A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil well or gas well after pressure control systems have failed. Modern wells have blowout preventers intended to prevent such an occurrence. An accidental spark during a blowout can lead to a catastrophic oil or gas fire.
The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop, Texas (1901)
Ixtoc I oil well blowout
Macondo-1 well blowout on the Deepwater Horizon rig, 21 April 2010
Government Accountability Office diagram showing subsea well containment operations
In geotechnical engineering, drilling fluid, also known as drilling mud, is used to aid the drilling of boreholes into the earth. Used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and on exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also used for much simpler boreholes, such as water wells.
Driller pouring anti-foaming agent down the drilling string on a drilling rig
Baryte powder used for preparation of water-based mud
Fluid pit
Mud Pit