AN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FIELD REPORT

UNDERTAKEN AT

THE EGBAOMA FIELD FLOW STATION OF PLATFORM

PETROLEUM LIMITED

BY

NASIRU ABDULRAHAMAN IDOWU

A STUDENT OF

PETROLEUM AND GAS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT,

UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS.

SUPERVISORS:

ENGR. INNOCENT EKPAH

ENGR. CHUKWU EMEKE

APRIL, 2024.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Firstly, I humbly acknowledge and express my gratitude to God for His
guidance, blessings, and providence throughout the journey.
I would also like to express my appreciation to Platform Petroleum Limited for
organising this field trip, allowing interns to witness firsthand the operations
and activities carried out in an oil field which was impactful in complementing
our classroom learning and broadening our perspectives.
I am also grateful to Engr. Innocent Ekpah, Engr. Samuel Ogba and Engr.
Chukwu Emeke for the role they played in making our field trip feasible.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to the management and staff of
Platform Petroleum Limited base office workers for their warm welcome and
hospitality. Their cooperation and support made our visit informative and
engaging.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

2. INTRODUCTION

3. HSE THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

 PLATFORM HSE MANAGEMENT

 HSE INDUCTION

4. OVERVIEW OF THE OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND

PRODUCTION PROCESS

5. EGBAOMA NW WELL 11

6. DRILLING EQUIPMENT

7. MUD LABORATORY

8. OVERVIEW OF EGBAOMA FLOWSTATION

9. LESSONS LEARNT AT THE FLOWSTATION

 TANK FARM

 CRUDE OIL PROCESSING

10.CONCLUSION

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 INTRODUCTION
The Egbaoma field (Asuokpu/Umutu as it was then known) is located in the
northern onshore Niger Delta, Nigeria. It is one of the twenty-four (24) marginal
fields farmed out to indigenous oil companies during the 2004 Marginal field
bid round. The field used to be located on OML 38 in the Shell/NNPC Joint
Venture but was never developed because of its small size and was awarded to
an indigenous joint venture of Platform Petroleum and Newcross Petroleum.
The field was brought onstream in 2007, since the first oil production, the
company has carried out various workover operations, drilled numerous wells,
and executed different sidetracks.

The well presently under development in the field is the Egbaoma NW Well 11,
it’s been drilled to a measured depth of about 11,500ft, expected to be set into
production using the dual string completion due to the discovery of multiple
reservoirs in the subsurface. The Asset is held in Joint Venture (JV) ownership
with Newcross Petroleum Limited in a 60/40 share ratio. As an Operator,
Platform manages day-to-day operations and initiates and executes growth
targets by optimizing production and sustenance for the field and the well
specifically.

In Egbaoma NW Well 11, Geoplex is the drilling contractor as they provide the
rig, and supply the crew which includes the roughnecks, drillers, toolpushers,
and other staff that tend to be less skilled, and locals such as the gateman and
the food vendors. The servicing companies include SLB, Elsasovec, and Baker
Hughes, they fill in the supply gaps for the contractor (Geoplex) and operators
(Platform) of many different physical products (Packer, Plug), as well as
services such as logistics, supply chain, software, and training. They take charge
of fluids and cementing and are also wireline or mud logging experts.

Well, 3 (Injection well) and well 4 of the Egbaoma field lie in the centre of the
flow station. The flow station comprises facilities for the processing of crude oil
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before being transported to market. Flows from all wells of the Egbaoma field
are diverted to the main production line through the manifold at the flow station
where it is further processed. The flow station has a tank farm comprising
different tank storage capacities ranging from 10,000 bbl – to 45,000 bbl
capacity. XHP separator, HP separator, and LP separator are all available in the
flow station where they are characterized by their distinctive property.

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 HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE OIL AND GAS
INDUSTRY

Oil and gas exploration, drilling, production, transportation, processing, and

handling are associated with hazards, which pose threats to the life, health, and
well-being of employees, as well as the public and environment. There is
concern for health, safety, and the environment in the oil and gas industry. An
integrated approach to the management of health, safety, and environment can
provide a quality management system for managing risks in the industry to
ensure the protection of workers, assets, reputation, and the operational
environment.

"HSE" stands for Health, Safety, and Environment in the oil and gas industry.

The health function typically deals with the well-being of the employees as they
live and work in their environment. It deals with the conduct of activities in
such a way as to avoid harm to the health of employees and others, and to
promote, as appropriate, their health. Typically, the health function focuses on
the effects of oil field chemicals and oil field physical environment on
employees.

The safety function focuses on protecting the employee from the risk involved
during any type of operation and duties. It is related to the principle that all
injuries should be prevented and actively promote amongst all those associated
with their activities the high standards of safety consciousness and discipline
that this principle demands. The safety function seeks to minimise these risks
and monitor the effectiveness of the minimisation activities.

The environmental function focuses on the effects that petroleum activities have
on natural resources. The environmental issue pursues the progressive reduction
of emissions, effluents, and discharges of waste materials that are known to
harm the environment, with the ultimate aim of eliminating them. It aims to

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provide products services and advice which will not cause injury or undue
effects on the environment. It promotes the protection of environments that may
be affected by the development of petroleum activities and seeks continuous
improvement in the efficiency of the use of natural resources and energy.

In summary, HSE refers to the practices, protocols, and regulations

implemented to ensure the well-being of workers, protect the environment, and
prevent accidents or incidents in the exploration, extraction, refining, and
transportation of oil and gas.

PLATFORM HSE MANAGEMENT

Platform Petroleum Limited is a leading indigenous oil and gas producing

company dedicated to the health and safety of its employees, assets, and the
protection of the environment where it operates. Its priority is to create a safe
and healthy working environment for our employees, contractors, and the public
through its HSE policy, and application of three golden rules of compliance,
intervention, and respect with a long-standing HSE commitment to the highest
standards to:

 Pursue zero LTI and Zero fatality with no harm in all its operations.
 Conduct business with integrity and accountability.
 Comply with laws and regulations applicable to the business.
 Maintain good relationships and reputation with host communities and
other critical stakeholders.

Platform HSE targets are;

 Zero Fatality
 Zero Lost Time Injury
 Zero Road Traffic Accident
 Zero Restricted Work

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  Zero First Aid Case.

HSE INDUCTION AT THE BASE OFFICE

HSE induction aims to create awareness, promote a positive safety culture, and
ensure that employees understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining
a safe and healthy workplace. It is an ongoing process, and regular training and
updates are often provided to employees to reinforce HSE principles and keep
them informed about any changes in policies or procedures.

A representative at the base office inducts all employees, and trainees on their
first arrival to the base office to create awareness on platform HSE policy and
ensure strict enforcement and upholding of the policy. Awareness was made of
the following HSE policy:
 REGISTRATION: Each personnel that walks into the premises has to
be registered with the HSE board to give an Account of the total number
of people in the facility. The registration process includes a person’s
biodata, whom to see, and the nature of one’s visit.
 EMERGENCY POLICY: Emergency may occur due to fire outbreak,
oil spillage, health issues, or security problems. In times of emergency,
the HSE department has 4 different teams to handle any emergency that
may occur, the teams include;
i. Fire Team
ii. Medical Team
iii. Spill Management Team
iv. Security (soldiers, police)

In cases of any of the listed emergencies, they have systems in place which are
the;

i. Alarm systems which are sounded to indicate emergencies. The alarms

can be intermediate alarm systems or continuous alarms.

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ii. Muster point: where every person in the facility will converge when an
alarm system indicates an emergency and a head count is made to ensure
all staff arrive safely at the muster point.
 Planning of journey: Due to the current situation in our country, The
HSC team plans all journeys related to the oil and gas processes. The
journeys can be
 Routine journeys, such as movement from the flow station to the
base office and back or from the flow station to each of our wellhead
locations
 Situational Journeys, such as the movement of personnel to the
airport or hotels, visiting a certain community, or random inspection
of NUPRC.
It is against the HSE policy to embark on any of these journeys using a
motorcycle.
 SMOKING AND DRINKING POLICY: Smoking is only allowed at
the smoke point while drinking alcohol is prohibited and comes with a
severe penalty.
 DRESSING: Personal protective equipment (PPE) must always be worn
depending on the nature of the job being carried out to protect him/her
against the hazard(s) existing in his/her work situation/environment. PPEs
do not prevent accidents but reduce the impact.

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 Overview of the oil and gas exploration and production process

Exploration in the Oil and Gas (O&G) industry refers to the research and
discovery of potential drilling and extraction sites and reserves for crude oil.
This is done by conducting multiple surveys, analyses, and tests on the areas of
interest.

There are three segments of the oil and gas industry and they include:

i. Upstream (Production and Exploration); The upstream segment of

the oil and gas industry contains exploration activities, which
include creating geological surveys and obtaining land rights, and
production activities, which include onshore and offshore drilling.
ii. Midstream (Transportation); The midstream sector covers
transportation, storage, and trading of crude oil, natural gas, and
refined products. In its unrefined state, crude oil is transported by
two primary modes: tankers, which travel interregional water
routes, and pipelines, which most of the oil moves through for at
least part of the route. Once the oil has been extracted and
separated from natural gas, pipelines transport the products to
another carrier or directly to a refinery. Petroleum products then
travel from the refinery to market by tanker, truck, railroad car, or
more pipelines.
iii. Downstream (Refining and Marketing); the final sector of the oil
and natural gas industry is known as downstream. This includes
everything involved in turning crude oil and natural gas into
thousands of finished products we use every day. Some of the
more obvious products are fuels like gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet
fuels, heating oils, and asphalt for building roads.

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Exploration & production (E&P) is a specific sector within the oil and gas
industry linked to the early stage of energy production, which generally
involves searching for and extracting oil and gas. An E&P company finds and
extracts the raw materials used in the energy business. Typically they do not
refine or produce energy but merely find and extract raw materials to be shipped
to other oil companies within the production process. E&P is known as
the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry, which consists of the search,
exploration, drilling, and extraction phases. The E&P segment is the earliest
portion of the oil and gas production process. Companies within this segment
are primarily focused on locating and extracting commodities from the Earth.1

The resource owners and operators of E&P work with a variety of contractors,
such as engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, joint
venture partners, and oil field service companies. In locating and extracting oil
and gas, E&P companies also build infrastructure and collect massive amounts
of analytical data.

Exploration & Production (E&P) Phases

The process of oil and gas exploration and production typically consists of four
stages, which are outlined below:

 Search and exploration.

 Well Construction.
 Extraction (Production).
 Abandonment of Wells.
Search and exploration
There are three common ways to explore the land for onshore oil and gas
exploration. These are:
1. Seismographic methods, such as seismic prospecting, which use sound
waves or seismic waves to create a map of the rock formations
underground.
2. Gravity and magnetic surveying, which work with the help of a
gravimeter to pick up gravitational force in the earth, or a magnetometer
attached to an aircraft or aquatic vessel to assess rock formations based
on their response to the magnetic fields around them.
3. Surface methods, which is about observing either the geological features
of the area to understand the rock formations there, the hydrocarbon
seeping into the ground, or both.

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O&G stakeholders, managers, and professionals come together to decide on
picking an area. Together, they establish their interest in an area and review
their geographical map to gain a mutual understanding of it. Once all are in
agreement over the area, they start planning their budget and schedule.
After the planning, the company works on its documents and leases. Some
essential leases they’ll need are the leases for manpower, vehicles, and the land
itself. A landman would usually help with this task by going through public
records to check for land and mineral ownership before securing the leases.
When all paperwork, budget plans, and schedules have been set, the exploratory
drilling and oil and gas extraction process can begin.
Well Construction
When the surveys and measurements indicate the presence of formations or
strata that may contain petroleum, exploratory wells are drilled to determine
whether or not oil or gas is present and, if so, whether it is available and
obtainable in commercially viable quantities.
Extraction (Production)
Extraction is the process of extracting the hydrocarbons and separating the
mixture of liquid hydrocarbons, gas, water, and solids, removing the
constituents that are non-saleable, and selling the liquid hydrocarbons and gas.
Production sites often handle crude oil from more than one well. Oil is nearly
always processed at a refinery; natural gas may be processed to remove
impurities either in the field or at a natural gas processing plant.
Abandonment of Wells
Finally, site abandonment involves plugging the well(s) and restoring the site
when a recently drilled well lacks the potential to produce economic quantities
of oil or gas, or when a production well is no longer economically viable.

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 EGBAOMA NORTHWEST WELL 11
Platform Petroleum Limited covers the upstream and midstream segments of the
oil and gas, they conduct exploration and production activities of the Egbaoma
field such as geological surveys, obtaining the land rights, and production
activities. The exploration operation carried out by Platform Petroleum
geologists led to the drilling activities and discovery of a reservoir at the present
well site of the Egbaoma Northwest 11.
Before the commencement of drilling activities, the Egbaoma Northwest well
site was prepared by ensuring the vegetation of the land was cleared for use by
the rig, roads that give access to the well site were built, and an infrastructure
for water, water disposal, electricity was constructed, mud pits were dug to
prevent groundwater or water table contamination, reserve pits were also dug
for cutting storage. The site preparation involved multiple contractors and
companies to perform all the required work.
After the site has been prepared, Pipes purchased by the operator (Platform
Petroleum Limited) are inspected by the Inspection Engineer to test for their
integrity before being lowered into the wellbore. The test carried out by the
Inspection Engineer includes.
1. Rust test (pitting corrosion): Pitting corrosion is characterized by the
formation of small pits or craters on the surface of metal components,
such as pipelines, storage tanks, and drilling equipment. Pitting corrosion
can be particularly insidious because it often occurs beneath protective
coatings or scales, making it difficult to detect until significant damage
has occurred. Pipes with tiny holes are sidelined to prevent kick resulting
from the high pressure of the reservoir.
2. Wear test: for wears of 10% - 15%, The pipe is scraped off and becomes
junk. Coating wear can be treated by cleaning, shining the metal surface
and re-coating the pipe.
3. Thickness and weight Test; The weight and thickness of each material are
tested to ensure it is within the nominal thickness or above using an
ultrasonic device.
4. Pipe Diameters: They are tested and verified it correspond with the tally
on each pipe.
The contract for setting up the rig was awarded to Geoplex Petroleum
Company, Geoplex provides the rig and the crew. After the site had been
prepared Geoplex spudded in by moving the rig into the location and a surveyor
(geologist from Platform Petroleum Limited) certified its position for a rig-up of

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a drilling rig that comprises of a derrick (tower), a drilling pipe, a large winch to
lower and lift out the drilling pipe, a drilling table which rotates the drilling pipe
and bit, a mud mixer and pump and an engine to drive the table and winch.
24-inch Conductor pipes were driven into the ground to a point of refusal where
they can be forced no deeper. The conductor pipe is to provide structural
support for the wellbore. It is typically the first casing string installed during
drilling operations and is driven into the seabed or ground surface to stabilise
the wellbore and prevent it from collapsing.
On the rig floor, the drilling crew makes up the BHA, consisting of a drill bit,
drill collars, stabilizers and in some cases. The BHA may be augmented
with logging-while-drilling (LWD) sensors, a mud motor, and a system for
steering the drill along its specified trajectory. The BHA can be changed from
one section of the well to another to build, hold or drop the angle of wellbore
inclination.
1 1
The surface section of the well 17 2 inch hole size was drilled using a 17 2 drill
bit size to a depth of 4923ft MD / 4045ft TVD as the BHA was lowered through
the drill pipe down the wellbore, an environmentally friendly mud was used at
the surface section of the hole to reduce the risk of contamination of surface
water sources, such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands if they are discharged or
spilled during drilling operations. The mud helps to cool the drill bit, bring
cuttings to the surface, and counterbalance the wellbore pressure. The surface
casing pipe was lowered into the surface section of the hole and cemented. The
function of this type of casing is to seal off the freshwater zones and provide
support for the blowout preventer (BOP).
1
The production hole section of the well was drilled using a 12 4 drill bit to a
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measured depth of 11,457ft and 10,705.2ft TVD and a 9 8 casing pipe was
lowered into the wellbore and sealed off. It can be set above the production
zone or run through it. The main function is to isolate the production zone from
the other formations such as water-bearing sands. This type of casing is also
used as a conduit for production tubing.
The Sandstone formations housing the reservoirs are to be perforated after the
casing for crude oil extraction from the reservoir, hence it was perforated using
a perforating gun and was sealed off with a plug and packer.
The production tubings are being inspected by the inspection engineer, to make
it readily available for well completion. The well is to be completed using a

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dual string well completion to allow for the separate production of fluid from
different zones within the reservoir and it enables the operators to produce from
multiple formations simultaneously.
DELAYED WELL COMPLETION AT EGBAOMA NW 11
A FISH (a "fish" refers to any object or piece of equipment that becomes lodged
or stuck in the wellbore during drilling, completion, or workover activities.)
specifically a bolt from a bush that fell into the wellbore and has to be fished out
before the well can be completed.
The Company man (Platform Petroleum Limited Representative) and the Rig
manager, a contractor on the field from Geoplex applied different approaches in
fishing out the fish and they include:
i. Use of Wireline.
ii. Use of Fishing Tool (Reverse Circulation Junk Basket).
iii. Use of Magnet.
iv. Pulling out the completion.

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 DRILLING EQUIPMENT
ROTARY DRILLING RIG
A drilling rig is a machine that creates holes in the
earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive
structures housing equipment used to drill water wells,
oil wells, or natural gas extraction wells. Drilling rigs
can be mobile equipment mounted on trucks, tracks or
trailers, or more permanent land or marine-based
structures (such as oil platforms, commonly called
'offshore oil rigs' even if they do not contain a drilling
rig). The term "rig" therefore generally refers to the
complex equipment that is used to penetrate the surface
of the Earth's crust. The most common drilling rigs in
use today are rotary drilling rigs. Their main tasks are to
create rotation of the drill string and facilities to
advance and lift the drill string as well as casings and
special equipment into and out of the hole drilled.
Fig. 1 Rotary Drilling Rig.
The main components of a rotary rig are classified as:
 Power System
 Hoisting System
 Circulating System
 Rotary System
 Well Control System
HOISTING SYSTEM
The main task of the hoisting system is to lower and raise the drill string,
casings, and other subsurface equipment into or out of the well. The
hoisting equipment itself consists of Draworks, Fast Line, Crown Block,
Traveling Block, Deadline, Deal line anchor, Storage reel, Hook, and
Derrick.
DERRICK
DERRICK In the oilfield, a derrick is a support structure that holds the
drilling apparatus. It acts as the framework supporting a
drilling apparatus in an oil rig. It is usually designed to be
tall enough to allow new sections of drill pipe to be added
to the drilling apparatus as drilling progresses. Oil drill
operations rely on the use of derricks for their production.
An oil derrick is used to dig a hole for an oil well, then it is
used to push the drill pipe deep into the earth.
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Fig. 2 Derrick.

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 DRAWWORKS
A drawworks is the primary hoisting machinery component of a
rotary drilling rig. Its main function is to provide a means of raising and
lowering the traveling block. The drawworks is the component of the
hoisting system that consumes energy from the power system. The drum
on the drawworks is grooved to accommodate a specific size drilling line.

Fig. 3. DRAWWORKS

TRAVELING BLOCK
The traveling block is an assembly of pulleys or sheaves that move
vertically in the derrick. Its primary purpose is to enable the raising and
lowering of the drill string in the wellbore, thus facilitating the drilling
process. The traveling block is attached to the drill line, which is spooled
on the drawworks drum. As the drawworks unwind or wind the drill line,

the traveling block either descends or ascends in the derrick, carrying the
Fig. 4 Travelling Block.
drill string with it.
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 CROWNBLOCK
The Crown Block is one of the rig components (hoisting system) composed of
a fixed set of pulleys (called sheaves). The location of this stationary block is
mainly at the top of the rig derrick or drilling mast, where the drilling line is
threaded. The crown block also provides a means of taking the drilling line
from the hoisting drum to the
traveling block, so it is
stationary and firmly fastened
to the top of the derrick. The
drilling line is reeved around
this block, and the traveling
block sheaves with the end line
going to an anchoring clamp
called “DEADLINE
ANCHOR.” The static line is
called the deadline. The line
section connecting the drum
Fig. 5 Crown Block
with the crown block is called
the fast line. Hence during hoisting operations, if there are ten lines between the
crown and the traveling block, the fast line travels ten times faster than the
traveling block to spool or unspool the drilling line from the hoisting drum.
THE POWER SYSTEM
The power system on a drilling rig provides the power for the other main
systems on the rig and other ancillary systems, such as electrical systems,
pumps, etc. The system typically consists of a prime mover (the component of
the power system that generates the raw power) and a means to transmit the raw
power to the end-use components on the rig.
The power system is comprised of:
 The fuel Storage
 The engines and Generators
ENGINE AND GENERATORS
Typically, modern rigs are now run using an internal combustion engine
with diesel or lease fuel. Diesel oil is a petroleum-based fuel that is a

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 product of the distillation process, thus the fuel will need to be delivered
from an external source and stored on-site in the fuel storage.
ROTARY SYSTEM
The rotary system on a drilling rig is the system that causes the drill bit to rotate
at the bottom of the wellbore. Originally, the main driver in the system of all
rigs was the rotary table. The main parts of the rotary system with a rotary table
are the topdrive, and drillstring.
TOPDRIVE
Modern rigs use a topdrive to replace the kelly, kelly
bushings. This will allow drilling to be done with stands
of pipes, instead of single joints, which will save
considerable time. Comparing with the conventional
process, where a new pipe must be added to the
drillstring after the length of just one joint has been
drilled, using a topdrive system, a new connection will
occur only after the length of one stand (two, three, or
four pipes) has been drilled.
Fig.6 Topdrive

ROTARY TABLE
A rotary table is a mechanical device on a drilling
rig that provides clockwise (as viewed from above)
rotational force to the drill string to facilitate the
process of drilling a borehole. Rotary speed is the
number of times the rotary table makes one full
revolution in one minute (rpm). Virtually all rotary
tables are equipped with a rotary lock'. Engaging the
lock can either prevent the rotary from turning in
one particular direction or from turning at all.
Fig. 7 Rotary Table

DRILLSTRING
The drillstring connects the surface equipment with the drill bit at the bottom of
the well. The rotary table, or the topdrive, rotates the drillstring and,
consequently, rotation is transmitted to the bit. The drillstring is composed of
two major portions, the drillpipes and the bottom hole assembly (BHA).

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 DRILL PIPE
Drill Pipe: Drill pipe, is hollow, thin-walled, steel or aluminium alloy piping
that is used on drilling rigs. It is hollow to allow drilling fluid to be pumped
down the hole through the bit and back up the annulus. It comes in a variety of

sizes, strengths, and wall thicknesses, but is typically 27 to 32 feet in length.

Fig. 8 Rotary Table

TOOL JOINT
Tool Joints: The tool
joints provide high-strength,
high-pressure threaded
connections that are
sufficiently robust to survive
the rigors of drilling and
numerous cycles of
tightening and loosening at
threads.

BOTTOM HOLE
ASSEMBLY
Fig. 9 Tool Joint
A bottom hole assembly (BHA) is a component of a drilling rig. It is the lowest
part of the drill string, extending from the bit to the drill pipe. The assembly can
consist of drill collars. The BHA design is based upon the requirements of
having enough weight transfer to the bit (WOB) to be able to drill and achieve a
sufficient Rate of Penetration (ROP), giving the Driller or Directional Driller
control to drill as per the planned trajectory and to also include whatever

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Logging While Drilling (LWD) / Measurement While Drilling (MWD) tools for
formation evaluation.
DRILL COLLAR
Drill collars are thick-walled tubulars that are used at the bottom of the drill
string. Their principal purpose in the drill string is to provide the axial force
needed to advance the drill bit.

DRILL BIT
A drill bit is a cutting tool used in a drill to
remove material to create holes, almost always of
circular cross-section. Drill bits come in many
sizes and shapes and can create different kinds of
holes in many different materials. To create holes,
drill bits are usually attached to a drill, which
powers them to cut through the workpiece,
typically by rotation.
Fig. 10 Drill Collar
TRICONE DRILL BIT
Tri-cone bits are the most common drilling bits
and, historically, have been the workhorse of the
drilling industry. As the name implies, tri-cone
bits contain three cones, each of which contains
cutting teeth.
Fig. 11 Tricone Drill Bit
WELL CONTROL SYSTEM
The Well Control System or the Blowout Prevention System on a drilling rig is
releases of formation fluids are referred to as Blowouts. Due to the explosive
nature of oil and gas, any spark on the surface can result in the ignition of the
fluids and an explosion on the rig. An explosive blowout and the failure of the
Well Control System were the causes of the Mocondo Well disaster that killed
eleven of the rig crew on the Deep-Water Horizon Rig on April 20, 2010. and
resulted in 35,000 to 60,000 bbl/day of crude oil spilling into the Gulf of
Mexico.
The well control system is comprised of:
 the Accumulator
 the Blowout Preventer

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 BLOWOUT PREVENTER
A blowout preventer (BOP) is a specialized valve or similar mechanical
device, used to seal, control, and monitor oil and gas wells to prevent
blowouts, the uncontrolled release of crude oil or natural gas from a well.
They are usually installed in stacks of other valves.
Blowout preventers were developed to cope with extremely erratic
pressures and uncontrolled flow (formation kick) emanating from a well
reservoir during drilling. Kicks can lead to a potentially catastrophic
event known as a blowout.

Fig. 12 BOP

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 In addition to controlling the downhole (occurring in the drilled hole)
pressure and the flow of oil and gas, blowout preventers are intended to
prevent tubing (e.g., drill pipe and well casing), tools, and drilling fluid
from being blown out of the wellbore (also known as borehole, the hole
leading to the reservoir) when a blowout threatens. Blowout preventers
are critical to the safety of the crew, rig (the equipment system used to
drill a wellbore) and environment, and to the monitoring and maintenance
of well integrity; thus, blowout preventers are intended to provide fail-
safety to the systems that include them.
RAM BLOWOUT PREVENTER
Rams, or ram blocks, are of three common types:
• PIPE RAMS.
• BLIND RAMS.
• SHEAR RAMS.
PIPE RAMS: It closes around a drill pipe, restricting flow in the annulus (ring-
shaped space between concentric objects) between the outside of the drill pipe
and the wellbore, but does not obstruct flow within the drill pipe.
BLIND RAMS: (also known as sealing rams): It has no openings for tubing,
can close off the well when the well does not contain a drill string or other
tubing, and seal it.
SHEAR RAMS: These are designed to shear the pipe in the well and seal the
wellbore simultaneously. It has steel blades to shear the pipe and seals to seal
the annulus after shearing the pipe.
THE CIRCULATION SYSTEM
The circulation system on the rig is the system that allows for the circulation of
the Drilling Fluid or Mud down through the hollow drill string and up through
the annular space between the drill string and the wellbore. It is a continuous
system of pumps, distribution lines, storage tanks, storage pits, and cleansing
units that allows the drilling fluid to fulfil its primary objectives. The mud
pumps of the circulation system and the drawworks of the hoisting systems are
the two largest draws on the power from the power system.
The circulation system is comprised of:
 THE SHALE SHAKER
 THE RESERVE PIT

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  THE MUD PITS
 THE DESANDER
 THE DESILTER
 THE MUD PUMPS
 THE WATER TANK
SHALE SHAKER
A shale shaker is another essential component of drilling operations,
particularly in the initial stages of solids control. It is used to separate solid
particles, primarily cuttings, from the drilling fluid or mud.

Fig. 13 Shale Shaker

The primary function of a shale shaker is to remove large solids, typically larger
than 100 microns, from the drilling mud before it progresses through finer
solids control equipment like desanders and desilters.
It operates by vibrating the screen decks, allowing the drilling mud to pass
through while retaining the larger cuttings on the surface of the screens.
MUD AGITATOR
A Mud Agitator is used in surface mud systems to suspend solids and maintain
a homogeneous mixture throughout the system. A mechanical agitator is driven
by an explosion-proof motor, coupled to a gearbox that drives the impeller
shaft.

DESANDER

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A desander is typically the first stage of solids control equipment in drilling
operations.
Its primary function is to remove sand and other solid particles with a diameter
of 40 to 100 microns from the drilling mud.
Desanders typically consist of a set of hydrocyclones arranged in a manifold.
The drilling mud enters the hydrocyclones tangentially, creating a vortex that
separates the solids from the liquid. The separated solids are discharged from
the bottom of the hydrocyclone while the clean drilling mud exits through the
top.
DESILTER
A desilter is the next stage of solids control equipment after the desander. Its
purpose is to remove smaller solid particles, usually in the range of 20 to 40
microns, from the drilling mud. Similar to desanders, desilters also use
hydrocyclones to achieve separation. They typically have smaller
hydrocyclones compared to desanders to target finer particles. The process is
similar to desanders, where the drilling mud enters the hydrocyclones
tangentially, and the separated solids are discharged while the clean mud exits.

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 MUD LABORATORY
A mud laboratory, also known as a drilling fluids laboratory or mud testing
laboratory, is a facility within a drilling operation dedicated to analyzing and
monitoring the properties of drilling mud or fluids used in the drilling process.
ACTIVITIES IN THE MUD LABORATORY
Core Sampling: Mud engineers or technicians regularly collect samples of
drilling mud from various points in the drilling process, including the mud pit,
shale shaker, desander, desilter, and mud tanks.
Analysis of Physical Properties: The mud laboratory conducts tests to
determine various physical properties of the drilling mud using a Digital
Microscope:
Chemical Analysis: Mud laboratories also conduct chemical analyses to
determine the composition of the drilling fluid and its additives. e.g
▪ Use of Glycol: It helps to trap gas in mud and determine the exact
component of the gas.

Solids Control Monitoring: The laboratory monitors the efficiency of solids

control equipment such as shale shakers, desanders, and desilters by analyzing
the particle size distribution and concentration of solids in the mud samples.
Regulatory Compliance: Mud laboratories may also be responsible for
ensuring that the drilling fluids meet regulatory requirements and environmental
standards for disposal or discharge.
Other Monitored Parameters are;
o PIT VOLUME
o LAG TIME
o WELL ABNORMALITY
o LAG DEPTH
o TORQUE

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 OVERVIEW OF EGBAOMA FLOW STATION
Egbaoma Flowstation depicts the midstream operation of Platform Petroleum
Limited. It's a flow station with two 10,000 barrels of oil per day capacity
storage tanks, one 20,000 barrels of oil per day capacity storage and one 40,000
barrels of oil per day capacity storage tank. Egbaoma Flowstation is the first
stop for hydrocarbon fluids coming from crude oil and gas wells, its purpose is
to separate the hydrocarbon into liquid and vapour phases, reduce turbulence
and pass on the liquid to the next facility through a 32km 6-inches export line
from the flow station to the group gathering facility (GGF) and 16km export
line from the GGF to NAOC Kwale tie-in point to the Brass terminal which was
completed and commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2007 to achieve first oil.
The facilities in Egbaoma Flowstation are; Tank farm, separators: Xhp (Extra
high pressure) separator, Hp (High pressure) separator, and LP Separator, Red
tanks for emergency, Test separator, Gas scrubber, Water skimmer, Air
compressor, heater, preheater, saver pit, manifold, Daniel Orifice Filling, Parton
recorder, Gas meter, Turbine meter.

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 Lessons Learnt At the Flow Station
 Tank farm.
 Process of Crude Oil separation.

Tank farm
The tank farm is a site containing many aboveground storage tanks used
primarily for the bulk storage of crude oil and as well for the exportation
of crude oil into the gathering facility. Crude oil is stored in the storage
tank at an atmospheric pressure of 14.6 psi and so must have undergone a
series of processing to reduce the high-pressure crude flowing from the
well before being stored in the storage tank.

The storage tank capacity ranges from 10,000 - 40,000 barrels of oil per
day and it's being retrieved from the storage through pumping. The
storage tank could be of production or exportation. The storage tank
receiving processed crude oil is termed a producing storage tank as
crude oil is being produced into it from the separation facilities while the
storage tank dispensing crude oil to the gathering facility is termed the
exporting storage tank for its dispenser of crude oil to the gathering
facility. The tank farm is surrounded by a bond wall to capture crude oil
in cases of storage tank leakage resulting from rupture. Rupture is a
phenomenon for rust of storage tanks resulting in oil spillage. The bond
wall serves as a guard, protecting spilt oil from escaping into the
community thereby polluting the environment and damaging the soil and
crops. Captured crude oil is scooped out of the bond well back to any
storage tank free from rust or after corrosion management. Scooping is a
manual way of recovering crude oil captured or retained in the bond wall.
100% of crude oil can't be retrieved from the storage tank, and the crude
oil below the production line of the storage tank can't be retrieved and
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they are termed Dead Crude. Through the production line crude oil is
pumped out and into the storage tank.
The equalizing line of the storage tank helps to prevent oil spillage from
a storage tank that's fully stored oil to its maximum capacity. The pump
producing or exporting crude oil from the storage tank may cavitate at a
crude oil level of 800-750bbl in the storage tank. Cavitation implies the
pump has lost its suction head pressure it's not able to produce.

Fig. 14 STORAGE TANK

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 PROCESS OF CRUDE OIL SEPARATION

Hydrocarbon enters the flow station through inlet pipes which have been based
on pressures to ensure proper flow of the hydrocarbon. The wells alignment
process ensures that oil and gas wells of widely dissimilar pressures do not flow
together. This allows wells with the same pressure to flow together. Gas comes
into the flow station as wet gas and it’s exported to the gas processing plant as
lean gas or flared (low-pressure gas only).

The hydrocarbon enters the inlet manifold which houses ligament valves that
control the direction of the flow of the oil and gas wells into different headers
depending on pressure regime. The manifold is designed to converge multiple
junctions into a single channel or diverge a single channel into multiple
junctions.

FIG. 15 MANIFOLD AND PRODUCTION H7EADER

From the manifold, hydrocarbon moves to the Header which is a pipe

arrangement that connects flowlines from several wellheads into a single
gathering line. The header has production and testing valves to control the flow
of each well, thus directing the produced fluids to production or testing vessels.

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The different headers direct the flow of hydrocarbon into different Separators
which are the XHP separator, the HP separator, the LP separator and the
Test separator which accommodate different pressure regimes. The XHP
production separator has an operating pressure of 1210psi, the HP production
separator has an operating pressure of 125psi, and LP is 20-30psi. The
separators are three-phase horizontal separator, they separate hydrocarbon into
Gas, Oil and water. The separators work with components of gravity. Due to the
difference in density, oil (least dense) rises to the top, water (densest) settles at
the bottom, and natural gas (lighter than liquids) accumulates at the top along
with some oil.

FIG. 16 HP AND LP SEPARATORS

GAS SEPARATION AND TREATMENT

The gas separated by XHP bulk production separator, Xhp Test separator and
HP separators moves through the inlet scrubber to the scrubber for further
separation and treatment. The scrubber removes particulates and liquid
hydrocarbons from natural gas. A gas scrubber system works by using particle
filters, coalescers, and mesh pads. The quantity of gas transported through the
pipelines is monitored using a gas metering skid. A gas metering skid is a
modular unit used in the oil and gas industry for accurately measuring the flow
rate and quantity of natural gas or other gases being transported through

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pipelines or processing facilities. At Egbaoma flowstation some of the low-
pressure gas were flared.
Low-pressure gas flaring is a practice used in the oil and gas industry to safely
dispose of or combust excess natural gas produced during oil drilling, well
testing, or processing operations. When gas cannot be economically captured,
processed, or transported, it's often flared to prevent it from being released
directly into the atmosphere, where it could contribute to air pollution,
greenhouse gas emissions, or even pose safety hazards. Gas from the HP
separator moves from the gas scrubber into the turbine. From gas scrubber to
turbine essentially describes the flow of gas after it has been cleaned in the
scrubber and is ready to be used as fuel in a gas turbine for power generation.
This sequence represents an important step in the process of converting natural
gas into electricity, where the gas is first cleaned of impurities before being
burned in the turbine to generate power. Unflared gas is sent off to the gas
compressor station for compression and distribution by Platform Petroleum
Limited major carriers PNG and co.

WATER SEPARATION AND TREATMENT

The water separated by the XHP bulk production separator, XHP Test separator,
HP separator and LP separator all move to the skimmer. The skimmer allows
oil to float above the water where the oil is trapped and returned to circulation.
Water is then discharged to the flow station gutters where it is moved to either
the waste pit known as the saverpit, injected into the water disposal.

CRUDE OIL SEPARATON AND TREATMENT

The crude oil separated from the XHP bulk production separator and XHP Test
separator is channelled to the Preheater, the preheater reduces the viscosity of
the crude oil by heating it, making it easier to handle and separate into its

33
constituent components. This viscosity reduction improves the efficiency of the
separation process, enhancing the effectiveness of separation equipment like
separators and distillation columns. Additionally, preheating the crude oil
before entering the separation process reduces overall energy consumption as
less energy is required compared to heating within the separation equipment
itself. Moreover, preheating helps prevent the formation of hydrates by ensuring
water remains in the liquid phase throughout the separation process. From the
preheater, it moves to the HP separators for further separation and removal of
other water or gaseous constituents that may have not been separated. From the
HP SEPARATOR, the oil is channelled to the heater. The heater’s role is to
further increase the temperature of the oil to a much higher level. This higher
temperature is often required for further processing. From the heater, it flows to
the LP separator where the oil is further separated and the remaining water or
gaseous constituents are removed. From the LP separator, it flows back to the
preheater and from the preheater to the Storage Tank. The stored crude then
exits the flow station to the pipelines through the export pumps. During the oil
separation process, the DOF (Daniel's Orifice Fitting) and Barton recorder
work together to ensure efficient operation. The DOF continuously measures
the pressure difference across a specific point, which is proportional to the oil's
flow rate. This information is then relayed to the Barton recorder, which creates
a continuous record of the flow rate over time. By monitoring the DOF's output
and analyzing the Barton recorder's data, operators can maintain the desired
flow rate within the separation system, identify any potential flow issues, and
ensure optimal separation performance.

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Fig. 17

35
 CONCLUSION

The trip to the Egbaoma oil field provided a comprehensive overview of its
drilling and production operations, shedding light on important aspects such as
production capacity, safety practices, and environmental impact. Valuable
insights were gained regarding drilling operations, producing wells, flow station
operations, safety measures, emergency preparedness, and management
policies. Field trips provide interns with valuable hands-on experience in the
field, allowing them to see real-world applications of the concepts they've
learned in the classroom.

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