Bead - A line of weld metal. 



Benthos - Organisms that live on or in the bottom of bodies of water. 



Berm - That area between the base of a levee or spoil bank and the water edge. 



Biomass - The amount of living matter, usually expressed as a number (of 

 germs, calories, etc.) per unit area. 



Blooey line - The return line used in air - or gas-drilling techniques through 

 which the gas, cuttings, and fluid are blown from the wellbore. 



Blowout Preventer - Equipment installed at the well head for the purpose of 

 controlling pressures in the annular space between the casing and 

 drill pipe, or in an open hole during drilling and completion opera- 

 tions. 



Booster pump - An auxiliary pump used to increase the force, power, or pressure 

 of materials along a pipeline. 



Bore hole - The wellbore; the hole made by drilling or boring a well. 



Brine - Water containing salt that is found mixed with petroleum when the 



product comes out of the wellhead. The brine must be separated in 

 order to sell the petroleum. 



Bullet - A shaped charge fired electrically from the surface, which pierces 

 the casing wall and cement to provide holes through which formation 

 liquids may enter or drilling fluids may exit. 



Burn pit - A leveed pit in which flammable hydrocarbon waste liquids or semi- 

 solids can be disposed of by burning. 



Cap - A fitting or structure that closes the end of the wellbore. 



Casing - Steel pipe placed in an oil or gas well as drilling progresses. 



Casing prevents the wall of the hole from caving during drilling; it 

 also provides a means of extracting the oil if the well is productive. 



Cathode - The negative terminal of an electrolytic cell. 



Cathodic protection - A process associated with pipelines where a slight 



positive electrical potential (relative to the soil) is placed on 

 the pipe to overcome the natural reduction-oxidation potential of 

 the soil. In the process, sacrificial anodes are placed parallel to 

 the pipeline and potential is provided from a nearby transformer. 

 The result is that the anodes slowly oxidize while the pipeline 

 escapes the effects of electrolysis. 



Cellar - An excavated area in the earth below the main work area on an oil 

 rig. The cellar may contain the blowout preventer and casing. 

 Cellars are rarely dug now since the main work area of the drilling 

 rig is elevated and the blowout preventer is at ground level. 



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