Oil and Gas Terms Beginning with “T” — Page 3

The force per unit cross-sectional area required to pull a substance apart. Read more →

A type of packer that is set by applying tension to the running string. These packers are less common than compression-set packers due to the potential difficulties associated with retrieval. However, in applications… Read more →

A mathematical entity with components that change in a particular way in a transformation from one coordinate system to another. Tensor methods are used in "upscaling" reservoir parameters for use in reservoir… Read more →

An oil and gas lease that expires after a specified period of time, regardless of whether oil, gas and/or other minerals are being produced. Read more →

A graphical representation of concentrations in a system with three components. Since the sum of the component percentages is unity, any composition can be uniquely mapped to a single point within a triangular space. In… Read more →

The positive gravity correction that accounts for the deviation of the topography from the horizontal slab of infinite extent assumed in the Bouguer correction. Local topographic features always decrease the gravity… Read more →

Pertaining to sediments or depositional environments on land or above the level of high tide. Read more →

Traditionally, the third stage of hydrocarbonproduction, comprising recovery methods that follow waterflooding or pressure maintenance. The principal tertiary recovery techniques used are thermal methods, gas injection… Read more →

A vessel used to separate and meter relatively small quantities of oil and gas. Test separators can be two-phase or three-phase, or horizontal, vertical or spherical. They can also be permanent or portable.Test… Read more →

Pertaining to analysis based on equations or formulae derived from a theoretical basis in science. The majority of equations used in reservoir characterization and reservoir engineering are empirical, but many have been… Read more →

A parameter used to characterize thermal neutron interactions in bulk material. Thermal diffusion length (Ld) is the characteristic distance between the point at which a neutron becomes thermal and the point of its… Read more →

The rate of increase in temperature per unit depth in the Earth. Although the thermal gradient varies from place to place, it averages 25 to 30 oC/km [15 oF/1000 ft]. Read more →

The degree of heating of a source rock in the process of transforming kerogen into hydrocarbon. Thermal maturity is commonly evaluated by measuring vitrinite reflectance or by pyrolysis. Read more →

An element, or mineral, that is particularly effective in absorbing thermal neutrons (neutrons with about the same energy as the surrounding matter, typically less than 0.4 eV). The elements gadolinium, boron, chlorine,… Read more →

A measurement of the slowing down and capture of neutrons between a source and one or more thermal neutron detectors. The neutron source emits high-energy neutrons that are slowed mainly by elastic scattering to near… Read more →

What Is Thermal Recovery? Thermal recovery is a category of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) that uses heat — delivered by steam injection, combustion, or electrical heating — to reduce the viscosity of heavy oil and bitumen… Read more →

The finite-difference or finite-element reservoir simulation that includes energy equations and calculations used to describe heat conduction, heat and fluid convection, and latent heat exchanges occurring in the… Read more →

A term describing the application of a cloud point glycol or polyglycol as a shaleinhibitor. The purported mechanism is that the glycol clouds out at the higher downhole temperatures, coating onto the surface of clays… Read more →

A measurement of the time during which a cementslurry remains in a fluid state and is capable of being pumped. Thickening time is assessed under simulated downhole conditions using a consistometer that plots the… Read more →

A device that can be lowered into a tank to obtain samples (liquid or sediments) at different depths. The samples are analyzed to determine the gravity and BS&W content of the fluid into the tank. Read more →

An opening in the top of the stock tank. The thiefhatch allows tank access for a thief or other level measuring devices. Read more →

A formation encountered during drilling into which circulating fluids can be lost. Read more →

Pertaining to the ability of a fluid, such as cement or drilling mud, to develop gel strength over time when not subject to shearing, and then to liquefy when agitated. Read more →

The characteristic of a fluid, such as a drilling mud, to form a gelled structure over time when not subject to shearing and then to liquefy when agitated. The viscosity of a thixotropic fluid changes with time under… Read more →

An element with an atomic number of 90. The 232Th isotope is radioactive and decays with a half-life of 1.4 * 1010 years through a series of intermediate isotopes to a stable isotope of lead. The intermediate isotopes… Read more →

A common measure for volume of gas. Standard conditions are normally set at 60oF and 14.7 psia, abbreviated Mscf/d. Read more →

A protective sleeve or cap generally made up on the threads of tubular goods during transport and storage. Thread protectors are available in metal, plastic, or a combination of both. Read more →

A pocket-size thread gauge used in field operations to correctly identify or confirm the thread type and size of tubular goods. Read more →

A particular style or type of threaded connection, especially as used for rotary shouldered connections. Threadforms come in a variety of sizes, pitches, tapers, threads per in., and individual thread profiles.… Read more →

A type of multicomponent seismic data acquired in a land, marine, or borehole environment by using three orthogonally oriented geophones or accelerometers. 3C is particularly appropriate when the addition of a… Read more →