A drilling rig is a large machine that is used to remove oil and gas from the ground below. They're hugely significant to the oil and gas industry. Read on to find out what drilling rigs are, how they work and why they are so valuable.
Drilling rigs are enormous mechanical spiders that cover the globe, plunging deep under the Earth’s surface in search of oil and gas. They come in many pieces, including a tall tower, known as a derrick, a spinning drill bit that cuts through the earth, and pipes that carry liquid oil and gas from beneath the earth to the surface.
It takes drilling rigs to produce oil and gas for it can penetrate reserves that are deep underground. You can’t get enough of this precious commodity — the one that powers our cars, heats our homes and lights up the grid — without drilling rigs.
Drilling rigs operate by boring deep holes in the ground until they strike oil and gas. The drill bit on the end spins rapidly to bore through rock and dirt. Then, casings, which are special pipes, are placed into the hole to prevent it from caving in. Lastly, the oil and gas are pumped to the surface and processed.
Safety is of paramount importance on drilling rigs. Workers put on hard hats and goggles to protect themselves. They also adhere to strict practices to ensure everyone stays safe when operating heavy machinery and working with toxic materials.
Drilling rigs are a case where technology keeps getting better. New tools such as automated drilling systems and real-time monitoring are making it safer and faster for workers to extract oil and gas. That’s how these new technologies are transforming the oil and gas industry to be leaner and safer.
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