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    A Dictionary for the Petroleum Industry. Published by The University of Texas at. Austin in 1997. The following publishers have 9raciously 9ranted permission to use definitions or altered definitions from copyri9hted material.

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    Dictionary for the Petroleum Industry

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    A Dictionary for the Petroleum Industry. Published by The University of Texas at. Austin in 1997. The following publishers have 9raciously 9ranted permission to use definitions or altered definitions from copyri9hted material.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    1K views249 pages

    Dictionary For The Petroleum Industry

    Uploaded by

    lalsan
    A Dictionary for the Petroleum Industry. Published by The University of Texas at. Austin in 1997. The following publishers have 9raciously 9ranted permission to use definitions or altered definitions from copyri9hted material.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    A Dictionary if) a dal) Pea) (LUMLEY A Dictionary for the Petroleum Industry — SECOND D Prmone fo" a he a fe" no {* e of gd? © th Nol pe | Qatecbel Le Ysrce Ae dens Sytly pe Dicioned Bp othan Terme ar a ois Berrolgym Extension Service e1957 ny Thais gt pons All Rights Reseed. First eition published ms es ion published 2. "rat inted iff the United States" * oy: 1ldhook or prs thee ms fos See of Petleum Extension Service. The Utagsity of Teas at Austin, we Brand names. company names. trademarks. or other identifying symbols appear ing ig iffustrations or cext are used for educational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsemegt by the publisher. ‘The University of Texas at Austin is an equal opportunity institution. No state tax funds were used to print or mail this publication Catalog No. £40020 ISBN 0:88698-180-8 Special thanks to Boris Dickey and Kathryn Roberts for their help in getting the ‘manuscript into final form, and to Tom R. Thomas, Sedco Forex, for additions to this publication anti generous help in proofreading. The following publishers have graciously granted permission to use definitions or oltered definitions fram copyrighted material: Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies P.Q. Box 12131 Dallas. TX 75225 Various accounting definitions. Used with permission, Doubleday Division of Bantam, ‘Doubleday, Dell Publishing Group, Ine. 503 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 ‘American Geological Institute Dictionary of Geological Terms, rev. (©1976, 1984 by American Geological Institute). Used with permission, All rights reserved. ‘body waves dip-slip fault; downthrow; nuclear log; shear ‘wave: slip plane: solid solution: stratigraphic unit: surface wave: ultimate strength Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd. Crown House Linton Road Barking, Essex IG1I 81U, England Jenkins Oil Economists’ Handbook (1985). Used with permission. Alt rights reserved based on or adaied from definitions of arm's length bargaining; branded distributor; swing producer” Energy Information Administration Office of Energy Markets & End Use USS. Department of Energy ‘Washington, DC 20585 Monthly Energy Review (August 1989), Used with permission. All rights reserved parts of glossary Gulf Publishing Company PO. Box 2608 Houston, TX. 77252-2608 David F. Tver, Gulf Publishing Dictionary of Business and Science, third ed. Houston’ Gulf Publishing Company, 1974. Used with permis- sion. All rights reserved ‘compression wave; critical angle: Joule’s law Gulf Publishing Company PO. Box 2608 Houston, TX 77252-2608 Harry Whitehead, ed., A~Z Dictionary of Offshore Oil & Gas, second ed. Houston: Gulf Publishing, 1983. Used with permission. All rights reserved, vvisbreaking McGraw-Hill, Inc 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Daniel N. Lapedes, editor-in-chief, McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, second ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978, Used with permission. All rights reserved, caliper: micrometer PennWell Books. a division of PennWell Publishing Company PO. Box 1260 Tulsa, OK 74101 Langenkamp, Handbook of Oil Industry Terms and Phrases. fourth ed Tulsa: PennWell Books, 1985. Used With permission, All rights reserved middle distillate; straight-run Langenkamp, Illustrated Petroleum Reference Dictionary, third ed, Tulsa: PennWell Books, 1984. Used with Permission. All rights reserved carrier bar; charge stock; gas oil process stream: Seven Sisters; sling; swag. PREFACE ‘The addition of a staff member unfamiliar with the oit industry tes te the preparation of this new, greatly expanded version of A Dictionary of Petroleum Terms. She found the third edivion of that dictionary very useful in helping her understand some of what she was reading in the oil and gas journals, but many of the terms she encountered in those publications were not defined in our dictionary. “The new Dictionary for the Petroleum Indusiryas al of the features of its predecessor—a list of abbreviations, Sf units, SI units for drilling, metric equivalents, and mets prefixes—and adds hundreds more definitions and illustrates many of them, |As was true for its predecessor volume, definitions included in this new dictionary come from many sources—writers and ‘editors, Industry personnel, PETEX instructors and coordinators. and various published works. Although this dictionary could not have been completed without these sources, PETEX is solely responsible for its content. Although every effort was made 10 censure that our information is accurate and up-to-date, this dictionary is intended for educational purposes only. Nothing in itis tobe considered appraval or disapproval of any product or practice. Ron Baker Director Petroleum Extension Service AAPG abbr: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPL abbr: American Association of Pewroleum Landmen. ‘abaft adv: |. toward the stern ofa ship or mobile offshore drilling cig. 2. behind. 3. farther aft than, See aft ‘abandon ¥: to cease producing oll and gas, from a well when it becomes unprofitable or to cease further work on a newly deilled well when itproves nor‘ contain profitable ‘quantities of oil or gas. Several steps are involved: partof the casing may be removed and salvaged: one or more cement plugs are placed inthe borehole to prevent migration (of fuids between the diferent formations penetrated by the borehole; and the well is abandoned. In most oil-producing states, it is necessary to secure permission from official agencies before a well may be aban- donea. abandoned well n:a well not inuse because it was a dry hole originally, or because it hhas ceased to produce. Statutes and regula- tions in many states require the plugging of abandoned wells to prevent the seepage of oil, g88, or Water from one stratum of un. derlying rock to another. ‘abandonment n: termination ofa jurisdic- ‘ional sale or service. Under Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must determine in advance that the “present or furure public convenience and necessity” or depletion of ga Supplies requires termination. ‘abandonment pressure: the average res- cenit pressure af which an amount of gas insufficient to permit continued economic operation of aproducing gas wel isexpelled. abd, abdn abbr: abandoned; used in drill- ing reports. abnormal pressure n: pressure exceeding cor falling below the pressure to be expected ata given depth. Normal pressure increases approximately 0.465 pounds per square inch per foot of depth or 10.5 kilopascals per ‘metre of depth. Thus, normal pressure at 1,000 feet is 465 pounds per square inch; at 1,000 metres itis 10,500 kilopascals. See Pressure gradient. aboard adv: on or in a ship, offshore drill- ing rig, helicopter, or production platform, abrasion »: wearing away by friction. [ABS abbr: American Bureau of Shipping. abscissa n: the horizontal coordinate of a point a plane obtained by measuring par- allel t0 the x-axis, Compare ordinate absolute (abs) adj: independent or unlim- ited, such as an absolute condition, or com- pletely unadulterated, such as aleohol ‘atbsolute density n: the density of a solid fr liquid substance ata specifies terapera- ture, Sometimes referred to as trve density ‘or density in vacuo. See density. absolute dynamic viscosity n: the force in dynes that a stationary lat plate with asur- face area of | square centimetre exerts ona similar parallel plate I centimetre away and ‘moving in its owa plane with a velocity of | centimetre per second. the space between she plates being filed with the liquid in question. It is a measure of the resistance thatthe liquid offers to shear. absolute error n: the difference between the result of @ measurement and the wue ‘value of the measured quantity as deter- ined by means of a suitable Standard device. absolute humidity n: the amount of mois- ‘ure present in the air. It may be expressed 4, milligrams of water per cubic metre of ait. Compare relative humidity absolute kinematic viscosity : the value ‘obtained when the absolute dynamic vis- cosity is divided by the density (expressed ‘in grams per cubie centimetre) ofthe liquid atthe temperature concerned. absolute mass”: the expression ofa fuid’s ‘weight (mass) in terms ofits weight in a absolute open flow r: the maximum flow Tate that a well could theoretically deliver with zero pressure at the face of the reser~ absolute ownership n: the theory that min- eral such a8 oil and gas ae fully owned in place before they are extracted and reduced to possession. Despite this theory, tle oil ‘and gas may be lost by legitimate drainage ‘and by the rule of capture. Also called own- exship in place. See rule of capaure. absolute permeability n: a measure of the ability ofa single fluid (such as water, gas, ‘oF oil) to flow through a rock formation ‘when the formation is totally filed (satu- rated) with that fluid. The permeability measure of a rock filled with a single uid is different from the permeability measure of the same rock filled with #0 or more fluids. Compare effective permeability ela- sive permeability ‘absolute porosity n: the percentage of the ‘otal bulk volume of a rock sample that is ‘composed of pore spaces or voids. See orosiry absolute pressure n: total pressure mea- ‘ved feom am absolute vacuum. It equals the sum of the gauge pressure and the atmo- spheric pressure. Expressed in pounds per square inch, absolute temperature scale n: a scale of Temperature measurement in which zero degrees is absolute zero, On the Rankine absolute temperature scale, which is based londegrees Fahrenheit, water freezes at 492° and boils at 672°. On the Kelvin absolute ‘emperatuce scale, which is based on de agrees Celsius, water freczes at 27%" and boils at373°. See absolute zero. absolute viscosity n: the property by which 2 fluid in motion offers resistance to shear ang flow. Usually expressed as newton- secondy/metre absolute zero n: a hypothetical temperature at which teresa total absence of heat. Since heat isa result of energy caused by molecu- Jar motion, there is n0 motion of molecules ‘ith respect to each other at absolute 2270, absorb ¥: 1. to take in and make part of an ‘existing whole. 2, to recover liquid hydro- ‘carbons from natural or refinery gasina.gas- absorption plant. The wet gas enters the absorber atthe bottom and rises to the top, encountering a stream of absorption oil (a light oil) traveling downward over bubble- ap trays, valve trays, oF sieve trays. The light oll removes, ot absorbs, the heavier liquid hydrocarbons from the wet gas. See bubble-cap tray, sieve tay, valve tay. absorbent n: see absorption ol absorber m: I. vertical, eylin- Arica vessel that recovers heavier hydeocarbons from a mixture of predominantly lighter nydrocar- bons. Alsocalled absorption tower. 2. vessel in which gas is dehydrated by being bubbled through glycol See absorb. ABSORBER section absorber eapacityn: the maximum volume ‘of natural gas that can be processed through an absorber ata specified absorption ol rate, temperature, ae pressure without exceed- ing pressure drop or any other operating limitation. absorption : 1, the process of sucking up, taking in and making part of an existing whole, Compare adsorprion. 2. the process inn which shortwave radiation is retained by regions ofthe earth. absorption dynamometer m: adevice that ‘measures mechanical force. The eneray ‘measured is absorbed by frictional or elec- trical resistance. absorption gasoline n: the gasoline ex- tracted from natural gas by putting the gas ino contact with oil in a vessel and subse- {quently distilling the gasoline from the heavier il, absorption ol: 2 hydrocarbon liquid used to absorb and recover componenis from natural gas being processed. Also called wash oil. absorption plant n: a plant that processes ‘natural gas with absorption ol. absorption-refgeration cyclen: mechan- ical refrigeration system in which vhe refri- gerantis absorbed bya suitable liquid or solid. ‘The most commonly used refrigerant is am- ‘monia; the most commonly used absorbing medium is water. Compare compression efrigeration ext. absorption tower n: see absorber. abstract-based title opinion n: title opin- jon based on acomplete abstract of te and ‘other relevant documents. Compare stand- up title epinion, abstract company n: a private company in the business of preparing abstracts of tile and performing elated services. Also called abstract plant. abstract of title n:acollection of all ofthe recorded instruments affecting tte (0 atract of fand, Compare base abstract. abstract plant m: see abstract company, abyssal adj: of or relating to the bottom waters of the ocean, ‘Ac abbr: altocumulus. AC abbr: alternating current accelerated aging test mn: a procedure whereby a product may be subjected to intensified but controlled conditions of hea, ‘pressure, radiation, or other variables ta gro- dove, in @ shor time, the effects of lon time storage or use under normal conditions. acceleration stress: when acrane is hoist- ing a load, the additional force the load ‘imposes on a wire rope ora sling when the load’s speed increases accelerator n: a chemical additive that re duces the setting time of cement. See ce- ‘ment, cementing materials. accelerometer n: an instrument that detects changes in motion or measures acceleration. accessory equipment n: any device that enhances the utility of a measurement sys- tem including readouts, registers, monitors, and liquid- or flow-conditioning equipment. acerete v: to enlarge by the addition of external parts or particles. ‘accumulate ¥: to amass or collect. When oil and gas migrate into porous formations, the quantity collected is called an accumu: lation ‘accumulator n: 1.2 vessel or tank that re ceives and temporarily stores a liquid used in a continuous process in a gas plant. See drip accumulator. 2. on a drilling rig, the storage device fornitrogen-pressurized hy- ddraulic Muid, which is used in operating the ‘blowout preventers. See blowout preventer control unit. ACCUMULATOR (det.2) ‘accumulator bottle m: botle-shaped steel cylinder located in a blowout preventer con- ‘wol unit tostore nitrogen and hydraulic fluid ‘mder pressure (usually 3,000 pounds per Square ineh). The fluid is used to actuate the blowout preventer stack. accuracy n: the ability of a measuring instrument to indicate values closely ‘approximating the true value of the quai- tity measured. accuracy curve of @ volume meter #: a plot of meter factor 2s a function of flow fate used to evaluate the meter’s perfor ‘mance. See flow rate, meter factor acetic acid nan organic acid compound sometimes used to acidize oilwells. tis not a8 corasive as osher acids used in wel teat- ‘ments. ls chemical formula is CoH,O>, or CHCOOH. acetylene welding n: a method of joining steel components in which acetylene gas and oxygen are mixed in a toreb 10 atzin the high temperatures necessary for weld- ing. ASan early type of welding (it was also called oxyacetylene welding), its primary disadvantage was the seepage of molten weld material onto the interior surface of the pipe, often leading to corrosion prob. Jems. ACGIH abbr: American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists. ‘acid n: any chemical compound, one ele. ‘ment of which is hydrogen, that dissociates in solution to produce free hydrogen ions, For example, hydrochloric acid. HCI. dis: sociates in water to produce hydrogen ions, H+, and chloride ions, Cl-. This reaction is expressed chemically as HCI + H¥ + Cr See ion, ‘acid brittleness n: see hydrogen embritle- ment. ‘acid clay n:a naturally occurring clay that, after activation, usually with acid, is used ‘mainly as a decolorant or refining agent, and sometimes as 2 desutfurizer, coagulant, or catalyst acid fracture v: to partor open fractures in productive hard limestone formations by using acombination of ol and acid or water and acid under high pressure. See forma- Ji fracturing. acid gas n: a gas that forms an acid when ‘mixed with water. In petroleum production ‘and provessing, the most common acid ‘gases are hydrogen sulfide and carbon di- oxide. Both cause corrosion, and hydrogen sulfide is very poisonous. acidity n: the quality of being acid. Rela- tive acd strength of a liquid is measured by pH. A liquid with a pH below 7 is acid. See pH. acidize v: to treat ol-bearing limestone oF other formations with acid for tie purpose of increasing production. Hydrochloric or other acid is injected into the formation ‘under pressure. The acid etches the rock, enlarging the pore spaces and passages through which the reservoir fluids flow. Acid also removes formation dasnage by dissolv- ing material plugging the rock surrounding the wellbore. The acid is held under pres- sure fora period of time and then pumped ‘out, after which the well is swabbed and ‘at back into production. Chemical inhibi {ors combined withthe acid prevent corto sion of the pipe acid recovery plant n: plant forthe recov. ery of sulfuric acid from acid sludge acid sludge n: material of high specific gravity formed during the chemical refining treatment of oils by sulfuric acid and usu- ally separable by settling or centrifuging. ‘Also called acid tar. ‘acid stimulation n: 4 well stimulation method using acid. See acidize. acid tar m: see acid sludge. acid treatment 1: a method by which petrolzum-bearing limestone or other for- mations are put into contact with an acid to enlarge the pore spaces and passages through which the reservoir fluids flow. acid wash n: an acid treatment in which ‘a0 acid mixture is circulated through a ‘wellbore to clean it acknowledgment n: a dectaration or an avowal of any act or fact made by @ signatory party to a document to a notary public or other public official authorized to take an acknowledgment to give it legal effect. acoustic log n: a record of the measure- ment of porosity, done by comparing depth to the time it takes for a sonic impulse to travel through a given length of formation, ‘The rate of travel of the sound wave ‘through @ rock depends on the composi- tion of the formation and the fluids itcon- tains. Because the type of formation can be ascertained by other logs, and because sonic transit time varies with relative ‘amounts of rock and fluid, porosi ‘usually be determined in this way. acoustic position reference n: a system consisting of a beacon positioned om the seafloor to transmit an acoustic signal, a set of three or four hydrophones mounted fon the hull of a floating offshore drilling ‘vessel to receive the signal, and a position display unit to track the relative positions of the rig and the drill site. Monitoring of acousnic Posiion [REFERENCE the display unit aids in accurate position- ing ofthe rig over the site. acoustic signatures n pl: the characteris- tic pattems for various degrees of cement ‘bonding between the casing and the bore- hole that appear on an oscilloscope display ‘when a sonic cemeat bond log is made. acoustic survey n: a well-logging method in which sound impulses are generated and ‘transmitted into the formations opposite the wellbore, The time it takes for the sound impulses to travel through the rock is mea- sured and recorded. Subsequent interpre- tation ofthe record (log) permits estimation of the rock's porosity and fluid content. acoustic well logging n: the process ofre- cording the acoustic characteristics of sub- surface formations, based on the time required for a sound wave to travel a specific distance through rock. The rate of travel depends on the composition of the formation, its porosity, and its fluid con- tent. Also called sonic logging, ‘acquired land n: land owned by the United States, acquired by deed or otherwise. Such land has never been in the public domain or was in the public domain at one time and was later reacquired by purchase, con- » cantinvous- peration liquid process for removing acid ‘ga from natural gas by using chemical ab- Sorption with subsequent heat addition to Strip the acid gas components from the ab- sorbent solution. alyyl n: a compound desived from an al: keane by removing one hysogen atom, alkylation 2: 2 process foe manufacturing Components for 100-octane gasoline. An aly] groups ingcedintoan rganiccom- Pound ether with or without catalyst. Now ‘svaly used to mean alkylation of isobuiae ‘wth propene butenes, oexenes inthe pes ence of concentrated sulfuric acid or anny- drous hydrofluoric aid. alligator grab n:a fishing device used 10 pick up relatively small objects like ‘wrenches that have fallen or have been Aropped inta the wellbore. The alligator grabs jaws are pinned open before the tool {srum into the well The jaws snap shut over the fish when contact is made all-tevel sample n: in tank sampling, & Sample that is obtained by submerging @ stoppered beaker or botle toa point as near ‘as possible tothe draw off level, then open- ing the sampler and raising it arate that ‘makes it about three-quarters full (maxi- suum 85%) as icemerges from the liquid. Allocation n: the distribution of ol or gas produced from a well pe unit of time Ina Sate using proration, tis figure is estab- lished monthly by its conservation agency. allocation meter n: se tail gu. allonge n: see rider. allotted land n: Native American land des ignated for use by a specific individual, al- though the tte is stil held by the United States, allowable n: the amount of oi! or gas that can be produced legally from a well. In 8 State using proration, this igure is estab- lished monthly by its conservation agency. See proration. alloy n: a substance with metallic proper ties that comprises two or mare elements in solid solution. See ferrous alloy, nonfer- rows alloy. alluvial fan: large, sloping sedimentary cdeposicatthe mouth ofa canyon, laid down by intermittently flowing water, especially in arid climates, and composed of gravel and sand. The deposit tends to be coarse and unworked, with angular, poorly sorted grains in thin, overlapping sheets. Aline of fans may eventually coalesce into an apron that grows broader and higher asthe slopes above are eroded away. ALLUVIAL FAN ALP ably: aniculated loading patorm, alpha particlen: one ofthe extremely small parcls ofan atom that i ejected from a radioactive substance (such 2s radiura of eanium) asi initegrates. Alpha particles have a postive charge. alternating current (AC) n: current in which the charg-flow periodically reverses and whose average vale is zero. Compare direct current, alternator n: an clecuric generator that pro- duces alternating current. sltocumatus (Ae) n: a white or gray mid- Jeyel cloud tha appears as closely arranged rolls. This type of eloud is composed of ei- ther ice crystals oF water drops. lostratus ma bluish or grayish layer of, aniform mid-ievelcfouds that cover large portions of the sky, Ths type of cloud is ‘ompoted of either ioe eystals or water aroples. ‘alumina n: aluminum oxide (A107), used a an abrasive, refractory, catalyst, and ad- sorbent sluminum bronze : an alloy of copper and aluminum that may aso include iron, man- anese, nickel, or zinc. ‘aluminum cablestel-reinforced condue- tor n: wireline made of braided alaminure wires, which is strengthened by the adi tion of see wires, and which conduciselee- tic. lumbar stearate 1: an alumioum sat of stcaic acid used ass defoamer. See stear ‘Amagat-Leduc rule n: states that the vot- ‘ume occupied by a mixrure of gases equals the sum of the volumes each gas would ce- ‘cupy atthe pressure and temperature of the ‘Acmast n: an A-shaped arrangement of up- right poles, usually steel, used for lifting heavy loads, See A-frame. ambient conditions n pl: the conditions (pressure temperature, humidity, ete.) ofthe ‘medium surrounding the case of a meter, instrument, transducer, et ambient pressure n: the pressure of the ‘medium that surrounds an abject. ambient temperature n: the temperature fof the medium that surrounds an objec Amerada bomb 1: 4 wireline instrament for measuring botiombele temperature or pressure. Itcontains a clock-driven record ing section and either a pressure element or ‘a temperature element, Its thin enough to pass downhole through small tubing. American Association of Petroleum Geot- ogists (AAPG) 2 leading national indus- ‘uy organization established to disseminate ‘scientific and technical ideas and date inthe field of geology as itrelates to oil and natu- ral gas exploration and production. Hts official publications are the AAPG Bulletin and the AAPG Explorer. Address: PO. Box 979; Tulsa, OK 74101; (918) 584-2558, American Association of Petroleum Landmen (AAPL) »: an international trade organization of landmen and related pre- fessionals, Its official publication is The Landman. Address: 4300 Fossil Creek Blvd; Fort Worth, TX 76137; (817) 847- 7100. American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) 7: US organization that sets standards and specifications for ships and ship equipment manufactured in the United States. The organization also makes inspections during, offshore rig construction and conducts pe~ riodic surveys to ensure that requirements {or lassification are maintained. lis official publications are Records of the American Bureau of Shipping and ABS Activity Re- Port. Address: 2 World Trade Center; 106th floor; New York, NY 10048; (212) 839- 5000. American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) n: a professional multinational organization of Persons employed by governmental units responsible for full-time programs of hy- ‘iene and worker health and protection. Address: 1330 Kemper Meadow Drive; incinar, Ohio 45240; (513) 742-2020. mein os Mei Ae sad Caen a fer ea mer padres Lo sien nai an oe fie oe A te saan etm Engst) Fema mn (Nas erates tray odin esis eee ee ny wn 12) ot eee eee eee eee eg ec eno ees Sereaes Guana ere cir si ASTM onan cs se ng fc ae ieee iru Comoie mao fe sen Cec eli ae See eae Fecal is 0 ar ta se American Society of Mechanical Engi- neers (ASME) ”: organization whose equipment standards are sometimes used by the of indus. Its official publication is Mechanical Engineering. Adres: 345 East 4th Steet; New York, NY 10017; 212) 705-7788; ox (212) 705-7856, ‘American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) n: organization that establishes safety practices fr several industries. Is pub= licaions are Professional Safery and Society Update, Address: 1800 East Oakton; Des Paines, (L 60018-2187; (847) 659.2929, AMI abbr: area of mutual interest. ‘amine 7: any of several compounds em- ployed in eating natural gas. Amines are generally used to remove hydrogen sulfide from water solutions and carbon dioxide from gas of liquid streams. ammeter n: an instrument for measuring electric current in amperes amortization : |. the retum of adebt (prin cipal and interest) in equal annual insall- ‘ments. 2. the return of invested principal in a sinking fund. “ampere (A) n: the fundamental unit of elec- trical current; | ampere = 6.28 x 108 lec ‘wons passing through the circuit per second. (Oneampere delivers | coulomb in | second. ampere-hour n: a unit of electricity equal to the amount produced ip 1 hour by a flow (of I ampere. See ampere. ampere turn n: the number of ws in a coil multiplied by the number of amperes of current flowing through the coil amplifier n: a device for increasing the ‘magnitude of a quantity such as an elect cal measurement signak Amplifiers may be used to increase a ansmitted and received ‘measurement signal ampbitade modulation (am) n: modulation of the amplitude of a radio carier wave in accordance with the strength of the audio for other signal amplitudes n pl: shapes and heights ofthe peaks ina spontaneous potential curve. anaerobic adj active in the absence of fee oxygen. anaerobic bacteria mpl: bacteria that do not require free oxygen to live or that are not destroyed by its absence. Under certain ‘conditions, anaerobic bacteria can cause Scale to form in water-handling facilites in oilfields or hydrogen uli to be produced from sulfates. analog 2di:of orperaining to an instrument that measures a continuous variable that is proportional tanother variable over a given range, For example, temperature canbe rep- resented or measured as voltage, its analog. analog data n: information indicated by a continuous form, usually ancedie or pointer ‘moving across a dal face. Compare digital readout. analog signal n: the representation of the ‘magnitude of a variable in the form of a ‘measurable physical quantity that varies smoothly rather than in diserete steps. anchor n: a device that secures, or fastens, equipment. In producing wells with sucker ‘od pumps, a gas anchor is @ special sec- tion of perforated pipe installed below the “pump. It provides a space for gas to break ‘out of the oil. In offshore drilling, floating drilling vessels are often secured over drill sites by large anchors like those used on ships, For pipelines, a device that secures pipe i a ditch, anchor buoy n: a Roaiing marker used in a spread mooring system to position each anchor of a semisubmersible rig of drill ship. See spread mooring system. anchoring system n: in pipeline construc tion, a combination of anchors used to hold lay barge on station and move it forward along the planned route. Lay-barge anchors ‘may weigh in excess of 20 ons (18 tonnes), and a dozen or more may be needed, anchor key n: a device on the deadline tie- down anchor used to secure the drilling line. anchor packer n:apacker designed for sit- Ging on a pipe that rests on bottom, such as ‘tal pipe or liner. See packer. anchor pattern n: the pattem of minute projections from a metal surface produced by sandblasting, shot blasting, or chemical ‘etching to enhance the adhesiveness of sur face coatings. ‘anchor seal assembly n: a seal assembly run on the production tubing that allows the tubing tobe landed propery in the casing's setl bore when tubing weight alone is not + sufficient to seat the tubing anchor washpipe spear n: a fishing tool insulled inside washover pipe to prevent a fish stuck off bottom from falling to bot tor during a washover. Slips on the anchor ‘washpipe spear engage the inside of the -washover pipe asthe pipe ravels downhole sound the fish anchor weight m: a weight installed in a tank to which the guide wires or cables for an automatic tank gauge fot are attached ‘ohold them taut and plumb, andesite n: nely crystalline, generally Tight-colored extusive igneous rock com- posed largely of plagioclase feldspar with Smaller amounts of dark-colored mineral. Compare dart. ‘anemometer n: an instrument for measur- ing wind speed in the atmosphere. The most ‘common types are cup, vane, and hot-wire aneroid barometer n: barometer consist- ing of a flexible, sprng-filled metal cell from which air has been removed and a mechanism tha registers, ee barograph. ‘angle-azimuth indleator n: se eser angle indicator. angle-control section m: the part of a groove on the drawworks drum that Changes direction. Grooves run parallel to teach other, except i the angle-control sec- tion, where each groove is machined at @ slight angle, This angled partof the groove causes the wire rope being spooled onto the drum to change direction so that the next wrap of rope on the drum lies in be- tween the wraps of rope already on the drum, Also called a crossover section angle of deflection n: in directional drill- ing, the angle at which a well diverts from vertical; usually expressed in degrees, with vertical being 0”. angle of deviation n: see drift angle. angle of dip m: the angle at which a for- ‘mation dips downward from the horizon- tal angle of drift n: see drift angle, angle of heel n: the angle in degrees that a floating vessel inclines to one side or the other. angle of loading n: in crane operations, when a sling with two legs is attached to cach end of a load. the slant or the angle the two legs make as measured from hori- ‘zontal. reduction in the strength ofa sling must be allowed for angles other than 90) degrees angle of wrap nthe distance thatthe brake band wraps around the brake flange. Drawworks have an angle of wrap of 270° aangle-stem assembly n: a type of ther- rmometer used on oil tanks. The graduated part of the thermometer is angled at least 90° from the emperature-sensitive portion. “The angle conforms to the shell ofthe tank and permits easy reading ofthe instrument aangle-stem thermometer m: a glass-stem thermometer in which the til is bent at an angle to the stem so that the tail can be ‘mounted in a horizontally disposed ther- ‘mowell, leaving the scale vertical for ‘greater case of reading, angle sub n: see bent sub. angular misalignment n: one typeof mis- alignment in a chain-and-sprocket drive. ‘The shafts are not parallel to each other (they formn an angle) in either the horizon- tal or the vertical plane. This pus the link plates on one side tighter thas those on the other side; thus, one side ofthe chain and sprockets wears faster than the other. Link plates on only one side of the chain break because of fatigue angular unconformity n: an unconformity in which formations above and below are ‘not parallel, See unconformity. ANGULAR UNCONFORMITY angular velocity n: a measure of the time required for a flowing medium. such a a fluid, to change its angular displacement. anhydrite n: the common name for anhy-

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