Glossary

Kelly

a square or hexagonal hollow shaft that engages at one end with the drilling table and at the other with the drill pipe.

Kelly joint

the stand of piping that carries the kelly

Kerogen

a bituminous material occurring in certain oil shales which yield a type of oil when heated.

Kerosene

a medium-light distillate from the oil refining process intermediate between gas oil and gaseous fuels; used for lighting and heating, and for the manufacture of fuel for jet and turbo-prop aircraft engines.

Key seating

the situation that occurs when the drill string wears a groove in the high side of a deviated well bore - this can produce problems by causing the drill string to stick.

Kick

the situation that occurs when the formation pressure in a well exceeds the hydrostatic head of the mud column, thus allowing formation fluid to enter the well bore.

Kick-off

initiation of planned well deviation

Killing a well

overcoming the tendency of a well to flow naturally by filling the well bore with drilling mud of sufficiently high density. To control or stop a kick.

Kimmeridgian

a formation in the upper strata of the Jurassic Period that contains both source and reservoir rocks.