Chapter One
Definitions
Abbreviations
Quotes
Written on the wall
Doghouse Definition:
A mobile or skid mounted trailer containing a light plant storage room, change room, office, eating area and meeting place for the service rig personnel, usually the size of a horse trailer and sometimes is.
Do you know the difference between a fairy tale and doghouse story? A fairy tale always starts with the phase "Once upon a time in a land far far away"; a doghouse story always starts with the phase "No word of a lie, I was there".
DICTIONARY
Glossary of Positions
Toolpush, "The Push" - The rig manager, he is in charge of managing the day to day operations of the rig. He is a mechanic, electrician, packer hand, babysitter, mathematician, counselor, cook, boilerhand, banker, the chief button sorter and bottle washer. He is usually the oldest and most experienced hand on the crew.
Driller, "Digger" - The rig operator. He is in charge of directing the crew in the operation of the rig. He makes the blocks go up and down, sets the slips and operates the BOP's. This is the guy that does most of the training. He usually drives the rig as well.
Derrickhand, "Derrick" - As the name implies he runs the derrick, latching and unlatching either pipe or rods in the derrick. This man also runs the pump and tank and all the work involved with that equipment. He assists in training the roughnecks and usually drives the pump and tank if its mobile.
Stud Roughneck, "Roughie" - This guy's job description involves everything else, including running the tongs during tripping operations. He is the more experienced of the two roughnecks (if there are two). This guy is the painter, scrubber, oil changer, cleaner, gofer, pack mule, scapegoat, etc., etc., etc. He drives what he is told to.
Green Roughneck, "FNG" (Fine New Gentleman) - The job description of this fellow is simple - anything the rest of the crew doesn't want to do.
Well Site Supervisor, "Consultant" - This gentleman is hired by the oil company to arrange for all the services and to supervise the job of servicing the well. He is the ultimate phone jockey and holder of the sacred program. Without putting a hand on a wrench he can frac, wireline, trip pipe, snub, swab and change out a pump. The consultant is usually an expert in all aspects of well servicing and if you don't think so just ask him.
Comments heard in the doghouse:
- Work harder not smarter (no, its not the other way around)
- Never put your fingers where you wouldn't put your privates
- Never take the job away from a machine, Unless it’s a vibrator (It’s the only exception that I can think of.)
The oil and gas has been there for a million years, it won't rot over night
I want you head down, ass up – once I recognize you by your face you’re run off!
1 hour late and 4 hours early
- I didn't do it, nobody seen me do it, you can't prove a thing
- Rule #1 - the push is always right
- Rule #2 - if the push is wrong refer to rule #l
- Another day another 65 cents
- If it isn’t broken don't fix it
- The first three steps you take in a blowout situation are long fast ones
- New roughnecks are like young virgins what they lack in experience they make up in enthusiasm.
- I am on it like a fat kid on a smarty.
- You can't get any sooner than right now.
- If you don’t take care of business business will take care of you
- We could have finished the job sooner but the tool push and the consultant came out to help.
- Do as I tell you or you’ll be kicking gravel.
- If you don’t like it the road’s 40’ wide and as long you want to make it.
Comments about southern Alberta
They say that if your dog runs away in southern Alberta you can still see him running two days later.
The woodpeckers have to pack a lunch to get between trees.
There are a total of six trees between Brooks and Hanna, and the locals have names for every one of them.
Who needs a forest when you have rolling hills! (A hamlet in southern Alberta)
Written in erasable pen on the direction boards:
- Do not be sorry. Be more careful.
- It is not enough to know how, you should know why.
- I will skid the next guy who doesn't take off his gloves before opening the doghouse door
Acronyms and Abbreviations
The oil patch loves acronyms and letters - here are a few that are common:
WOOING : waiting on orders
HMFIC: Motherf….. in charge
SDFN: shut down for night
AMF: adios motherf…….
WOWING: waiting on wireline
POOH: pull out of hole
RIH: run in hole
TSTM: too small to measure
RU & RO: rig up & rig out
MPS: mindless piece of snot
Doghouse: Definitions
Vocabulary
I think the hardest part of learning the rigs is the different vocabulary the riggers use. We talk about dognuts, horses heads, nipples, horsecocks, christmas trees and many other words exclusively used in the patch. The following are some of the terms and what the heck they mean. This list is for the service rigs:
ACCUMULATOR- An accumulator is a hydraulic system, consisting of a pump, oil reservoir, valves and piping, used to operate large hydraulic valves, which sit on the well, The accumulator is usually found in the doghouse combination building.
AIR PACK- An air pack is a piece of personal protective equipment you will use if there is any chance of gas emissions.
BACK-UPS- Back-ups are part of tongs, the machine used to spin pipe together.
BALES - Bales are part of the assembly used to raise and lower pipe. They are heavy, solid metal bars, which are used to connect the hoisting assembly.
BLOCK- Blocks form part of the assembly used to raise and lower pipe and rods, and tackle and are always painted yellow.
BOILER- A boiler is used on the job sites when the weather falls below zero, to keep the water from freezing. The boiler makes steam to keep equipment thawed out.
BOOMER- Boomers are used to put on chains to tighten them and are used on all rigs and by all truck drivers.
BOPs- Blowout preventers are large, hydraulically operated valves installed on the well to be used in emergencies to control a well.
CARRIER- The carrier is the main body of a rig on which the motor, transmission and drawworks are mounted.
CATWALK- A catwalk is a raised walkway that sits near the rig floor.
CHICSAN-A chicsan is a swivel connection used for hooking up pump lines.
COME-A-Long - A come-a-long tool takes up slack on a wire cable, which needs to be tightened up.
DERRICK- The derrick is the tall mast of a rig and it contains platforms where the derrick man works.
Doghouse- The doghouse is the change room where you will also take your coffee and lunch breaks.
DOPE- Dope or pipe dope is special grease put on the threads of the pipe used in the well.
DRAWWORKS - The drawworks are major rig components, and they sit on the carrier. The driller operates the drawworks, which consists of two hoisting drums.
DRIFT - A drift is a solid, round piece of metal, which is passed through the hole in the pipe to make sure the pipe can be run in the hole.
DRILL LINE- The drill line runs from the draw works drum, up the derrick and down to the hoisting equipment.
DRILLER’s PAD- The driller stands on the driller's pad when run running the controls.
ELEVATORS- Elevators clamp around the pipe or rods in the hole in order to run or pull them.
HAMMER UNION- The hammer union is comprised of fittings which is used to tie pump lines and chicsans together.
HORSE'S HEAD- The "horse's head" is the top part of a pump jack.
JACKS- Jacks are hydraulically operated stands on which the rig sits.
JOINT- A joint is the term used for a piece of tubing or pipe, which is run in the hole.
JUNK BOX - The junk box is a piece of equipment in which tools, tongs, BOP's and fuel are stored.
KELLY HOSE- The Kelly hose is a 20-foot, flexible, high-pressure hose used to circulate fluids during well servicing operations.
KNOWLEDGE BOX- The knowledge box is a stand up desk in the doghouse, which holds all the paperwork and small items, needed on a rig.
LIGHT PLANT The light plant is comprised of a motor and generator and provides the electrical power on the rig.
LUBRICATOR - A lubricator is a piece of equipment put on the well when the crew is performing swabbing procedures.
MATTING - Rig matting consists of boards inside a steel frame set down under heavy equipment.
MONKEY BOARD - The monkey board is a work platform in the derrick on which the derrick man works. When pipe is pulled from the well and has to go back in it is stood on end and racked into the monkey board.
PIPE WRENCH - The pipe wrench is one of the most used tools on a service rig. A large sized pipe wrench is called a "36" and a smaller one is called a "24".
POWER SWIVEL- A power swivel is used to drill out something in the well. It is a large hydraulic machine that spins, making the pipe and the drill bit turn.
PUMP JACK- The pump jack is a piece of artificial lift equipment which is in place on some wells and bring oil to the surface.
PUMP LINES- Pump lines are pipes that connect the pump to the wellhead.
PUMP MANIFOLD -A pump manifold is a system of valves at the pump, which direct fluids in several different ways.
PUP JOINT - A pupjoint is a piece of pipe that is shorter than a regular joint. Pump joints range in length from two to ten feet.
RIG TANK- The rig tank is used to store the fluids needed to service a well.
ROD HOOK- The rod hook attaches to the bottom of the hoisting assembly when rods have to be pulled or run in the well.
ROD BASKETS- A rod basket is a work platform near the top of the derrick where rods are hung.
SAND LINE- A sand line is a large spool of cable in the drawworks. The sand line runs in the well with a rubber cup on the end of it. When it's pulled out, fluid is brought to the surface. The sand line is also used to pick up and lay down heavy items.
SLIPS- Slips sit on top of the BOP when the work floor is being used. Slips close around the pipe and hold it up when the elevators are removed.
SNIPE- A snipe is a long hollow tube that is put on a pipe wrench. It provides more leverage when extra torque is needed to tighten up connections or when breaking them out.
STABBING VALVE- A stabbing valve is kept on the work floor to put into tubing if needed.
STAND- A stand is a length of pipe standing in the derrick. On smaller rigs it will only be one piece of pipe but on larger rigs it will be two pieces.
STRIPPING RUBBER - A stripping rubber is a round piece of rubber with a hole in the middle of it. It is put on the pipe in the well and strips oil and fluids off the pipe as it is being pulled.
SUCTION HOSE- The suction hose between the pump and tank is used to transfer fluid into the pump.
TALLY TAPE- A tally tape is a long measuring tape used to measure the pieces of pipe to be run into the well.
TONGS - Tongs are large hydraulic machines used to spin in and torque up pipe being run in the well. They can also be reversed in order to break out pipe when pulling.
WINCHLINE - A winch line is used to pick up and move objects too heavy to be moved manually.
WORKFLOOR - The work floor is the platform near ground level where the floorhands work when pipe or rods are being used.
Dans Doghouse Stories
