Photographing an Oil Rig

I spent several days this week visiting an oil rig that is drilling one of my prospects in south Louisiana.  It is a land location, so it is relatively easy to get to.  I was given unlimited access at all times of day and night.  So, I was able to catch the natural light at it's best in the morning and evening.  And the rig's artificial lights worked well, too.  I never used a flash.  It was exciting to be an the rig floor as the hands were making connections (adding new drill pipe) and drilling deeper.   I felt the jars when the drill pipe was sticking and observed an excellent crew practice well control procedures.  These people work at least 12 hour shifts with few if any breaks.

I thought I would share a few shots from this trip.  I may add more at a later date.  The results of the drilling are considered confidential under a later date.

This is the rig in the full morning light.

(click image to enlarge, then use back button to return to this page)

This is a view of the board road  in the early morning, looking back from the rig pad toward the main road.

(click image to enlarge)

This is the Milky Way as observed from a dark location near the rig.

(click image to enlarge)

This is the rig at night, illuminated by the generator powered lights.  The colors of the rig really came alive in this light, which is unusual.  Artificial light rarely produces such color.  I shot these wide shots with a 20mm f/2.8 Nikon lens on the D700.

(click image to enlarge)

These are the rig hands (sometimes called roughnecks) making a connection of a new stand of three drillpipes (90 feet) to the pipe already in the hole.  This is dangerous work with large, heavy, powerful, equipment swinging around the rig floor.  These guys really work hard, not only to keep their jobs, but to move up the ladder to better jobs as they come open.

 (click image to enlarge)

This was the last photo I took before I left.  The trucks were bringing in fresh mud to put down the hole. The mud helps maintain the hydrostatic pressure necessary to keep the well from flowing out.  The temperature and pressure are much higher at the bottom of the hole than at the surface.

(click image to enlarge)

Let me know if you would like to see more from this trip.

I've also received several request to write about the grizzly bear photo that I posted on my website under wildlife.  I plan to do that very soon.

Thanks for visiting!