Glossary Of Terms
Back to Back; Person doing your job during your time off.
Bond;
Shop on the rig selling toothpaste, confectionery, etc.
Beach;
Refers to land.
Crescent Wrench;
American term for an adjustable spanner.
Casing;
This large metal pipe comes in various sizes. Several lengths are
joined together and put into the previously drilled hole and cemented
in place.
Change Over;
Shift change. Night to days or days to nights.
Galley;
Canteen where you get your meals.
Greenhand;
Someone who is new to the offshore industry.
Hydrocarbons;
Organic chemical compounds made up mainly of Hydrogen and Carbon. A
term given to all types of crude oil and gas.
Leave;
Your time off the rig.
Load;
Item being lifted by crane.
Mud;
Consisting of various chemicals, this dark brown drilling fluid is
pumped down the drill pipe at high pressure to remove cuttings from
and cool the drill bit.
Off Tour;
Time off while on the rig. Usually 12 hours.
Oil Rig Tight;
Answer given when asking how tight to make a bolt. Meaning hit the
spanner with a hammer to get it extremely tight. Remember the
Roughneck's Quote "I don't know what it is but I bet I can break it".
On Tour;
Time at work while on the rig. Usually 12 hours.
Plastic Yank;
A person who after working with Americans develops a USA accent and
mannerisms, such as wearing big belt buckles, baseball caps and cowboy
boots and chewing tobacco.
Relief;
Person doing your job while you are off tour.
Roustabout's Nest;
Place where a Roustabout hides when the deck crew are not busy. You
know you have found a nest from the empty soft drink cans,
confectionery wrappers and improvised seat.
Smoko;
Morning and afternoon breaks, even if you are not a smoker.
Smoko Shack;
Designated on shift tea break area/room. Most rigs have a smokers
shack and a non-smokers shack.
Standby Boat;
Rescue vessel that is always within 5 miles of the rig.
Tag line;
Rope used to control an item being lifted by the crane.
Tight Hole;
Secrecy surrounding information on well being drilled. Preventing
competitors from finding out what has been found...usually :-)
Town;
Refers to Aberdeen, or any shore base you are working out of.
Trip;
Length of your working period on the rig i.e. 3 weeks, 2 weeks,
whatever.
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