Bits and BOP's

Well , what are we doing in Trinidad? We are exploring for oil and/or gas.

After being here just 5 months, we have just started our 2010 drilling campaign. In the first field, we have named our wells after hummingbirds.

Our first well is called Firecrown. There has been a lot of talk about BOP's given the unfortunate BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. BOP's are Blowout Preventers. They are used to control a release from the well.
Here it the one we have installed under the rig floor.

Here it is removed from the rig.
It is made up of 3 major closing components and on the rig we are using, it stands about 11 feet high. Note the reason it has been removed is that we have changed the size of equipment we are using as we go deeper so the associated BOP need to be changed out as well.

Our operations continue 24/7 with crews on rotation. We are entering the rainy season here but it wont stop our activity - things might get muddy but they wont stop.

Drill bits come in many sizes and a number of designs. Depending on the diameter of hole we want to drill or the type of rock we encounter that will decide which kind of bit we use. Here are some of the ones in our inventory.....

Drill pipe racked waiting to be used as we drill deeper....

We have a ways to go yet on this well but things are going well so far.

B.