volumes divided by six and added to crude and natural gas volumes.

Barrel wrench

A friction wrench used in repairing oil well pumps.

Basement Rock

The ancient rock that lies below sedimentary strata; it does not contain oil or gas.

Base terminal

Installation where intake end of a pipeline is located, normally near a beachhead or port complex.

Bastard

Any equipment of nonstandard shape or size.

Batch

An integral and complete movement of one specific type of liquid, usually designated as such when moved through a pipeline. (Sometimes referred to as a "tender")

Batch change

Term used to describe circumstance associated with passage of the tail of one batch and the head of the following batch. The term is also used to state the time of arrival or departure of a batch head at or from a station or terminal.

Batch head

The downstream or leading end of a batch.

Batching

Pumping shipments or tenders or batches of a product through the line without mixing with other tenders.

Batch number

A pipeline company's identification and reference code designation for a batch of a particular product.

Batch tail

The upstream end of a batch.

Battery or bank of meters

An installation of meters connected in parallel.

Beam

The walking beam of a pumping jack or unit.

Beam well

A well using pumping jack or unit and rods to lift fluid.

Bean

A choke, used to regulate flow of fluid from a well. Different sizes of beans are used for different producing rates.

Bean back

To use a smaller size bean or choke to make the amount of production smaller.

Bedrock

The firm base rock to which is anchored the geological structure of interest to petroleum geologists.

Bell hole

A bell‑shaped hole dug beneath a pipeline to provide room for use of tools.

Benzene

An aromatic hydrocarbon present to a minor degree in most crude oils. Some important products manufactured from benzene are styrene, phenol, nylon and synthetic detergents.

Big inch

Colloquialism for a 24‑inch crude oil line constructed by the United States government from Texas to the East Coast during

World War II.

Bird cage

To flatten and spread the strands in a wire rope.

Bird dog

To pay close attention to a job or a person, or an oil trader's helper in securing an oil or gas lease.

Blank flange

A solid disc used to dead end a companion flange.

Blank liner

A liner without perforations.

Blank‑Off

To close off, such as with a blank flange or bull plug.

Blanking device

A positive mechanical means placed in a line to prevent flow of liquid. (Sometimes referred to simply as a "blind.")

Bleed into

To cause a gas or liquid to mingle slowly with another gas or liquid, usually by pressure.

Bleed off or bleed down

Reduce pressure by letting oil or gas escape bleed down at a slow rate.

Bleeder

A valve or pipe through which bleeding is done.

Blending

The technique of combining two or more petroleum liquids to produce a product with specific characteristics.

Blind flange

A simple combined steel disc and ring inserted between two flanges with the aid of jack screws, used to achieve positive separation of products.

Block

A geographical area that includes several separate oil and gas license tracts.

Block Leases

A contract with diverse owners of separately leased oil and gas tracts that enables an oil company to drill one or two test wells instead of one well per tract.

Block Number

The numerical designation assigned to offshore lease and license tracts, or subdivisions of the tracts.

Block valves

Gate valves found in the pipeline on either side of a pumping station or terminal, river crossing, or other points where the line may have to be blocked.

Blow Molding

A plastics-forming process that uses compressed air to shape the final product by expanding it to fit the mold.

Bob tail

Any short truck.

Boilerhouse

A random guess (as in "boilerhousing" a number when estimating).

Boll weevil

Any inexperienced worker or "hand."

Bonnet

The part of a valve that packs off and encloses the valve stem.

Boomer

A link and lever mechanism which is used to tighten a chain holding a load on a truck.

Booster

A pump system installed to maintain or increase pressure in pipelines so that liquids and gases keep flowing.

Booster station

A station whose function is to receive oil through a main pipeline and to transmit it to the next station, It receives no oil from any other source nor does it have a tank farm.

BOPD/BPD

Barrels of oil per day; barrels per day.

Borings sample

One obtained by collecting the chips made by boring holes with a ship auger from top to bottom of the material contained in a barrel, case, bag, or cake.

Bottoms

The heavy portions, or fractions, of a crude oil that do not vaporize during distillation; the accumulation of sediments, mud and water in the bottoms of lease tanks.

Bottom-hole Assembly

The components, together as a group, that make up the lower end of the drill string – comprising the drill bit, drill collars, drill pipe and ancillary equipment.

Bottom‑hole pressure

The pressure at the bottom of a well.

Bottom Out

To reach the objective depth in drilling a well.

Bottom sample

One obtained from the material on the bottom surface of the tank, container, or line at its lowest point.

Bottom water

Water occurring in a producing formation below the oil or gas in that same formation.

Bowl

A device into which fit the slips or wedges which support tubing.

Bradenhead gas

Commonly called casinghead gas; gas that is produced with oil or from the casinghead of an oil well.

Break out

To loosen a tight joint as in line pipe or sucker rods.

Breathing

The flow of air or gas into and out of vent lines of a partially filled storage tank, caused primarily by temperature variations.

Bridle

The portion of a well pumping unit which connects the horse head to the well pump.

BS&W

Basic sediment and water, generally pipeline regulation limits the contents of BS&W to 1 per cent of the volume of oil.

Bubble point

The temperature‑pressure condition of a liquid under which the first vapor evolution begins.

Buck up

To tighten a threaded connection.

Buffer batch ("kero plug")

A liquid, usually kerosene or a solvent, inserted to separate different products with a minimum of product degradation (contamination).

Bulk products

Petroleum products transported and stored in pipelines, tankers, barges, rail tank cars, and tank trucks, as distinct from

packaged products.

Bump down

To have too long a length of rods between the pumping jack and the pump seat so that the pump hits bottom on the downstroke.

Bump off a well

To disconnect a pull‑rod line from a central power unit. Same as "knock off a well."

Burn pit

An earthen pit in which waste oil and other materials are burned.

Bust

An error.

Butadiene

A butane derivative that is one of the most widely used raw materials used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.

Butane

Refers usually to a mixture of isobutane and normal butane. A flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon. Used as fuel.

Bypass 

A pipe connected around a valve or other control mechanism in a flow line for the purpose of maintaining flow during adjustments or repair work.

By-product

A substance obtained incidentally during the manufacture or production of some other substance.

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C-store

Convenience store.

Cage

The part of a pump valve which holds the ball to limit its movement.

Calibrate a volumetric or gravimetric prover

To establish the true volume of a volumetric meter prover or the accuracy of the scale of a gravimetric prover.

Calibration tank

A small tank of known capacity which is used in conjunction with flow meters to measure the accuracy of the meters.

Calorimeter

An instrument which measures the amount of heat given off by a certain quantity of fuel. In the case of El Paso Natural Gas Company, Calorimeters are used to determine the number of BTU's which are obtained from burning one cubic foot of gas.

Cap Rock 

An impervious layer of rock that overlies a reservoir rock, thus preventing hydro- carbons from escaping to the surface.

Capillaries

The minute spaces, cracks or pores in rock through which hydrocarbon fluids move in response to natural forces.

Capping

Tightly closing a well so that oil or natural gas cannot escape.

Carbon

The base of all hydrocarbons; capable of combining with hydrogen in almost numberless hydrocarbon compounds. The carbon content of a hydrocarbon determines, to a degree, the hydrocarbon's burning characteristics and qualities.

Casing 

Steel pipe that is cemented into a well to prevent the well bore wall from caving in, to stop drilling fluids from losing circulation and to prevent water and other fluids from invading the well bore.

Casinghead gasoline

Natural gasoline which is vaporized within natural gas when it is removed from the well.

Casing Perforation

The holes made in the liner of a finished well to allow oil or natural gas to flow into the production tube.

Casing pressure

Gas pressure built up between the casing and tubing.

Casing Seat

The lowest point at which casing is set.

Casinghead

The top of the casing set in the well; the part of the casing that protrudes above the surface and to which the control valves and flow pipes are attached.

Casinghead Gas

Gas produced with oil from an oil well as distinguished from gas from a gas well. The casinghead gas is taken off at the top of the well or at the separator.

Casinghead Gasoline

Liquid hydrocarbons separated from casinghead gas by the reduction of pressure at the wellhead or by a separator or an absorption plant.

Catalyst

Substance that aids or promotes a chemical reaction between other substances, but does not, itself, enter into the reaction.

Catalytic Cracking

A petroleum refining process in which heavy hydrocarbon molecules are broken down (cracked) into lighter molecules by passing them over a suitable catalyst (generally heated).

Cat

A crawler‑type tractor.

Cathead

A spool‑shaped attachment on a winch around which rope is wound for hoisting and pulling.

Cathode

A negative pole of an electrolytic cell.

Catline

A hoisting or pulling line operated from a cathead.

Cat walk

The narrow walkway on top of a tank battery.

Caustic

A corrosive capable of eating away or destroying matter. The term is applied to the destructive action of powerful alkalis such as the hydroxides.

Cellar

A hole dug, usually before drilling of a well, to allow working space for the casinghead equipment.

Cementing

The technique of pumping cement into the space between the casing and the well bore wall in order to hold the casing in place.

Centrifuge

An instrument for separating liquid of different specific gravities by use of centrifugal force, used in the petroleum laboratory for determining FW&S (free water and sediment) and solid matter in petroleum samples.

Centrifugal compressor

A compressor which exerts force on gas by a spinning motion. Natural gas is fed to the center of the "impeller" which is spinning at high speed and, partly from the centrifugal force of the spinning and partly from the action of the blades of the impeller, is hurled outward to the walls of the compressor chamber.

Centrifugal force

A force developed by the rotation of a body force which tends to throw the body away from the center of rotation.

Centrifugal pump

A pump consisting of one or more impellers fixed on a rotating shaft. The liquid enters the impeller at the shaft and is impelled outward from the center by centrifugal force at high velocity into the volute of the pump casing. This pump has the advantage of constant pressure.

Chase threads

To straighten and clean threads of any kind.

Cheater

A length of pipe used to increase the leverage of a wrench.

Check valve

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