Hoisting System

CROWN
BLOCK

DRILLING LINE
(wire rope)

FASTLINE

TRAVELING
BLOCK

DRAWWORKS

DEADLINE

DRILLING
HOOK

DRAWWORKS
DRUM

DEADLINE
ANCHOR

DRUM BRAKE

SUPPLY
REEL

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 HOISTING SYTEM
The hoisting system lowers the drill pipe into the hole and lifts it out. It also supports the drill
pipe, keeping it in tension. The system works like a winch, where the drum—or spool—sits
horizontally between two posts with a hoisting rope attached. Turning the drum with a crank
arm winds the rope around the drum and lifts the object attached.

The hoisting system of a rotary drilling rig consists of the derrick or mast (the posts), the draw-
works (the spool and crank), and the drilling line (the rope). Because the loads are heavy,
a block and tackle are added. The crown block is fixed atop the derrick or mast. The crown
block is stationary, but the traveling block moves up and down. Heavy loads are attached to
the drilling hook underneath the travelling block.

This illustration of a hoisting system of a rotary rig is shown without the derrick. As the drill
pipe is lowered into the hole, the travelling block and hook support the entire weight of the drill
string and bit. When the bit touches bottom, some of the load is transferred to the bottom of
the well. As the drill string is lowered more, the weight increases. The transfer of weight must
be carefully controlled, because too much weight can damage the bit, and too little weight can
slow the drilling rate.

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