Oilfield Terminology & Definitions.
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Equipment, Facilities & Infrastructure

Equipment, facilities, and infrastructure encompass the machinery, processing plants, pipelines, and support structures that enable oil extraction, transport, and refining. Understanding these components reveals how the industry maintains safety, efficiency, and production continuity.

  • Flare Stack
    29

    A flare stack is a critical safety and environmental control device used in oil and gas production, refining, and petrochemical facilities. It is a tall,…

  • FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading)
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    An FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) vessel is a self-contained floating facility used in the offshore oil and gas industry to process hydrocarbons from…

  • Frac Stack
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    A Frac Stack (also known as a frac tree or frac valve stack) is a high-pressure, multi-valve assembly installed on top of a wellhead during…

  • Gas Dehydration Unit
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    A Gas Dehydration Unit (GDU) is a critical piece of process equipment used in the oil and gas industry to remove water vapor from natural…

  • Gas Lift System
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    A Gas Lift System is an artificial lift method used in oil and gas wells to enhance the natural flow of reservoir fluids to the…

  • Gathering System
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    A gathering system is the network of pipelines, valves, separators, meters, and other equipment that collects raw hydrocarbons (oil, natural gas, and produced water) from…

  • Heater Treater
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    A Heater Treater (also known as an oil treater, emulsion treater, or vertical treater) is a pressure vessel used in oil and gas production to…

  • Kill Line
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    The kill line is a high-pressure auxiliary pipeline in a drilling rig’s well control system, typically connected to the blowout preventer (BOP) stack and used…

  • LACT Unit (Lease Automatic Custody Transfer)
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    A LACT Unit (Lease Automatic Custody Transfer) is a standardized, skid-mounted metering and sampling system used in the oil and gas industry to automatically measure…

  • Mud Pump
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    A mud pump is a critical piece of equipment in the oil and gas drilling industry, responsible for circulating drilling fluid (commonly called mud) down…

  • Mud Tank
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    A mud tank (also known as a mud pit or drilling fluid tank) is a critical piece of surface equipment in the oil and gas…

  • Offshore Platform
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    An offshore platform is a large, fixed or floating structure engineered to support the drilling, extraction, processing, and temporary storage of hydrocarbons (crude oil and…