Part 2.

3
Drilling Safety

Objectives
After reading the chapter and reviewing the
materials presented the students will be able to:
Understand common drilling hazards
Examine preparing sites for drilling
Discuss risks associated with drilling operations
Analyze safety as the highest priority

Introduction
Drilling rigs contain many hazards.
Of particular concern is the high pressure
associated with circulating drilling mud.
Offshore rigs present additional hazards due to
the harsh and remote aspects of deepwater
marine environments.
Common rig injuries are being struck by, caught
in or between, fire, explosion, or high pressure
release, rig collapse, falls, or H2S exposure.

Common Hazards
Most common drilling injuries are:
Struck by: Workers are frequently stuck by moving
equipment such as pipes, tongs, kelly, hoses, and other
equipment falling off the derrick.
Caught in or between: Workers have been injured by
being caught in the draw works, rotary table, or other
pieces of rotating equipment.
Fire, explosion, or high pressure release: Fires are
common due to escaping oil or gas. Other common
sources of fire are welders, or poorly designed electrical
equipment.

Common Hazards
Rig collapse: A structural failure of the rig is
perhaps more common during rig up or rig down
operations. Overloading a rig or poor
maintenance can also lead to collapse.
Falls: When working at heights harnesses may
be required.
Hydrogen sulfide exposure: H2S, a poisonous
gas can accumulate in mud tanks while drilling.

Preparing the Drill Site

The first step in drilling a new well on land is to build the
drilling site or pad where the rig will sit.
This usually involves grading the area to make it flat for the
rig, digging a reserve pit, and perhaps building a road to
allow access to the location.
Buried pipelines, communication cables, and power lines
can be dangerous if encountered, so the lines need to be
located before any earthmoving or digging activity takes
place.
All states have a one call system where operators of
underground lines will come out and mark the location of
their lines so construction activities do not damage them.

Installing the Rig

Drilling rigs are designed to be disassembled and
transported across highways.
Several hazards are present when assembling a rig.
Workers must be careful to avoid being struck by a
crane, truck, or forklift; pinching fingers when assembling
equipment; being burned while welding; or falling from
heights.
After rigs are set up, the driller or rig superintendent will
walk around the rig and check for missing or loose pins,
bolts guards, or handrails and make sure the electrical
system is hooked up properly.

Drilling Ahead

The derrick hand must wear protection against falling while working
up on the monkey board. Most rigs include a safety system that can
be used in case of a fire or blowout.
While handling pipe, floor hands must be careful of injury by the
draw works, rotary table, kelly, top drive unit, and tongs.
Drilling crews must make sure that the mud pump hoses are
properly connected and in good physical shape so it will not come
loose and whip around.
The drilling mud contains many different types of chemicals. Crews
use Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to make sure they are
using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and handling
chemicals properly to avoid injury.

Blowouts
Carefully monitor the drilling mud system for any warning
signs such as an increase in the mud pit level or more
gas breaking out of the shale shakers.
If gas or oil makes it to the surface, a Bop is used to shut
in the well while crews work to weight up the mud and
start pumping it into the well while slowly releasing
pressure at the surface using a choke.
If gas or oil escapes from the rig uncontrollably, then the
rig is evacuated. Special blowout crews are brought in to
try and cap the well or use other techniques like drilling a
relief well to stop the blowout.

Completing the Well

Once the well is drilled, the casing is often perforated to
allow the oil and gas to enter the well from the formation.
Perforation involves explosive charges.
Precautions must be taken to handle explosives properly.
During lightening storms, radio transmission is stopped
and perforating should not be preformed.
Some wells may be fracture simulated to increase
production.

Summary

Common rig injuries are being struck by, caught in or between, fire, explosion, or high pressure release, rig collapse,
falls, or H2S exposure.

Workers are frequently stuck by moving equipment such as pipes, tongs, kelly, hoses, and other equipment falling
off the derrick.
Workers have been injured by being caught in the draw works, rotary table, or other pieces of rotating equipment.
Fires are common due to escaping oil or gas. Other common sources of fire are welders, or poorly designed
electrical equipment.
A structural failure of the rig is perhaps more common during rig up or rig down operations. Overloading a rig or poor
maintenance can also lead to collapse.
When working at heights harnesses may be required.
H2S, a poisonous gas can accumulate in mud tanks while drilling.

Buried pipelines, communication cables, and power lines can be dangerous if encountered, so the lines need to be
located before any earthmoving or digging activity takes place.
All states have a one call system where operators of underground lines will come out and mark the location of their
lines so construction activities do not damage them.
Several hazards are present when assembling a rig. Workers must be careful to avoid being struck by a crane,
truck, or forklift; pinching fingers when assembling equipment; being burned while welding; or falling from heights.
After rigs are set up, the driller or rig superintendent will walk around the rig and check for missing or loose pins,
bolts guards, or handrails and make sure the electrical system is hooked up properly.
Carefully monitor the drilling mud system for any warning signs such as an increase in the mud pit level or more gas
breaking out of the shale shakers.
Once the well is drilled, the casing is often perforated to allow the oil and gas to enter the well from the formation.

Home Work
1. What are some common rig injuries?
2. What is a one call system?
3. What hazards are present when
assembling a rig?