Pipefitting and Its Role in Offshore Operations

Working in the oil and gas industry can be tough work, with projects presenting both logistic as well as physical challenges. However, when oil drilling happens in sensitive areas, like offshore locations, safety and proper precautions are centrally important to preserve both the facility and the environment around it. Oil and gas drilling operations are dangerous, but when performed in an aquatic environment, even small mistakes can have tragic consequences. Fortunately, accidents are not inevitable. By observing proper safety regulations, following the design plans, and using high-quality fittings, issues with leakage and unchecked pressure can be avoided.

Offshore Drilling Prospects for Future Operations
In the US, much offshore drilling occurs in the Gulf of Mexico (off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), and the Obama administration has auctioned off exploration rights for 191 drilling blocks spanning over 20 million acres of federal waters (an area larger than West Virginia). Leases to these areas are estimated to produce 400 million barrels of oil. In short, the oil and gas industry will continue to have a strong presence.

Pipefitting and Undersea Drilling
Offshore drilling is obviously a delicate operation, and it’s hard work to ensure that no oil spills out or mixes with sea water while it’s being transported from the oil deposit to the drilling station on the surface. The vast amounts of ocean life as well as the communities who rely on the sea (e.g., beach city tourism and fishermen) depend on the careful work of pipefitters to ensure that their waters stay clean and as unaffected by the drilling as possible both during testing phases as well as the actual extraction.

Pipefitters are also responsible for building the pipeline systems that transport crude oil across large distances from oil fields to refineries. Although spills from these land-based operations may be easier to contain, it is equally important for pipes to be properly fitted and sealed to prevent any unnecessary losses and damage to the surrounding areas.

Pipefitters in any industry work with systems that can prove highly dangerous if not treated, monitored, and adjusted properly. The large, complex, and dynamic systems that pipefitters work with can cause tremendous harm if the pipefitters who manage them are not attentive enough. Tulsa Welding School trains students thoroughly in regulations and proper technique to keep themselves safe and the systems operating smoothly. To learn more about pipeline welding training, contact TWS today.