WorldWide Drilling Resource

When the Oil Field was on Display Adapted from Information by American Oil & Gas Historical Society In 1967, the Smithsonian Institute’s American history museum opened the “Hall of Petroleum”, which included cable tool and rotary drilling rigs, pump jacks, and other oilfield exhibits. During the hall’s tenure, thousands of visitors viewed exam- ples of exploration and production advance- ments within the petroleum industry. The main purpose of the hall was to increase the public’s awareness and respect for the technical skill and knowl- edge of those who worked in the petrole- um industry by publically presenting the nature of the steps used to find, produce, and prepare oil for consumption. The hall covered a wide range of applications, including automobiles, airplanes, power stations, household furnaces, and the petrochemical industry. When visitors entered the exhibit hall, they were welcomed by a giant mural painted by Delbert Jackson, a distinguished artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who spent two years panting his illustration of oil exploration, produc- tion, refining, and delivery. He titled the piece “Panorama of Petroleum”. It featured the faces of 22 identifiable Tulsa oilmen and the artist - portrayed in the background as a roughneck. In front of the mural, a rotary drill rig was displayed, which was originally used to drill water wells in Texas, then shallow oil wells. The exhibit’s horse-powered machine called the Corsicana rig is believed to be one of the oldest surviving examples of a rotary rig. Many of the exhibits described drilling and completion technologies, which highlighted artifical means used for well stimulation, lifting oil to the surface, refining methods, natural gas and petro- chemicals, distribution of petroleum products to the consumer, and transportation. A section called “Exploring by Drilling” revealed how a well in an area with no prior drilling or production of oil is called a wildcat. When the Hall of Petroleum closed, the exhibits were dispersed or placed in storage. The mural was in storage for three decades until the city of Tulsa recovered it, and in 1998, it was restored and installed at the Tulsa International Airport. Drill Pipe Market Expects Increased Demand by 2025 Adapted from a Press Release by SB Wire According to a recent report from TMR Research, a market research and consulting company, the global drill pipe market is poised to see increased demand by 2025. Drill pipe allows drilling fluids to travel toward the drill point and back upward through the annulus (the space between the wellbore and casing, or between casing and tubing, where fluid flows). Typically made from aluminum or steel, drill pipe is available in different sizes, strengths, and wall thicknesses. Their length is usually 27-32 feet, and they are able to withstand massive internal and external pressure, distortion, bending, and vibration as they can rotate and lift the bottom hole as- sembly (BHA). Drill pipe must be able to withstand the massive pressure applied by the ground toward the outer walls of the pipe, as well as the pressure from the fluids within. This involves the use of tempered steel tubes, which can be expensive. The spiking demand for energy and progress in drilling technologies, such as pad drilling and horizontal drilling, are expected to amp up output and demand even further. Increased activity from shale reserves, coalbed methane, and tar sands projects is also expected to impact demand. Additionally, the continued spike in global petroleum consump- tion could create major growth opportunities in the near future. North America is a key region due to its increasing shale gas exploration and production in the U.S.; Canada will also be another important market in the region. The Middle East and Africa are crucial markets due to large number of reserves, mainly offshore. In terms of growth, Asia Pacific, powered by China, will outshine all other regions. This will be mainly because of the flexible and simple regulatory situation in China, India, Indonesia, and Singapore. Photo of drill pipe courtesy of Endot Industries, Inc. EXB 45 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MAY 2018 G&O