† This is an abridged version of the Dictionary of Petroleum Terms provided by Petex and the University of Texas Austin. © Petex 2001 fastline n: the end of the drilling line that is affixed to the drum or reel of the drawworks, so called because it travels with greater velocity than any other portion of the line. Compare deadline. Fingerboard n: a rack that supports the stands of pipe being stacked in the derrick or mast. It has several steel fingerlike projections that form a series of slots into which the derrickman can place a stand of drill pipe or collars after it is pulled out of the hole and removed from the drill string. Fire flooding n: a thermal recovery method in which the oil in the reservoir is ignited, the heat vaporizes lighter hydrocarbons and water pushes the warmed oil toward a producing well.

Also called in situ combustion. See thermal recovery. Fish n: an object that is left in the wellbore during drilling or workover operations and that must be recovered before work can proceed.

Jm Integrated Remote Station on this page. It can be anything from a piece of scrap metal to a part of the drill stem. Fishing n: the procedure of recovering lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore. Fishing magnet n: a powerful magnet designed to recover metallic objects lost in a well. Fishing tool n: a tool designed to recover equipment lost in a well. Fishing-tool operator n: the person (usually a service company employee) in charge of directing fishing operations. Fitting n: a small, often standardized, part (such as a coupling, valve, or gauge) installed in a larger apparatus. Float collar n: a special coupling device inserted one or two joints above the bottom of the casing string that contains a check valve to permit fluid to pass downward but not upward through the casing.

The float collar prevents drilling mud from entering the casing while it is being lowered, allowing the casing to float during its descent and thus decreasing the load on the derrick or mast. Float shoe n: a short, heavy, cylindrical steel section with a rounded bottom that is attached to the bottom of the casing string.