Working in the oilfield industry is a dangerous profession. This is true whether you work on a land rig or at sea on an offshore rig. Many hazards are the same for both, but some significant risks differ, including physical risks of the job and drilling methods.
Understanding these differences can help an oilfield worker protect their health and legal rights simultaneously.
What Is a Land Rig?
Oil companies utilize land rigs to conduct onshore drilling. Onshore drilling occurs on physical land but may also happen in shallower waters when drilling directly into the seabed. The land rig begins the drilling process by making a wellbore — a slim and long vertical hole. This hole is drilled directly through layers of sediment and rock on land or the shore. Wells typically utilize horizontal or vertical drilling methods, depending on whether the rig will produce natural gas or oil.
Most onshore drilling sites use multiple wells kept close together, about one per every half acre for oil wells. Natural gas rigs use fewer wells, about one per every 80 acres. They are interconnected with carbon steel tubes where the oil or gas is sent for refinement into the final product. Land rigs may drill and produce for several years or even decades.1
What Is an Offshore Rig?
An offshore rig operates off land and into the ocean. The United States border extends beyond the coastline, meaning American oil companies may explore beyond our shores. Oil companies pursue oil basins under the sea and utilize offshore drilling techniques to extract crude oil. Offshore drilling rigs may also find natural gas under the sea floor.2
American companies may operate in the Exclusive Economic Zone. This is the 200-mile stretch of ocean between the U.S. border and the coastline. For Texas and Louisiana oilfield workers, this typically means working in the Gulf of Mexico for oilfield jobs.
The ocean adds several complications to drilling. Some workers are on offshore rigs attached directly to the ocean floor. Others are on floating rigs, which may greatly add to the expense and risk involved with the project.
Types of Offshore Rigs
There are five main types of platforms most companies use. These include:
- Barge rigs: These are meant for shallow waters — typically less than 20 feet deep. They are floated to the drilling location, and then the hull rests on the ocean floor. This creates a stable drilling platform. These rigs are common in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Submersible rigs: These are used when water is too deep for a barge, but the water is less than 50-70 feet deep. These rigs utilize posts or columns inserted into the water and filled to specific levels.
- Jack-up rigs: These are meant for deeper waters. Their name derives from the fact that they are moved directly over a location to drill and pump oil. They are elevated or jacked up from the bottom of the ocean to help keep them in place. These rigs are typically suited for waters of 400 feet or less.
- Platform rigs: These use a steel framework attached to the ocean floor to create a stable working environment. These platforms are often massive and include workstations, housing, and much more. Depending on the depth of the ocean in the drilling area, a platform may be a fixed platform or a compliant tower.
- Floating rigs: These are used for very deep water where it is impractical to attach them to the ocean floor. They have anchors and specialized positioning systems that keep them in place over their location.
Similarities Between Offshore and Onshore Rigs
The primary similarity between land and offshore rigs is that both are utilized as exploratory or ongoing drilling machines that generate oil and gas.
Other similarities include the many dangers involved with working on them, including the risk of:
- Severe burns or skin damage
- Lacerations
- Loss of limb or amputation
- Spinal injuries
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Blunt force trauma
- Slip and fall injuries
- Electrocution
- Death
Working on an oil or gas rig of any kind is incredibly dangerous. Workers face hazardous conditions because of the explosive and flammable nature of the products they drill for. Risks also occur from negligent supervisors, lack of safety equipment, and many other dangers.
Differences Between Offshore and Onshore Rigs
Onshore and offshore rigs are very different, despite several similarities. Simply being over the ocean versus on land demonstrates just how different the environment can be. Other key differences include:
- The methods used to search for oil and gas
- The amount of time spent on the job site daily
- Whether the platform is fixed or floating
- The skill and experience it takes to work on the drilling rig
- The types of wells used to extract oil and gas
- Whether the resources are under the land or the ocean seabed
Differing Risks of Land Rigs and Offshore Rigs
Many differences exist in the hazards that workers face on land vs. at sea. A few examples:
- Distances from shore: Land rigs are either on land or just off the shore. They are easy to get to, and most workers travel there daily. Offshore rigs can be a few miles to hundreds of miles away from the shore. This creates different risks for injured workers and the time required to get emergency medical treatment.
- Work-life balance: Land rig workers can usually go home at the end of the day. They may work long shifts but have time with their families at home. Offshore workers often leave land for weeks or months at a time. This can lead to stress and exhaustion, which increases the risk of a major accident.
- Weather risks: A hurricane at sea can have a different impact than when it hits land. Storms, lightning, or fog can create very different hazards as well.
- Transportation and vehicle accidents: Trucking accidents are one of the most common injury causes. Land rig workers are more likely to face vehicle accidents due to the nature of their jobs.
Understand the Risks of Land Rigs and Offshore Rigs
Knowing the hazards associated with oil and gas rigs can help workers stay alert and avoid accidents. When injuries do occur, workers should seek immediate medical attention and speak with a personal injury attorney about their legal rights.
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