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Industry Glossary Term

Rig Count

The number of drilling rigs actively operating in a region. Published weekly by Baker Hughes, the rig count is a leading indicator of activity levels in the oil and gas industry.

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Related Terms

Hot Shot

Industry

Expedited delivery service for equipment, parts, or materials to remote job sites. Often used for urgent oilfield deliveries.

Drillship

Industry

A self-propelled vessel equipped with a drilling rig used for offshore exploration and production in deepwater locations, which subcontractors may be mobilised to for specialised services such as equipment maintenance, inspection, or crew support under strict offshore safety and logistical requirements.

CSG (Casing)

Industry

Steel pipe installed in a wellbore to provide structural integrity and prevent contamination between different geological formations, requiring specialized installation and cementing services that subcontractors frequently provide during drilling operations.

Minimum Work Program

Industry

A contractually obligated set of activities and expenditures an operator must complete within a set timeframe, typically tied to a licence or lease agreement; for subcontractors, this creates predictable scopes of work and mobilisation opportunities as operators must execute these commitments or risk losing their rights to the asset.

TVD (True Vertical Depth)

Industry

The straight-line vertical distance from surface to a specific point in a wellbore, regardless of how the well is drilled — subcontractors working on directional or horizontal wells need to reference TVD (not measured depth) when scoping equipment reach, calculating hydrostatic pressures, or verifying work zone depths on service orders.

Exploration Well

Industry

A well drilled in an unproven or lightly tested area to determine whether hydrocarbons are present, often representing shorter-term, high-mobilisation contracts for subcontractors with less predictable follow-on work than development drilling programmes.

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