Reporters need schooled on how and what they are seeing in regards to a drilling rig. The accident in Quinton, Oklahoma in January 2018 is classic. They could not identify the parts of a rig for the most part although a few got the “derrick” correct. Honestly, few knew what they were even seeing. One reporter was obviously confused when the sheriff mentioned the doghouse where the men were found. She obviously was thinking Fido.
Also, virtually every rig will have an infraction “safety violation”. That might be anything from someone not wearing their safety glasses to lack of medical notices in the dog house, etc. Simply because an accident happens does not necessarily mean it could have been prevented.
In the Quinton case, it appears the well suddenly blew out while the five fatalities were in the dog house. Once gas got into the doghouse and the heat source there, the gas exploded. Gas in air mix of 7-10% will explode. Anyone there who sucks in air will suck in flame and your goose is cooked. God help their poor souls and family.
A couple of labeled photos in this post should help walk you through the major components.
The Rig
Rig Major Components
The Rig Floor
Rig Floor on older conventional rig
The Mud Pumps
Small Hydraulic “Top Head Drive” Rig
Frac tanks are also used to store water for the rig. Nothing to do with “fracking” in this picture.
Compressor for Air Drilling – (some zones can be drilled with compressed air, some with mud)
