Glossary
Browse the IADC Lexicon alphabetically or by category. Get comprehensive definitions of drilling industry terms.
Flame Velocity
Definition(s)
Flame Velocity
Speed at which a flame front travels into an unburned combustible mixture.
Source: API STD 521, Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems, Sixth Edition, January 2014. Global StandardsBurning Velocity
Definition(s)
Burning Velocity
Speed at which a flame front travels into an unburned combustible mixture.
Source: API STD 521, Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems, Sixth Edition, January 2014. Global StandardsBuilt-up Backpressure
Definition(s)
Built-up Backpressure
Increase in pressure at the outlet of a pressure-relief device that develops as a result of flow after the pressure-relief device opens.
Source:API STD 521, Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems, Sixth Edition, January 2014. Global StandardsBlowdown Drum
Definition(s)
Blowdown Drum
Knockout drum with or connected to a stack open to atmosphere.- NOTE 1 The term blowdown drum is sometimes also used for knockout drums connected to flare or other disposal systems, but it is not used in this context in this standard.
- NOTE 2 The term blowdown is sometimes used in the context of emergency depressuring of a plant or part of a plant, but it is not used in this context in this standard.
OWSG
Definition(s)
OWSG
Operator Wellbore Survey Group - An Operator Subcommittee to the ISCWSA. Related to the API RP78 group.
Source: spe.org (Wellbore Positioning Technical Section), iscwsa.net, Global StandardsISCWSA
Definition(s)
ISCWSA
Industry Steering Committee on Wellbore Survey Accuracy, SPE affiliated Wellbore Positioning Technical Section
Source: spe.org, iscwsa.net, Global Standardsγ
Definition(s)
γ
load variance. Source:API SPECIFICATION 7K, Drilling and Well Servicing Equipment, Sixth Edition, December 2015. Global Standardsγ
A measure of how widely values are dispersed from the average value in load limiting designs (reference Annex E). Source:API SPECIFICATION 7K, Drilling and Well Servicing Equipment, Sixth Edition, December 2015. Global StandardsMajor Hazard
Definition(s)
Major Hazard
Hazard with the potential, if realized, to result in a major accident. Source: ISO 17776:2016, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Offshore production installations — Major accident hazard management during the design of new installations, Second Edition, December 2016. Global StandardsMA
Definition(s)
MA
Major accident. Source: ISO 17776:2016, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Offshore production installations — Major accident hazard management during the design of new installations, Second Edition, December 2016. Global StandardsMA
Hazardous event that results in- — multiple fatalities or severe injuries; or
- — extensive damage to structure, installation or plant; or
- — large-scale impact on the environment (e.g. persistent and severe environmental damage that can lead to loss of commercial or recreational use, loss of natural resources over a wide area or severe environmental damage that will require extensive measures to restore beneficial uses of the environment)
- Note 1 to entry: In this document, a major accident is the realization of a major accident hazard.
- Note 2 to entry: This definition is intended to incorporate terms such as “major accident” as defined by UK HSE.
Inherently Safer Design
Definition(s)
Inherently Safer Design
Design which eliminates or reduces major accidents through measures that are permanent and inseparable from the design. Source: ISO 17776:2016, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Offshore production installations — Major accident hazard management during the design of new installations, Second Edition, December 2016. Global StandardsISD
Definition(s)
ISD
Inherently safer design. Source: ISO 17776:2016, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Offshore production installations — Major accident hazard management during the design of new installations, Second Edition, December 2016. Global StandardsIndividual Risk
Definition(s)
Individual Risk
Risk to which an individual is exposed during a defined period of time. Source: ISO 17776:2016, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Offshore production installations — Major accident hazard management during the design of new installations, Second Edition, December 2016. Global StandardsErgonomics
Definition(s)
Ergonomics
Scientific discipline concerned with study of human factors and understanding of interactions among human and other elements of a system.- Note 1 to entry: Adapted from ISO 6385:2004.
Undesirable Events
Definition(s)
Undesirable Events
An event that results in a loss of an asset, whether it is a loss of capability, life, property, or equipment.
Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global Standards
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsThreat Categories
Definition(s)
Threat Categories
Consist of three general areas from which threats or adversaries can be categorized such as:- internal threats,
- external threat, and
- Internal threats working in collusion with external threats.
Threat Categories
Adversaries may be categorized as occurring from three general areas:- internal threats,
- external threat,
- internal threats working in collusion with external threats.
Terrorism
Definition(s)
Terrorism
The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global Standards
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsTechnical Security
Definition(s)
Technical Security
Electronic systems for increased protection or for other security purposes including access control systems, card readers, keypads, electric locks, remote control openers, alarm systems, intrusion detection equipment, annunciating and reporting systems, central stations monitoring, video surveillance equipment, voice communications systems, listening devices, computer security, encryption, data auditing, and scanners.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsSecurity Risk Assessment
Definition(s)
Security Risk Assessment (SRA)
An assessment for the purposes of determining security risk.
Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global StandardsSecurity Risk Assessment
A SRA is a risk assessment for the purposes of determining security risk.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsSecurity Risk
Definition(s)
Security Risk
The likelihood of a threat successfully exploiting vulnerability and the resulting degree of damage or impact.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsSecurity Plan
Definition(s)
Security Plan
A document that describes an owner's/operator's plan to address security issues and related events, including security assessment and mitigation options. This includes security alert levels and response measures to security threats.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsSecurity Layers of Protection
Definition(s)
Security Layers of Protection
Also known as concentric "rings of protection," a concept of providing multiple independent and overlapping layers of protection in depth. For security purposes, this may include various layers of protection such as countersurveillance, counterintelligence, physical security, and cyber security. A second consideration is the balance of the security measures such that equivalent risk exists regardless of the threat's pathway or method.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsScenario
Definition(s)
Scenario
Hypothetical situation comprised of an intentional act, an assumed threat, a set of consequences, and associated countermeasures to address the scenario.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsSafeguard
Definition(s)
Safeguard
Device, system, or action that either would likely interrupt the chain of events following an initiating event or that would mitigate the consequences. Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global StandardsSafeguard
Any device, system, or action that either would likely interrupt the chain of events following an initiating event or that would mitigate the consequences.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsRespond/Response
Definition(s)
Respond/Response
The act of reacting to detected or actual security incidents either immediately following detection or post incident.
Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global StandardsRespond/Response
The act of reacting to detected or actual criminal activity either immediately following detection or post-incident.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsResilience/Resiliency
Definition(s)
Resilience/Resiliency
The ability to resist, absorb, recover from, or successfully adapt to adversity or a change in conditions. In the context of energy security, resilience is measured in terms of robustness, resourcefulness, and rapid recovery.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsPhysical Security
Definition(s)
Physical Security
This refers to the equipment, building and ground design and security practices designed to prevent physical attacks against the facility, people, property or information.
Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global StandardsPhysical Security
Security systems and architectural features that are intended to improve protection.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsPhysical Security
Security systems and architectural features that are intended to provide protection.- Note: Examples include security officers, fencing, doors, gates, walls, turnstiles, locks, intrusion detection systems, vehicle barriers, and hardened glass.
Likelihood of the Act
Definition(s)
Likelihood of the Act
The potential for a threat to target and to attempt to execute a security act against an asset. This is a function of the threat and the attractiveness of the asset to the threat.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsLikelihood of Success of the Act
Definition(s)
Likelihood of Success of the Act
The potential for causing the event by defeating the countermeasures. L2 is an estimate that the security countermeasures will thwart or withstand the attempted attack or if the attack will circumvent or exceed the existing security measures. This measure represents a surrogate for the conditional probability of success of the event. (Conditional probability of success of the event is the measure of vulnerability (V), so therefore L2 and V are synonymous: L2 = V.). Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global StandardsLayers of Protection
Definition(s)
Layers of Protection
concentric "rings of protection"A concept of providing multiple independent and overlapping layers of protection in depth. For security purposes, this may include various layers of protection such as counter surveillance, counterintelligence, physical security, and cyber security. A second consideration is the balance of the security measures such that equivalent risk exists regardless of the threat's pathway or method.
Source: API RP 781 Security Plan Methodology for the Oil and Natural Gas Industries.1st Ed. September 2016. Global StandardsLayers of Protection
A concept whereby several independent devices, systems, or actions are provided to reduce the likelihood and severity of an undesirable event.
Source:API STANDARD 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, First Edition, May 2013. Global Standards