Oilfield Acronyms & Definitions
A
AADE – American Association of Drilling Engineers
AAPG – American Association of Petroleum Geologists
AAPL – American Association of Professional Landmen
AAODC – American Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors
AAGR – Average Annual Growth Rate
AFE – Authorization for Expenditure
AGRU – Acid Gas Removal Unit
AHU – Air Handling Unit
AIV – Acoustic Induced Vibration
ALARP – As Low As Reasonably Practicable
ALS – Artificial Lift System
AMGAS – Amine Gas Treating
AMO – Advanced Manufacturing Office
AMSL – Above Mean Sea Level
AOF – Absolute Open Flow
APD – Application for Permit to Drill
API – American Petroleum Institute
APG – Associated Petroleum Gas
APR – Annual Percentage Rate
ARO – Asset Retirement Obligation
ASL – Above Sea Level
ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASP – Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (flooding)
AV – Annular Velocity
AVO – Amplitude Versus Offset
B
BAPCO – Bahrain Petroleum Company
BAS – Building Automation System
BBL – Barrel (of oil)
BCF – Billion Cubic Feet
BCM – Billion Cubic Meters
BDV – Blowdown Valve
BHA – Bottom Hole Assembly
BHP – Bottom Hole Pressure
BHT – Bottom Hole Temperature
BOE – Barrels of Oil Equivalent
BOEM – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
BOP – Blowout Preventer
BOPD – Barrels of Oil Per Day
BPV – Back Pressure Valve
BPM – Barrels Per Minute
BS&W – Basic Sediment and Water
BTEX – Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene
Btu – British Thermal Unit
BWPD – Barrels of Water Per Day
C
C1 – Methane
C2 – Ethane
C3 – Propane
C4 – Butane
C6 – Hexane
CAGR – Compound Annual Growth Rate
CAPEX – Capital Expenditure
CAS – Chemical Abstracts Service
CBHP – Constant Bottom Hole Pressure
CBL – Cement Bond Log
CCGT – Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
CCS – Carbon Capture and Storage
CDU – Crude Distillation Unit
CFC – Cubic Feet of Gas
CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
CGR – Condensate Gas Ratio
CHP – Circulating Hydrostatic Pressure
CH4 – Methane
CIF – Cost, Insurance, and Freight
CNG – Compressed Natural Gas
CO₂ – Carbon Dioxide
CP – Casing Pressure / Cathodic Protection
CPL – Cement Plug
CT – Coiled Tubing
CTU – Coiled Tubing Unit
CWR – Cooling Water Return
D
D&C – Drilling and Completion
DAF – Dissolved Air Flotation
DBB – Double Block and Bleed
DDB – Dry Deck Barge
DDV – Downhole Deployment Valve
DGA – Diglycolamine
DOE – Department of Energy
DOGGR – Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources
DOT – Department of Transportation
DPP – Drill Pipe Pressure
DTS – Distributed Temperature Sensing
DWS – Deepwater System
E
E&P – Exploration and Production
ECP – External Casing Packer
ECD – Equivalent Circulating Density
EIA – Energy Information Administration
EOR – Enhanced Oil Recovery
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
EPC – Engineering, Procurement, and Construction
EPCIC – Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, and Commissioning
ESP – Electrical Submersible Pump
ETP – Emergency Trip Panel
EWT – Extended Well Test
F
FBHP – Flowing Bottom Hole Pressure
FG – Fracture Gradient
FIT – Formation Integrity Test
FOB – Free On Board
FPSO – Floating Production Storage and Offloading
FRA – Fracture Re-Injection Analysis
FS – Fluid System
FTR – Flow Test Rate
G
G&G – Geology and Geophysics
GA – Gas Analysis
GGS – Gas Gathering System
GOR – Gas to Oil Ratio
GPM – Gallons Per Minute
GOM – Gulf of Mexico
H
H₂S – Hydrogen Sulfide
HAP – Hazard Analysis Process
HBP – Held By Production
HCDP – Hydrocarbon Dew Point
HPHT – High Pressure, High Temperature
HSE – Health, Safety, and Environment
HTHP – High Temperature High Pressure
I
ICD – Inflow Control Device
IOGP – International Association of Oil & Gas Producers
IP – Initial Production
IPR – Inflow Performance Relationship
IWOCS – Intervention Workover Control System
J
JSA – Job Safety Analysis
K
KB – Kelly Bushing
KOP – Kick-Off Point
L
LAT – Latitude
LWD – Logging While Drilling
LOT – Leak-Off Test
LPG – Liquefied Petroleum Gas
LSP – Lost Sand Production
M
MBBL – Thousand Barrels
MCF – Thousand Cubic Feet of Gas
MDRT – Measured Depth Below Rotary Table
MPD – Managed Pressure Drilling
MW – Mud Weight
N
NACE – National Association of Corrosion Engineers
NGL – Natural Gas Liquids
NPT – Non-Productive Time
X
XMT – Xmas Tree (Christmas Tree - Wellhead Control Equipment)
Z
ZCF – Zero Carbon Footprint
ZIF – Zero Incident Frequency
Oilfield Sayings
A
Ankle Biter: A young or inexperienced worker on the rig.
Annie Oakley: A free pass or ticket, often referring to safety violations (named after the sharpshooter who punched holes in cards).
B
Back Off: To unscrew or disconnect drill pipe or tools downhole.
Bad Iron: Equipment that is malfunctioning or in poor condition.
Belly Dump: A type of truck that unloads its cargo from the bottom.
Big Bear: A hitch (work period) that lasts a minimum of 50 straight days.
Bird Nest: A tangled mess of wire or cable.
Bite: To grip or hold onto something firmly, often referring to equipment like tongs.
Bunkhouse Lawyer: A worker who gives unsolicited advice or opinions, often without proper knowledge.
C
Cathead: A spool-shaped attachment on a drilling rig used for hoisting.
Chainhand: An experienced laborer responsible for maintaining rig equipment and handling drill pipe.
Christmas Tree: An assembly of valves, spools, and fittings used for oil well control.
Company Man: The representative of the operating company on a drilling site.
Crane Candy: Small items or tools that require a crane for lifting due to safety protocols.
D
Dog Collar: A safety device worn around the wrist to prevent falls.
Dope: A thick lubricant used on pipe connections.
Drill Finger: A person who has some experience but is not yet considered a "hand."
Duck Soup: A task that is easy to perform.
E
Elevators: Hinged mechanisms that latch around drill pipe to lift or lower it.
Eyeball: To estimate or judge something by sight.
F
Fish: Any object left in the wellbore that needs to be retrieved.
Fishing: The process of retrieving objects from the wellbore.
Five-Finger Discount: Slang for theft.
Flat Time: Periods when no drilling is occurring, often due to equipment issues.
G
Geronimo Line: An emergency escape line for workers in elevated positions.
Goat Head: A manifold used in cementing operations.
Gumbo: Sticky, troublesome shale that can clog equipment.
H
Hitch: A worker's scheduled period on duty, typically lasting days or weeks.
Honey Oil: High-quality crude oil.
Hot Shot: A driver or vehicle used for urgent deliveries to the rig.
I
Iron Roughneck: A machine that automates the task of connecting and disconnecting drill pipes.
In the Doghouse: A term used when someone is in trouble or disfavor.
J
Junk Basket: A tool used to retrieve small debris from the wellbore.
Junkyard Dog: A tenacious worker who tackles tough tasks.
K
Kick: An influx of formation fluids into the wellbore.
Knuckle Boom: A type of crane with a jointed arm for increased flexibility.
L
Lay Down Pipe: To remove drill pipe from the well and place it horizontally.
Lead Tongs: The primary tongs used to make up or break out drill pipe.
M
Monkey Board: The platform halfway up the derrick where the derrickman works.
Mud: Drilling fluid used to lubricate the drill bit and carry cuttings to the surface.
Mud Man: The technician responsible for formulating and maintaining drilling fluid properties.
N
Nipple-Up: To assemble the blowout preventer stack on the wellhead.
Nut-Cutter: A high-pressure situation or a critical moment.
O
Oil Patch: A region where oil extraction activities are prevalent.
Oilfield Trash: A self-deprecating term used by oilfield workers to describe themselves.
P
Pencil Pusher: An office worker or someone involved in administrative tasks.
Pig: A device inserted into pipelines for cleaning or inspection.
Pusher: Short for toolpusher; the person in charge of drilling operations on the rig.
Q
Queen: A derogatory term for someone avoiding work or taking excessive breaks.
R
Rat Hole: A hole on the rig floor used to store the kelly when not in use.
Roughneck: An experienced member of the drilling crew.