Glossary
Browse the IADC Lexicon alphabetically or by category. Get comprehensive definitions of drilling industry terms.
To Dewater
Definition(s)
To Dewater
To remove the free water. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsReceiver
Definition(s)
Receiver
Person who stores, handles, treats, reclaims, or disposes of oil and gas wastes generated by a generator. A receiver of another person's oil and gas wastes may be a generator of his own oil and gas wastes. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsWater Condensate Pit
Definition(s)
Water Condensate Pit
Pit used in conjunction with a gas pipeline drip or gas compressor station for storage or disposal of fresh water condensed from natural gas. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsWashout Pit
Definition(s)
Washout Pit
Pit located at a truck yard, tank yard, or disposal facility for storage or disposal of oil and gas waste residue washed out of trucks, mobile tanks, or skid-mounted tanks. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsSkimming Pit
Definition(s)
Skimming Pit
Pit used for skimming oil off saltwater prior to disposal of saltwater at a disposal well or fluid injection well. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsSaltwater Disposal Pit
Definition(s)
Saltwater Disposal Pit
Pit used for disposal of produced saltwater. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsMud Circulation Pit
Definition(s)
Mud Circulation Pit
Pit used in conjunction with drilling rig for storage of drilling fluid currently being used in drilling operations. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsGas Plant Evaporation/Retention Pit
Definition(s)
Gas Plant Evaporation/Retention Pit
Pit used for storage or disposal of cooling tower blowdown, water condensed from natural gas, and other wastewater generated at gasoline plants, natural gas processing plants, or pressure maintenance or repressurizing plants. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsFresh Makeup Water Pit
Definition(s)
Fresh Makeup Water Pit
Pit used in conjunction with a drilling rig for storage of fresh water used to make up drilling fluid or hydraulic fracturing fluid. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsEmergency Saltwater Storage Pit
Definition(s)
Emergency Saltwater Storage Pit
Pit used for storage of produced saltwater for limited period of time. Use of the pit is necessitated by a temporary shutdown of disposal well or fluid injection well and/or associated equipment, by temporary overflow of saltwater storage tanks on a producing lease or by a producing well loading up with formation fluids such that the well may die. Emergency saltwater storage pits may sometimes be referred to as emergency pits or blowdown pits. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsDrilling Fluid Storage Pit
Definition(s)
Drilling Fluid Storage Pit
Pit used for storage of drilling fluid which is not currently being used but which will be used in future drilling operations. Drilling fluid storage pits are often centrally located among several leases. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsDrilling Fluid Disposal Pit
Definition(s)
Drilling Fluid Disposal Pit
Pit, other than a reserve pit, used for disposal of spent drilling fluid. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsCompletion/Workover Pit
Definition(s)
Completion/Workover Pit
Pit used for storage or disposal of spent completion fluids, workover fluids and drilling fluid, silt, debris, water, brine, oil scum, paraffin, or other materials which have been cleaned out of the wellbore of a well being completed or worked over. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsCollecting Pit
Definition(s)
Collecting Pit
Pit used for storage of saltwater or other oil and gas wastes prior to disposal at a disposal well or fluid injection well. In some cases, one pit is both a collecting pit and a skimming pit. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsReaction-Type Contingency Plan
Definition(s)
Reaction-Type Contingency Plan
A preplanned, written procedure for alerting and protecting the public, within an area of exposure, where it is impossible or impractical to brief in advance all of the public that might possibly be within the area of exposure at the moment of an accidental release of a potentially hazardous volume of hydrogen sulfide. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsPotentially Hazardous Volume Of Hydrogen Sulfide
Definition(s)
Potentially Hazardous Volume Of Hydrogen Sulfide
A volume of hydrogen sulfide gas of such concentration that:- the 100 ppm radius of exposure is in excess of 50 feet and includes any part of a "public area" except a public road; or
- the 500 ppm radius of exposure is greater than 50 feet and includes any part of a public road; or
- the 100 ppm radius of exposure is greater than 3,000 feet.1
Public Infringement
Definition(s)
Public Infringement
This shall mean that a public area and/or a public road, or both, has been established within an area of exposure to the degree that such infringement would change the applicable provisions of this rule to those operations responsible for creating the area of exposure. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsFacility Modification
Definition(s)
Facility Modification
Any change in the operation such as an increase in throughput, in excess of the designed capacity, or any change that would increase the radius of exposure. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsStabilized Liquid Hydrocarbon
Definition(s)
Stabilized Liquid Hydrocarbon
The product of a production operation in which the entrained gaseous hydrocarbons have been removed to the degree that said liquid may be stored at atmospheric conditions. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsIndustrial Modification
Definition(s)
Industrial Modification
This term is used to identify those operations related to refining, petrochemical plants, and chemical plants. The term does not include field processing such as that performed by gasoline plants and their associated gathering systems. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsTransporter Or Transporting Agency
Definition(s)
Transporter Or Transporting Agency
Includes any common carrier by pipeline, railway, truck, motor vehicle, boat, or barge, and/or any person transporting oil or a product by pipeline, railway, truck, motor vehicle, boat, or barge. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsTransportation Or To Transport
Definition(s)
Transportation Or To Transport
The movement of any crude petroleum oil or products of crude petroleum oil or the products of either from any receptacle in which any such crude petroleum or products of crude petroleum oil or the products of either has been stored to any other receptacle by any means or method whatsoever, including the movement by any pipeline, railway, truck, motor vehicle, barge, boat, or railway tank car. It is the purpose of this definition to include the movement or transportation of crude petroleum oil and products of crude petroleum oil and the products of either by any means whatsoever from any receptacle containing the same to any other receptacle anywhere within or from the State of Texas, regardless of whether or not possession or control or ownership change. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsTexas Offshore
Definition(s)
Texas Offshore
This term embraces the area in the Gulf of Mexico seaward of the coast line of Texas comprised of:- the three league area confirmed to the State of Texas by the Submerged Land Act (43 United States Code §§1301-1315); and
- the area seaward of such three league area owned by the United States.
Sweet Gas
Definition(s)
Sweet Gas
Natural gas that does not contain hydrogen sulfide gas. Source: API RP 64, Recommended Practice for Diverter Systems Equipment and Operations, Second Edition, November 2001 (March 1, 2007). Global StandardsSweet Gas
All natural gas except sour gas and casinghead gas. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsNatural Gasoline
Definition(s)
Natural Gasoline
Gasoline manufactured from casinghead gas or from any natural gas. Source: Oil and Gas Division, Texas Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 3, February 2013. RegulationsMarginal Well
Definition(s)
Marginal Well
Any oil well which is incapable of producing its maximum capacity of oil except by pumping, gas lift, or other means of artificial lift, and which well so equipped is capable, under normal unrestricted operating conditions, of producing such daily quantities of oil as herein set out, as would be damaged, or result in a loss of production ultimately recoverable, or cause the premature abandonment of same, if its maximum daily production were artificially curtailed. The following described wells shall be deemed "marginal wells" in this state.- Any oil well incapable of producing its maximum daily capacity of oil except by pumping, gas lift, or other means of artificial lift, within this state and having a maximum daily capacity for production of 10 barrels or less, averaged over the preceding 10 consecutive days of stabilized production, producing from a depth of 2,000 feet or less.
- Any oil well incapable of producing its maximum daily capacity of oil except by pumping, gas lift, or other means of artificial lift, within this state and having a maximum daily capacity for production of 20 barrels or less, averaged over the preceding 10 consecutive days of stabilized production, producing from a horizon deeper than 2,000 feet and less in depth than 4,000 feet.
- Any oil well incapable of producing its maximum daily capacity of oil except by pumping, gas lift, or other means of artificial lift, within this state and having a maximum daily capacity for production of 25 barrels or less, averaged over the preceding 10 consecutive days of stabilized production, producing from a horizon deeper than 4,000 feet and less in depth than 6,000 feet.
- Any oil well incapable of producing its maximum daily capacity of oil except by pumping, gas lift, or other means of artificial lift, within this state and having a maximum daily capacity for production of 30 barrels or less, averaged over the preceding 10 consecutive days of stabilized production, producing from a horizon deeper than 6,000 feet and less in depth than 8,000 feet.
- Any oil well incapable of producing its maximum daily capacity of oil except by pumping, gas lift, or other means of artificial lift, within this state and having a maximum daily capacity for production of 35 barrels or less, averaged over the preceding 10 consecutive days of stabilized production, producing from a horizon deeper than 8,000 feet. (Reference Order Number 20-59,200, effective May 1, 1969.).1
Geothermal Resource Well
Definition(s)
Geothermal Resource Well
A well drilled within the established limits of a designated geothermal field.- A geopressured geothermal well must be completed within a geopressured aquifer.
- geopressured aquifer is a water-bearing zone with a pressure gradient in excess of 0.5 pounds per square inch per foot and a temperature gradient in excess of 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit per 100 feet of depth.
Geothermal Energy And Associated Resources
Definition(s)
Geothermal Energy And Associated Resources
Geothermal energy and associated resources include- All products of geothermal processes, embracing indigenous steam, hot water and hot brines, and geopressured water;
- Steam and other gases, hot water and hot brines resulting from water, gas, or other fluids artificially introduced into geothermal formations;
- Heat or other associated energy found in geothermal formations;
- Any by-product derived from them.