Early Development of

Oil Technology

Oil Tools and Equipment

By Wanda Pratt and Phil Morningstar - 1987

Pulling the Poles All poles had to be pulled out of the well when it was time to sharpen a bit, or clean the rocks and mud from out of the hole. This was accomplished by hooking a team of horses to the end of a rope which was run through a pulley, at the top of the derrick. The "rod monkey" or "wrencher's" job was to secure the tools in a hole and reconnect them to a rope as needed. A second man was responsible for operating the team of horses. Sometimes a third man was required to remove the poles as they were pulled up from the well. Back to Contents Pole and Pipe Tools A pole holder and a wrench were used for unhooking poles and re-attaching rope. The knock wrench was hooked onto a box and pin connection, and a pole holder was attached to a pole. These two tools were pulled together, scissor-fashion, to break the connection. Sometimes, a knock wrench and a pair of pipe tongs would be used instead of pipe wrenches. These tools ensured that a pipe would not be flattened. The bottom lip of a knock wrench was shaped to a point in order to force a pipe around and to loosen it. Back to Contents Three Pole Derricks Each well had a three-pole derrick erected over it, which was used to lift heavy or awkward equipment. The derricks needed to be raised early in the drilling process, in order to lift heavy iron bits and drilling poles. Putting up derricks was a never-ending job. Derricks usually lasted only a few years, before their legs would rot out, or their head end would split. Black Ash trees were used to make the derricks, and only trees that were straight were chosen. The trees also needed to be at least one foot in diameter and tall enough to make a 46-48 foot pole. Once the trees were felled they were hauled to the well site for assembly. Two of the ‘foot’ ends of the derrick were anchored with stakes, about 12 feet from the well, one on either side. They would be set at a 60-degree angle from each other, using the well as a center point. The two head ends of these poles would be on the other side of the well. The pointed head of the center pole would be bolted in place between the two head ends, and it would be surrounded by a clevis, or iron loop. The foot end of the pole would be even further past the well. It would be left movable until the derrick was fully erected. Wooden strips were nailed across the center pole so that men could climb it, and guide equipment in and out of the well. A weighted rope was tied to the clevis, during the raising process, to act as a plumb bob. It would guide the workers as they positioned the point of the derrick directly over the well. Next, a jen pole was raised. This 22-foot pole would be set straight up, in a direct line between a well and the derrick top, as it lay on the ground. There were pulleys at the top and bottom of the jen pole. Positioning of the jen pole was very important. If the jen pole was too close to the well, it would not provide the leverage needed to lift a heavy derrick. If the jen pole was too close to the point of the derrick, the derrick could get caught on it. The jen pole would be held in place by boards during the lift and would be taken down afterwards. A guy line would be strung from the top of the jen pole to a point half-way between the two feet of the outside legs of the derrick. This line had to be firmly anchored to the ground and the pole, as it would counter-balance the weight of the derrick, as it was raised. A cross line around the bottom of the jen pole, and around each of the feet of the outside legs, added stability as the derrick was erected. Since horsepower was used to pull up the derricks, a stout manila rope was needed to connect the horses to the movable leg. The rope was also wound around the pulleys of the jen pole to increase the leverage. Some drillers used the back wheel assemble from a buggy. It was attached to a large cross hook and used to lift both outside legs of the derrick at once. It helped to keep the legs from twisting. From the top of the derrick, the rope would go around the top pulley of the jen pole, down this pole, and through the pulley at the bottom. It would then travel out to the foot end of the movable center leg, where it was wrapped around a ladder leg, and then back through the whole assembly. This rope was then attached to a team of horses, which would be waiting, between the outside legs. A good team of horses would give a steady, strong pull, which would allow all three poles to rise into the air at the same time. If a derrick began to twist, or if the horses were uncooperative, it would need to be corrected immediately, or the whole derrick would have to be let down, and the whole erection process started again. Care would be taken to ensure that the point of the derrick was centered over the well. Once the derrick was erected, the center pole would be fastened to the ground with stakes. A pulley would then be attached to the clevis, and the jen pole would be taken down. Portable pulling machines and drilling rigs would replace derricks in the 1930’s. Back to Contents Power for the Wells Early wells were pumped by hand, and a man would have to stand all day, lifting or pushing on a pump handle. Holding tanks, barrels and tank wagons were filled in this manner. Wooden pumps, made in Shetland, were used until foundries in Oil Springs began to manufacture cast iron pumps. Back to Contents Oil Pumps Mechanical pumps used an up-and-down motion, supplied by a walking beam, which created a vacuum that would suck the oil out of the ground. The pipe had a fitting on the bottom to hold the base of the pump firmly in place. This fitting also held a length of perforated pipe, which extended into the oil rich rock. Both tubes had a cage on top, encasing a ball that alternately stopped and started the flow of oil into that part of the pump. Leather cups were fitted onto the tubes, to keep the oil from going around the tube, and draining back into the ground. The part of the pump that sat at the bottom of the pipe was called a standing, or lower valve, and the part that was pulled up by the walking beam, was called the working, or upper valve. They were actually check valves, working in unison, that allowed the oil to flow in only one direction. When the working valve rose, its ball would fit firmly into its seat, which would hold the column of oil in place, much like a finger held over the end of a straw would hold a liquid in the straw . At the same time, the ball in the standing valve would be drawn to the top of its cage, which would then suck more oil into the space left by the oil at the top. When the pump was on the downstroke, the ball in the bottom valve would be forced into its seat, to close off the tube, and to hold the oil in the pipe. The ball in the top valve would be forced to the top of its cage, allowing a new stream of oil into its tube. When the process was repeated, this new tube, full of oil, would be on its way to the surface. The number of legs on the cages would help to distinguish the old pumps from the new pumps. The old pumps had four legs, and the newer pumps had three, and the newer pumps sometimes used pistons, instead of balls. Back to Contents