Drilling & Production Techniques Flashcards

What is 'lost circulation' during drilling operations?

Answer: Drilling fluid flowing into a formation rather than returning to surface

Lost circulation occurs when drilling mud flows into porous, fractured, or cavernous formations instead of returning up the annulus to surface.

In hydraulic fracturing, what is a 'proppant'?

Answer: Granular material pumped into fractures to hold them open

Proppants such as sand or ceramic beads are pumped into hydraulic fractures to prop them open after pumping pressure is released, maintaining flow paths.

What does API gravity measure in crude oil evaluation?

Answer: The relative density of oil compared to water

API gravity is a measure of how heavy or light crude oil is relative to water; higher API gravity means lighter, more valuable crude.

What is the purpose of a 'christmas tree' in oil well production?

Answer: An assembly of valves and fittings that controls flow at the wellhead

A Christmas tree is an assembly of valves, spools, and fittings installed on a producing wellhead to control and regulate the flow of oil and gas.

Which artificial lift method uses a down-hole pump powered by a surface beam pumping unit?

Answer: Sucker rod pump (beam pump)

A sucker rod pump uses a reciprocating beam unit at surface connected by a string of steel rods to a down-hole pump that lifts fluid to surface.

What is 'primary recovery' in petroleum production?

Answer: The first stage using only natural reservoir energy to produce fluids

Primary recovery relies solely on natural reservoir energy — pressure, gas drive, or gravity — without any injection of supplemental energy.

In well control, what is the 'driller's method' used for?

Answer: A two-circulation kick-killing method that circulates the kick out before weighting up mud

The driller's method kills a kick in two circulations: the first removes the influx with original mud, and the second circulates kill-weight mud.