Tankers work on offshore oil rigs to extract crude oil from the ocean floor. They have many responsibilities beyond drilling, including monitoring oil release, performing safety checks, and transporting oil to onshore refineries. Scientists, engineers, mechanics, and safety personnel are employed to keep the rig running.
Tankers work on offshore oil rigs and try to extract crude oil from the ocean floor. As oil platforms are often located far from shore, tankers spend days or weeks at a time on platforms and have many day-to-day responsibilities beyond drilling for oil. Energy companies employ scientists, engineers, mechanics and safety personnel to work on oil rigs, and the people employed in these roles take on specific tasks to keep the rig running.
Deep sea oil rigs are positioned above ocean areas that geologists believe hide oil reserves. The tankers position a large steel tower over the supposed oil beds. Drills are attached to the turret and engineers perform calculations to determine the best drilling angle and the best type of drill head to use to penetrate the surface. Engineers need to consult with scientists during the drilling process to assess the risk of releasing underground gases that can cause pollution or explosions. Initially, the bit goes straight down, but based on an assessment of the ground under the ocean, engineers can move the bit to a 90-degree angle.
When oil reserves are discovered, intense underground pressure sends the oil into the pipe that forms part of the drill. Oil installers need to carefully monitor oil release to ensure pressure levels do not exceed safe levels and cause pipes to rupture. The oil is stored in tanks on the platform and workers must ensure that the tanks do not leak and are not exposed to fire hazards. Safety officers conduct regular safety drills so that petroleum engineers are able to deal with potential emergencies such as rig fires or oil spills.
Oil rig mechanics must perform daily checks on all mechanical aspects of the rig, including storage tanks and drill bits. Riggers are normally transported to the platform by helicopters. Platforms must have qualified helicopter mechanics who can perform safety checks on the vessel between trips. Mechanics’ work is also subject to inspection by safety officers who perform risk assessments and make recommendations on safety enhancements.
Tankers transport oil from tanks on oil rigs to onshore refineries. The riggers must connect the platform tubes to the tankers. Some platforms are connected to the shore by deep-sea pipelines that carry oil to shore. On such rigs, riggers need to ensure that oil is pumped at a constant rate and does not reach a pressure level that could cause damage to the pipeline.
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