Commonly Used Drilling Rigs

Water Well Drilling Machine

There are a wide variety of drilling rigs, and the choice of rig depends on the requirements of the drilling site. Drilling rigs are commonly used for upstream activities in the oil and gas industry and are primarily classified as onshore and offshore. The rigs contain a large amount of equipment used to explore oil and gas extraction wells.

One of the main features of onshore or land-based rigs is their portability. They are designed in such a way that the derricks can be easily moved to other locations and reused to drill new holes. The components of an onshore rig can also be unit moved so that drilling equipment can be easily attached in the field. Offshore rigs also offer the portability and other benefits that land-based rigs provide.

Fixed Platform Rigs: One of the most commonly used rigs for offshore drilling. As the name implies, this type of rig is located on a fixed structure mounted on the well site. Although the rigs are not usually part of a permanent structure, they are sometimes left on the platform to meet future drilling needs. Most of these rigs consist of a power plant, accommodation facilities, drilling equipment, life-saving equipment, etc. However, some of them do not have power plants and they draw their power from the platform's generators.

 Drilling Rig

Barge rigs: These rigs are floating offshore drilling structures that consist of barges that deploy drilling equipment. They are mainly used for drilling purposes in shallow inland bays and low water areas. After placing the rig at the drilling site, its lower hull is submerged in the sea in order to rest on the floor. Due to the large surface area of the lower hull, the rig is prevented from sinking into the soft mud of the sea floor. Thus, the hull provides stability to the drilling rig.

Jack-up rigs: Offshore rigs come with a buoyant hull that is equipped with a number of movable legs to lift the hull above the sea surface. The floating hull allows the platform to be transported to the drilling site. At the site, the hull can be raised to the required height above the sea surface. The legs rest on the seabed to support the platform. Jack-up rigs are self-elevating, with legs ranging from three to eight. They are mainly used in shallow water, less than 120 meters deep.

Submersible rig: The rigs are used for drilling activity in deeper water and can be floated to drill sites. They are designed to raise its upper hull above the water level. Large pontoon-like structures that support the submersible drilling platform offer buoyancy to tow the unit from one site to another.

Truck Water Well Drilling Rig     

Drillship: It is a merchant vessel designed for use in exploratory drilling of oil and gas wells in offshore locations. In recent years, many technological advancements have been made to enable drillship usage for deepwater and ultra-deepwater sites. It can act as a platform to perform well maintenance or completion work such as casing and tubing installation, subsea tree installations, and well capping. Drillships often have a custom design to meet the requirements of the oil-producing companies. As it is a vessel, the offshore rig can be floated to any specific location. Drillships are considered less stable compared to semi-submersible platforms.   

Jacknife: It is an onshore rig consisting of a mast that can be raised or lowered according to drilling requirements. Using pins, a jackknife can be assembled on the ground. With the help of hoisting equipment, the rig can be raised as a unit.

Portable Mast: The onshore rig is used to drill wells that have moderate depth. They are usually carried to drillsite on wheeled trucks. Portable masts can be raised vertically to the desired height.

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