The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. General Discussion & Feedback
  3. Just Chat!
  4. How do oil rigs work ?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

How do oil rigs work ?

  • 13 Replies
  • 1053 Views
  • 0 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

guest39538

  • Guest
How do oil rigs work ?
« on: 03/12/2018 13:52:39 »
As title...........
Logged
 



guest39538

  • Guest
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #1 on: 04/12/2018 04:08:46 »
    I found something ...

    Does  anybody  know  if  the  oil  they  pump  out  ,   some  of  it  is  used  to  run  the  pumps ?

    A  sort  of  self  fed  system  ?

    Logged
     

    Offline Colin2B

    • Global Moderator
    • Naked Science Forum King!
    • ********
    • 4494
    • Activity:
      27.5%
    • Thanked: 379 times
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #2 on: 04/12/2018 08:56:18 »
    Crude oil can’t be used to drive engines, it has to be refined first.
    Logged
    and the misguided shall lead the gullible,
    the feebleminded have inherited the earth.
     

    Offline Petrochemicals

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 654
    • Activity:
      16%
    • Thanked: 18 times
    • forum overlord
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #3 on: 04/12/2018 20:31:29 »
    Quote from: Colin2B on 04/12/2018 08:56:18
    Crude oil can’t be used to drive engines, it has to be refined first.
    You can, heavy fuel oil is basically the slime left over after distillers do there stuff, its sold dirt cheap to ocean ships.

    https://www.brighthubengineering.com/marine-engines-machinery/73473-properties-of-heavy-fuel-oil/

    But they also have a big flamy thing burning fuel on most rigs, i should think thats a likely source of energy.

    Oil rigs on the whole are connected to the sea bed via either a sunken tower, or in deeper environments with cables staying a floating rig.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_platform
    Logged
    Moon bases now !
     

    Offline Colin2B

    • Global Moderator
    • Naked Science Forum King!
    • ********
    • 4494
    • Activity:
      27.5%
    • Thanked: 379 times
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #4 on: 04/12/2018 22:42:59 »
    Quote from: Petrochemicals on 04/12/2018 20:31:29
    You can, heavy fuel oil is basically the slime left over after distillers do there stuff, its sold dirt cheap to ocean ships.
    Yes, as I said it goes through the refining process, they don’t use the crude directly. Even that left over slime has to be processed before it’s used, as explained in the article.

    Quote from: Petrochemicals on 04/12/2018 20:31:29
    But they also have a big flamy thing burning fuel on most rigs, i should think thats a likely source of energy.
    When oil is extracted from wells, it’s often accompanied by natural gas. There’s no economical way to store and use that natural gas, so it’s burned (“flared”) right at the site.
    Logged
    and the misguided shall lead the gullible,
    the feebleminded have inherited the earth.
     



    Offline Petrochemicals

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 654
    • Activity:
      16%
    • Thanked: 18 times
    • forum overlord
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #5 on: 05/12/2018 22:05:44 »
    Quote from: Colin2B on 04/12/2018 22:42:59
    Quote from: Petrochemicals on 04/12/2018 20:31:29
    You can, heavy fuel oil is basically the slime left over after distillers do there stuff, its sold dirt cheap to ocean ships.
    Yes, as I said it goes through the refining process, they don’t use the crude directly. Even that left over slime has to be processed before it’s used, as explained in the article.
    This is done on board by the engine as stated in the article

    Quote
    The heavy fuel oil is taken on board and stored in the bunkers. The bunkers contain steam coils and maintain the HFO at 104ᴼF.

    From the bunkers the HFO passes through a strainer and tube/shell heater into a positive displacement pump that discharges the oil through a pair of duplex magnetic filters where any ferrous metals are removed.
    Logged
    Moon bases now !
     

    Offline jimbobghost

    • Sr. Member
    • ****
    • 320
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 19 times
    • Naked Science Forum Newbie
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #6 on: 05/12/2018 23:54:18 »
    "Oil rigs on the whole are connected to the sea bed via either a sunken tower, or in deeper environments with cables staying a floating rig. "

    my father-in-law, who worked his entire career in the oil industry in New Orleans, once told me that modern oil rigs maintained their position without any physical connection at all...he said the modern rigs utilized a GPS system with engines holding position.

    not so?
    Logged
     

    Offline Petrochemicals

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 654
    • Activity:
      16%
    • Thanked: 18 times
    • forum overlord
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #7 on: 06/12/2018 00:33:32 »
    Quote from: jimbobghost on 05/12/2018 23:54:18
    "Oil rigs on the whole are connected to the sea bed via either a sunken tower, or in deeper environments with cables staying a floating rig. "

    my father-in-law, who worked his entire career in the oil industry in New Orleans, once told me that modern oil rigs maintained their position without any physical connection at all...he said the modern rigs utilized a GPS system with engines holding position.

    not so?
    I should ask your father inlaw Jimbo.
    Logged
    Moon bases now !
     

    Offline jimbobghost

    • Sr. Member
    • ****
    • 320
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 19 times
    • Naked Science Forum Newbie
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #8 on: 06/12/2018 01:30:29 »
    too late...gone to that great gusher in the sky.
    BTW: i didn't say i knew it to be true...seemed a bit difficult to me to believe any GPS system/propeller driven platform to maintain such a precise position.

    only reason i mentioned it was due to his life long experience in the industry; and altho i didn't know him well, didn't find him to be a bullshitter.
    Logged
     



    Offline ATMD

    • Full Member
    • ***
    • 98
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 4 times
    • The Scientist
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #9 on: 06/12/2018 12:38:40 »
    There are several types of oil rigs jimbobghost, I think the type described below is what you were talking about, they are called "floating production systems"

    "As oil companies expand into ever-deeper waters, they've had to embrace less traditional methods of getting oil up to the surface. This often means deepwater rigs are buoyant and semisubmersible, floating partly above the surface while pumping up oil from deep wells. Some use wire and rope to connect with a stabilizing anchor, while others — including the now-sunken Deepwater Horizon, pictured at right in June 2009 — are "dynamically positioned," using computer-coordinated thrusters to keep them in place. "

    https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/types-of-offshore-oil-rigs
    Logged
    The Scientist
     

    Offline jimbobghost

    • Sr. Member
    • ****
    • 320
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 19 times
    • Naked Science Forum Newbie
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #10 on: 06/12/2018 15:12:03 »
    thanks for the link, interesting how much there is to learn.

    also glad to know my father-in-law wasn't bs-ing me.
    Logged
     

    Offline ATMD

    • Full Member
    • ***
    • 98
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 4 times
    • The Scientist
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #11 on: 06/12/2018 15:31:00 »
    Quote from: jimbobghost on 06/12/2018 15:12:03
    thanks for the link, interesting how much there is to learn.

    also glad to know my father-in-law wasn't bs-ing me.

    hahaha, why would he bs you? You are a scientist, he knew better.
    Logged
    The Scientist
     

    Offline jimbobghost

    • Sr. Member
    • ****
    • 320
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 19 times
    • Naked Science Forum Newbie
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #12 on: 06/12/2018 16:18:35 »
    i'm sure you are putting me on, but I have little higher education; this is why I enjoy learning so much in this forum.
    Logged
     



    Offline ATMD

    • Full Member
    • ***
    • 98
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 4 times
    • The Scientist
      • View Profile
  • Best Answer
  • Re: How do oil rigs work ?
    « Reply #13 on: 06/12/2018 16:32:44 »
    Quote from: jimbobghost on 06/12/2018 16:18:35
    i'm sure you are putting me on, but I have little higher education; this is why I enjoy learning so much in this forum.

    I am sincere.
    Logged
    The Scientist
     



    • Print
    Pages: [1]   Go Up
    « previous next »
    Tags:
     
    There was an error while thanking
    Thanking...
    • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
      Privacy Policy
      SMFAds for Free Forums
    • Naked Science Forum ©

    Page created in 0.102 seconds with 66 queries.

    • Podcasts
    • Articles
    • Get Naked
    • About
    • Contact us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe to newsletter
    • We love feedback

    Follow us

    cambridge_logo_footer.png

    ©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.