Offshore Oil Rig System (Extraction) - Summary Reader Response Draft 1

The article "Application of robotics in offshore oil and gas industry- A review Part ii" by Shukla and Karki (2015), states that with the growing demand for energy and oil, it is important to implement advanced systems to extract oil safely and efficiently. 

The extracting system is a complicated technology for an offshore oil rig plant. This system consists of mainly three parts, the pump, the blowout preventer (BOP) and the pipe rams. With the advancement of technology, pumps can now extract oil 25% faster compared to older oil rigs, this can be seen from data posted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED), which states that crude oil production more than doubled over the past decade (Grijpink et al., 2020). With pumping at such a high rate of velocity, safety features have also been improved to prevent blowouts. A blowout is an uncontrolled release of oil from a well that can cause the system to fail or explode, a notable case is the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico where a blowout caused massive damage to 11 lives lost and 87 days of continued oil flow into the sea (Pallardy, 2023). The safety features include a blowout preventer (BOP) and pipe arms. The BOP maintains and locks the pressure in, including sheer rams and a choke system in cases of emergency. A sheer ram cuts through the pipeline and seals the well, while the choke system slowly controls the oil flow rate to control the pressure (Shafiee et al., 2020). 

With the information on the oil rig extracting system (pump, BOP, pipe rams) mentioned, it becomes evident that with the advancement of technology, oil rig extracting systems are safer and more efficient than ever before to meet the demands for energy and oil.

Shukla, A., & Karki, H. (2016, January 1). Application of robotics in offshore oil and gas industry— A review Part II. Robotics and Autonomous Systems. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2015.09.013

Grijpink, F., Katsap, N., Verre, F., & Ward, R. (2020, November 6). How tapping connectivity in oil and gas can fuel higher performance. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/oil-and-gas/our-insights/how-tapping-connectivity-in-oil-and-gas-can-fuel-higher-performance

Pallardy, R. (2023, December 29). Deepwater Horizon oil spill | Summary, Effects, Cause, Clean Up, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-spill

Shafiee, M., Elusakin, T., & Enjema, E. M. (2020, July 1). Subsea blowout preventer (BOP): Design, reliability, testing, deployment, and operation and maintenance challenges. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlp.2020.104170

Edit #1: Edited from peer feedback.

Edit #2: Added thesis statement. 

Edit #3: Main Body

Descriptive Reflection 1A

Dear Professor Blackstone,

I am Benjamin Ong, a first-year mechanical design and manufacturing student studying at SIT. I am writing this introductory letter, hoping you will understand me better.

Unlike the majority of the students in my class, my educational journey has been a long and fruitful one. After my ‘N’ levels in secondary 4, I enrolled in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), studying mechanical engineering instead of pursuing an ‘O’ level certificate. I did this because I felt that the secondary school curriculum was not beneficial for a hands-on learner like myself. In ITE, I gained my love for engineering through my lecturer. He would constantly help me and my friends with our pet projects, no matter how crazy they were. He made us believe that even though we are from ITE, we can still make a name for ourselves. After getting my certificate from ITE, I furthered my studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Although the jump was significant, I was determined to improve as an engineer.

One of my strengths lies in my ability to get my point across and influence the people around me. As the captain of my canoe polo team, I have to inspire and motivate my team. I do this by setting a high standard for myself, hoping to ignite them to push their boundaries. An area where I have identified the need for growth is over-explaining. This issue has led to many disagreements and arguments as people feel I am micromanaging.

My goal for this module is to improve my writing skills. Being a Navy officer, the term “staff work” was commonly used. I got called out by my superiors on my grammatical errors and the way I structured my sentences. Additionally, I would like to improve my presentation skills as it will benefit me in the future.

Most friends say my journey post-secondary school was special or unique and I completely agree with them. Although my journey was long, I am grateful for everything, as every challenge presents an opportunity to learn, shaping me into the person I am today.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I look forward to learning from you in class.

Regards,

Benjamin Ong

Edit #1: Grammer mistakes and over use of caps.

Task 3:

The quotation we selected was “Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter."; from this quotation, we think it means that to become an effective leader, one must have good communication skills. Because if the message is unclear, the team cannot achieve its goals efficiently. In addition, the quote also emphasizes the importance of leadership, not only by telling people what to do but guiding them towards a collective aim.

-Benjamin Ong

Partner: James