{{for, the molding defect, Flow marks A flow line, used on a drilling rig, is a large diameter pipe (typically a section of casing) that is connected to the

bell nipple A 'Bell nipple'' is a section of large diameter pipe fitted to the top of the blowout preventers that the flow line attaches to via a side outlet, to allow the drilling fluid to flow back over the shale shakers to the mud tanks. See Drilling rig ...

(under the

drill floor The drill floor is the heart of any drilling rig. This is the area where the drill string begins its trip into the earth. It is traditionally where joints of pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe are assembled, as well as the BHA (bottom hole assembly), d ...

) and extends to the possum belly (on the

mud tank A mud tank is an open-top container, typically made of square steel tube and steel plate, to store drilling fluid on a drilling rig. They are also called ''mud pits'', as they were once simple pits in the earth. Mud tank structure Mud tanks are d ...

s) and acts as a return line, (for the

drilling fluid In geotechnical engineering, drilling fluid, also called drilling mud, is used to aid the drilling of boreholes into the earth. Often used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and on exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also us ...

as it comes out of the hole), to the

mud A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...

Possum Belly

The possum belly is used to slow the flow of returning

before it hits the

shale shakers Shale shakers are components of drilling equipment used in many industries, such as coal cleaning, mining, oil and gas drilling.They are the first phase of a solids control system on a drilling rig, and are used to remove large solids ( cuttings ...

. This enables the shale shaker to clean the cuttings out of the drilling fluid before it is returned to the pits for circulation.

Sample Box

Another common add on is the sample box. This is a heavy duty rubber hose that is inserted at the end of the flow line and at the other end emplaced into the sample box itself. The sample box is used to capture samples of drill cuttings for geological logging. The box is typically equipped with a raising door that allows the water and cuttings to escape after a sample is collected.

Stinger Line

A stinger line is similar to a flow line, but unlike a flow line is not used to maintain circulation. The stinger line is attached to the

blowout preventer A blowout preventer (BOP) (pronounced B-O-P, not "bop") is a specialized valve or similar mechanical device, used to seal, control and monitor oil and gas wells to prevent blowouts, the uncontrolled release of crude oil or natural gas from a w ...

to allow for the pressure from a

blowout Blowout or Blow out may refer to: Film and television *''Blow Out'', a 1981 film by Brian De Palma * ''The Blow Out'', a 1936 short film * ''Blow Out'' (TV series), a TV series on Bravo * "Blow Out" (''Prison Break''), an episode of ''Prison ...

to be released. The stinger line usually will run parallel to the flow line.

References

Flow line
Drilling technology Oilfield terminology Petroleum engineering Piping

Possum Belly

Sample Box

Stinger Line

See also

References