BOP Stack Testing: The Pressure Test That Has to Leave a Paper Trail
A BOP test is only as good as the record. What gets tested, how often, and how to keep documentation that holds up in an audit.
The rigs.work reference library
Field notes on rigs, crews, safety & cost
The complete index of rigs.work field notes: how rig systems work, what compliance records hold up in an audit, how maintenance and logistics stay ahead, and where the money leaks on a location. Written for the people who actually run the well.
Casing and Cementing: How Wells Stay Isolated for Decades
Primary cementing is the foundation of well integrity. Casing design, cement placement, verification, and the economics of getting isolation right.
Chemicals on Location: SDS, Inventory, and HazCom Without the Dusty Binder
Acids, biocides, and corrosion inhibitors share one location. The SDS library, the chemical inventory, and the training OSHA expects.
Company Man: Role and Responsibilities on a Modern Drilling Rig
What a company man actually does on a modern rig: daily duties, chain of authority, pay and rotation, plus what operators should demand.
Contractor Safety Management: Qualify the Vendor Before the Gate
Every service company on location brings its own people, its own equipment, and its own risk. Verify before the job, not after the incident.
Crew Change and Rotation Planning: Travel, Cover, and the Open-Seat Problem
14/14 and 28/28 rotations look simple until a key seat opens. How to plan crew changes so cover never depends on a phone call.
Digital Shift Reports: How Tour Reports Improve Rig Communication
Digital shift reports cut end-of-tour data entry about 40 percent and improve depth and drilling parameter accuracy. How they help rig communication.
Directional Driller: What the Job Actually Involves
What a directional driller actually does: well planning, slide vs rotary steerable, day rates, and what operators should look for.
DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing: The Program Your Fleet Already Owes
Random pools, return-to-duty, and the paper trail. What a compliant testing program looks like for an oilfield fleet.
Drill Pipe Inspection: API RP 7G-2 and the Drill String
Drill pipe fails from corrosion fatigue and cyclic stress. How API RP 7G-2 inspection, grading, and records keep the string running safe.
Drilling Fluids and Circulation: Water-Based vs Oil-Based Mud Costs
Water-based mud runs 8-24 per barrel, oil-based 0-40. How the mud system choice trades cost against hole stability and lateral reach.
Frac Support Operations: Coordinating Water, Sand, and Crews
One horizontal well can take 16 million gallons of water and millions of pounds of sand. How frac support crews stay ahead of the clock.
H2S on the Rig: Drills, Training Records, and What Compliance Requires
API RP 49 and OSHA set the H2S standard. Where rigs fall short is the records: who trained, when, and how current.
Job Safety Analysis That Crews Actually Use
A JSA that gets signed at the tailgate and lost is not a JSA. How to write hazard analysis a crew can actually run from.
Mud and Fluids Logistics: Scheduling Deliveries So the Rig Never Waits
A 2,000-barrel mud system at $30 a barrel is a big bill, and waiting on the next load is worse. How fluids logistics keeps drilling ahead.
Mud Logging and Gas Detection: What the Crew Sees Before Trouble
Mud loggers watch gas readings, cuttings and mud trends in real time. A 5.7% CAGR market, and why the data keeps drillers safe.
Non-Productive Time on the Rig: Where the Hours and Money Go
NPT runs 20-30% of drilling time and the longest events carry most of the cost. How to code, measure and cut non-productive time on the rig.
Field Service Software for Oilfield Operations: What to Buy and Why
The field service management market is growing 12 percent a year. What oilfield operators should actually look for before buying.
DOT Compliance for Oilfield Trucks: Hours, Inspections, and Paperwork
The oilfield HOS exception only works when waiting time is logged right. What DOT compliance looks like for rig support fleets.
Pad Drilling: Sequence the Wells So the Rig Never Waits
One pad, many wells, one rig. Batch operations and scheduling that keep the bit turning and the clock running.
PDC vs Roller Cone Bits: Matching the Bit to the Formation
PDC bits run 30-50% faster but cost 5-15x more than roller cone. How to choose per interval, manage runs, and use offset data for bit selection.
Permian Day Rates in 2026: What Drillers and Operators Should Expect
Permian land rig day rates for 2026: what premium AC, standard AC, and SCR rigs actually cost per day, with rig count data and budgeting advice.
Pre-Spud Rig Acceptance: The Checklist That Stops Week-One Failures
The pre-spud inspection is the last gate before the clock starts. What a proper rig acceptance covers, and why shortcuts show up as NPT.
Produced Water: Hauling, Disposal, and the Ticket Trail
Produced water is the biggest waste stream in the oil field. The hauling tickets, the disposal records, and who is liable when it spills.
Crane and Lifting Operations on Location: The Plan Before the Pick
Most crane incidents are planning failures, not equipment failures. The load plan, the signals, and the ground under the outriggers.
Rig Crew Hours and Overtime: Where Payroll Errors Hide
Payroll errors eat 1 to 8 percent of annual labor spend. How rig crews get paid wrong, and what accurate time capture fixes.
Rig Crew Training and Certification Requirements: What It Takes to Work on a Drilling Rig
Rig crew training and certification requirements: WellSharp well control, RigPass safety, H2S cards and role-specific courses from floorhand to driller.
Rig Diesel: Managing Fuel Cost, Theft, and Delivery on Location
Fuel is one of the biggest variable costs on a rig and one of the easiest to lose. How to track diesel from delivery to burn.
What Rig Downtime Really Costs — and How to Cover a Seat by Morning
Rig downtime runs tens of thousands of dollars per day. Here's how operators quantify the cost of an open Company Man or specialist seat — and use a clear reference in under 12 hours.
Emergency Response on the Rig: The Plan Before the Siren
Fire, H2S, blowout, medevac. The response plan, the muster list, and the drills that make the first ten minutes count.
Rig Floorhand: What the Entry-Level Job Actually Involves
The floorhand is the entry point to every drilling career. Pay, physical demands, safety training and the path to driller and company man.
Incident Reporting on the Rig: What Gets Reported and What Gets Missed
Oil and gas injuries are chronically underreported. What the recordkeeping rules require, and why near-miss reporting is the real fix.
Rig Move Planning: How Long Moves Take and What They Cost
Rig moves eat days at full day rates and drive 37% of rig incidents. A practical guide to move phases, realistic timelines and cost control.
Preventive Maintenance on the Rig: Scheduling That Actually Gets Done
A PM program that sticks cuts maintenance costs 12 to 18 percent. How to schedule rig maintenance so it survives a 24-hour operation.
Rig Site Access and Visitor Logs: Security Without the Clipboard
Site theft costs the industry up to $1 billion a year. Controlled access and visitor records are the first line against it.
What Paper Field Tickets Really Cost an Oilfield Service Company
Handwritten tickets get lost, misread, and re-keyed. The real cost of paper field tickets shows up in billing delays, disputes, and late payments.
Spare Parts and Inventory on the Rig: The Bolt That Stops a Program
Waiting on parts is pure NPT at day-rate money. The critical spares list and inventory discipline that keep rigs running.
SPCC on the Location: A Spill Plan That Matches the Tanks
Diesel, lube, and produced water on one location. The SPCC plan, the containment, and the drill record.
Third-Party Rig Inspections: What the Auditor Looks At First
Rig audits find the same problems every time: wire rope, brakes, sheaves, and paperwork. The prep list that shortens the punch list.
Top Drive vs Rotary Table: Which Drilling System Fits Your Program
Top drive vs rotary table drilling: speed, connection time, well control, cost and maintenance compared, with guidance on which system fits your program.
Kick Prevention and Well Control Drills: Practice the Close
Most kicks are caught early or not at all. The training, the drills, and the crew response that shut the well in fast.
Wellhead and Christmas Tree Inspection: The Pressure Boundary Nobody Watches
The wellhead is the permanent pressure boundary of the well. Inspection, testing, and records that keep the seals honest.
Winterizing the Rig: Cold Weather Ops That Keep Crews and Equipment Moving
Freeze-offs, gelled diesel, cold stress. The winterization checklist that keeps a rig running through the hard months.
Wire Rope Inspection: Catch the Cut Before It Catches You
Broken wires, corrosion, birdcages. The inspection rules and the record that keep hoisting wire safe on the rig.
Why Workover Rigs Sit: Downtime Causes and How Operators Cut Them
Workover rigs earn only when the clock runs. The causes of workover downtime, and the scheduling discipline that keeps wells moving.
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