Jason Stephens | September 12, 2024 | Oil Rig Accidents
The oil and gas industry extracts petroleum products from the earth. These natural resources are eventually processed into chemicals used to produce plastics, fuels, and even industrial solvents.
Several terms are used to describe the closely related but distinct equipment and systems behind these operations. You should know these terms to properly understand how and where injuries in the oil and gas field most commonly occur.
What Is an Oil Rig?
An oil rig, also called a drilling rig, is the machinery that drills into the earth to produce a well, which provides a pathway for crude oil and natural gas to flow to the surface.
An oil rig consists of the following parts:
- Drill Bit: Breaks up the dirt and rock to produce the well
- Drive System: Turns the drill bit
- Drill String: Includes a drill pipe and drill casing
- Mud Pump: Forces mud through the pipe and casing to carry rock from the bit
- Derrick: Includes a hoist to raise and lower the bit
- Blowout Preventer: Blocks a high-pressure release of oil or gas
The proper operation of an oil or drilling rig requires a small crew of workers to operate it, including the following:
- Driller: Operates the drill bit
- Derrickman: Handles the hoist at the top of the derrick
- Roughnecks: Add pipe as the bit digs the well
A tool-pusher supervises the drilling crew.
What Is an Oil Platform?
An oil platform is a land or sea-based structure mounted over a drilling site. The platform extracts and processes petroleum products using a set of equipment that includes a drilling or oil rig. The processing equipment might also include tanks to store crude oil. Alternatively, the platform may connect to a pipeline that carries the oil to a storage facility or refinery.
Are Oil Rigs and Oil Platforms the Same?
Some people use the terms “oil rig” and “oil platform” interchangeably. That usage is not wrong, as many oil platforms do, in fact, contain a drilling rig connected to a pipeline. However, an oil platform can include more than just a drilling rig, such as storage tanks or even a refinery.
In simpler terms, an oil rig is a tool, while an oil platform is a system that uses said tool.
An oil platform might include an oil rig as well as other facilities not necessarily part of the extraction and storage system, such as:
- Living quarters for workers
- Communication equipment
- Helicopter landing pads
- Propulsion equipment to keep floating platforms in place
The facilities included on an oil platform depend on its location and purpose. A land-based platform, for instance, is unlikely to include any additional worker facilities since they can commute. A sea-based platform, on the other hand, will likely include crew facilities to save the money of transporting them to land and back.
Are Oil Rigs and Oil Platforms Safe?
According to an analysis published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, oil and gas workers are overrepresented in work injury statistics. In other words, these workers have more workplace accidents than they should have based on the size of the workforce.
The analysis identifies the following accidents as common causes of oil worker injuries:
- Falls, including those from high elevations and slips
- Contact with vehicles and building materials
- Getting caught by or in heavy machinery or equipment
Unfortunately, many oil companies hire platform crews as independent contractors, which means those workers often have no safety net after suffering an on-the-job injury.
The Role of Oil Rigs and Platforms
Oil rigs and platforms are essential to the oil and gas industry. Without such equipment, these resources would remain trapped inside the earth. However, they also come with risks, so knowing how they work will help workers understand how injuries can happen.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in Fort Worth, TX
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth and need legal help, contact our Fort Worth personal injury lawyers at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to schedule a free consultation.
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 300
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 440-7315
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
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Weatherford, TX 76086
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