Glossary
Browse the IADC Lexicon alphabetically or by category. Get comprehensive definitions of drilling industry terms.
Skimming/Settling Pits
Definition(s)
Skimming/Settling Pits
SKIMMING/SETTLING PITS used to provide retention time for settling of solids and separation of residual oil for the purposes of recovering the oil or fluid. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSpecial Purpose Pits
Definition(s)
Special Purpose Pits
SPECIAL PURPOSE PITS shall mean those pits used in oil and gas operations, including pits at natural gas gathering, processing and storage facilities, which constitute: Blowdown Pits BLOWDOWN PITS used to collect material resulting from, including but not limited to, the emptying or depressurizing of wells, vessels, or gas gathering systems. Flare Pits FLARE PITS used exclusively for flaring gas. Emergency Pits EMERGENCY PITS used to contain liquids during an initial phase of emergency response operations related to a spill/release or process upset conditions. Basic Sediment/Tank Bottom Pits BASIC SEDIMENT/TANK BOTTOM PITS used to temporarily store or treat the extraneous materials in crude oil which may settle to the bottoms of tanks or production vessels and which may contain residual oil. Workover Pits WORKOVER PITS used to contain liquids during the performance of remedial operations on a producing well in an effort to increase production. Plugging Pits PLUGGING PITS used for containment of fluids encountered during the plugging process. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSensitivity Analysis
Definition(s)
Sensitivity Analysis
Process to determine how outputs of a methodology differ in response to variation of the inputs or conditions. Sample Usage: The sensitivity analysis showed that the population variable had the largest effect on the output of the model. Annotation:- When a factor considered in a risk assessment has uncertainty, sensitivity analysis examines the effect that the uncertainty has on the results.
- A sensitivity analysis can be used to examine how individual variables can affect the outputs of risk assessment methodologies.
- Alternatively, sensitivity analysis can show decision makers or evaluators the impact or predicted impact of risk management alternatives.
Sensitivity Analysis
Sensitivity analysis means an analysis to determine the effect of changes in individual input parameters on the results of a given model or calculation method. Source: IMO MSC.1/Circ.1002, Guidelines on alternative design and arrangements for fire safety, 26 June 2001, International Maritime Organization. Regulatory Guidance Source: IMO MSC.1/Circ.1212, Guidelines on alternative design and arrangements for SOLAS chapters II-1 and III, 15 December 2006, International Maritime Organization. Regulatory GuidanceSafety Margin
Definition(s)
Safety Margin
Safety margin means adjustments made to compensate for uncertainties in the methods and assumptions used to evaluate the alternative design, e.g. in the determination of performance criteria or in the engineering models used to assess the consequences of fire. Source: IMO MSC.1/Circ.1002, Guidelines on alternative design and arrangements for fire safety, 26 June 2001, International Maritime Organization. Regulatory GuidanceSafety Margin
Safety margin means adjustments made to compensate for uncertainties in the methods and assumptions used to evaluate the alternative design, e.g. in the determination of performance criteria or in the engineering models used to assess the consequences of a casualty. Source: IMO MSC.1/Circ.1212, Guidelines on alternative design and arrangements for SOLAS chapters II-1 and III, 15 December 2006, International Maritime Organization. Regulatory GuidanceSpecial Field Rules
Definition(s)
Special Field Rules
SPECIAL FIELD RULES shall mean those rules promulgated for and which are limited in their application to individual pools or fields within the State of Colorado. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSolid Waste Disposal
Definition(s)
Solid Waste Disposal
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL shall mean the storage, treatment, utilization, processing, or final disposal of solid wastes. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSolid Waste
Definition(s)
Solid Waste
SOLID WASTE shall mean any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply plant, air pollution control facility, or other discarded material; including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial operations, commercial operations, or community activities. Solid waste does not include any solid or dissolved materials in domestic sewage, or agricultural wastes, or solid or dissolved materials in irrigation return flows, or industrial discharges which are point sources subject to permits under the provisions of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act, Title 25, Article 8, C.R.S. or materials handled at facilities licensed pursuant to the provisions on radiation control in Title 25, Article 11, C.R.S. Solid waste does not include:- materials handled at facilities licensed pursuant to the provisions on radiation control in Title 25, Article 11, C.R.S.;
- excluded scrap metal that is being recycled; or
- shredded circuit boards that are being recycled.
Solid Waste
Any waste identified in 40 CFR, §261.2. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsSimultaneous Injection Well
Definition(s)
Simultaneous Injection Well
SIMULTANEOUS INJECTION WELL shall mean any well in which water produced from oil and gas producing zones is injected into a lower injection zone and such water production is not brought to the surface. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSensitive Wildlife Habitat
Definition(s)
Sensitive Wildlife Habitat
SENSITIVE WILDLIFE HABITAT shall mean:- mule deer critical winter range (being both mule deer winter concentration areas (that part of the winter range where densities are at least 200% of the surrounding winter range density during the same period used to define winter range in 5 out of 10 winters), and mule deer severe winter range (that part of the winter range where 90% of the individuals are located during the average 5 winters out of 10 from the first heavy snowfall to spring green-up)) (west of Interstate 25 and excluding Las Animas County);
- elk winter concentration areas (west of Interstate 25 and excluding Las Animas County);
- pronghorn antelope winter concentration areas (west of Interstate 25);
- bighorn sheep winter range;
- elk production areas (being that part of the overall range occupied by the females for calving) (west of Interstate 25 and excluding Las Animas County);
- Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and plains sharp-tailed grouse production areas (being an area that contains 80% of nesting and brood rearing habitat for any identified population);
- greater sage-grouse and Gunnison sage-grouse production areas (being an area that contains 80% of nesting and brood rearing habitat for any population identified in the Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan (CDOW, 2008) or the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Range-Wide Conservation Plan (May 2005), respectively);
- lesser prairie chicken production areas (being an area that includes 80% of nesting and brood rearing habitat);
- black-footed ferret release areas;
- Bald Eagle nest sites and winter night roost sites; and
- Golden Eagle nest sites.
Sensitive Areaa
Definition(s)
Sensitive Areaa
SENSITIVE AREA is an area vulnerable to potential significant adverse groundwater impacts, due to factors such as the presence of shallow groundwater or pathways for communication with deeper groundwater; proximity to surface water, including lakes, rivers, perennial or intermittent streams, creeks, irrigation canals, and wetlands. Additionally, areas classified for domestic use by the Water Quality Control Commission, local (water supply) wellhead protection areas, areas within 1/8 mile of a domestic water well, areas within 1/4 mile of a public water supply well, ground water basins designated by the Colorado Ground Water Commission, and surface water supply areas are sensitive areas. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSeismic Operations
Definition(s)
Seismic Operations
SEISMIC OPERATIONS shall mean all activities associated with acquisition of seismic data including but not limited to surveying, shothole drilling, recording, shothole plugging and reclamation. Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. RegulationsSDOF
Definition(s)
SDOF
Single degree-of-freedom. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSustained Wind Speed
Definition(s)
Sustained Wind Speed
time-averaged wind speed with an averaging duration of 10 min or longer Source: API RP 2MET, Derivation of Metocean Design and Operating Conditions, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSustained Wind Speed
Time-averaged wind speed with a defined averaging duration of 1 min or longer. NOTE Adapted from ISO 19901-1:2005, definition 3.37, which references a duration of “10 min or longer”. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSudden Cyclone
Definition(s)
Sudden Cyclone
Sudden tropical revolving storm that forms near the site and that can affect the jack-up before demanning can be completed within the time required by the emergency evacuation plan. NOTE The intent is that the jack-up be assessed to L1 for the specified sudden tropical revolving storm. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSudden Hurricane
Definition(s)
Sudden Hurricane
A hurricane that develops inside the Gulf of Mexico sufficiently close to the relevant platform such that personnel evacuation is not assured. Source: API RP 2SIM, Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures, First Edition, November 2014. Global StandardsSudden Hurricane
Sudden tropical revolving storm that forms near the site and that can affect the jack-up before demanning can be completed within the time required by the emergency evacuation plan. NOTE The intent is that the jack-up be assessed to L1 for the specified sudden tropical revolving storm. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSudden Typhoon
Definition(s)
Sudden Typhoon
Sudden tropical revolving storm that forms near the site and that can affect the jack-up before demanning can be completed within the time required by the emergency evacuation plan. NOTE The intent is that the jack-up be assessed to L1 for the specified sudden tropical revolving storm. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsStructural Analysis
Definition(s)
Structural Analysis
Process or algorithm for determining action effects from a given set of actions. NOTE 1 Structural analyses are performed at three levels [global analysis of an entire structure, analysis of part of a structure (e.g. a leg), local analysis of a structural member and local analysis of a structural component] using different structural models. NOTE 2 Adapted from ISO 19902:2007, definition 3.51. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsStochastic Analysis
Definition(s)
Stochastic Analysis
Analysis in which a probabilistic approach is taken to model the random nature of the variables of interest. NOTE In general, a linear(ized) stochastic analysis can be performed in the frequency domain or in the time domain, whereas non-linear stochastic analysis can only use time domain simulations. This part of ISO 19905 does not support frequency domain stochastic analysis. Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global StandardsSpudcan
Definition(s)
Spudcan
A large inverted cone that is roughly circular in-plan with a shallow conical underside and a sharp protruding spigot. It is mounted at the base of a jackup’s leg, and is primarily considered to provide sliding and bearing resistance to the jackup rig when deployed into the sea bed.
Source: ABS Guidance Notes on Geotechnical Performance of Spudcan Foundations, January 2017. Global Standards