The diverter and blowout preventer (BOP) are probably important items of equipment on a drilling rig and their  description has been Left until last because to understand their  function one must first have a basic appreciation of drilling operations  Basically  diverters and BOPS are the last line of defiance which provides the drill crew with a breathing space to take corrective action, or abandon the installation when control of the well is lost .The initial stages of drilling a well are without doubt the most dangerous due to the ever present risk of penetrating shallow gas bearing sands, a hazard which has resulted in numerous fatalities and the complete destruction of both drill ships and jack-ups. The diverter is used in preference to a BOP to provide a degree of protection against  these hazards because attempting to confine hydrocarbons within a shallow conductor may lead  to a blowout of the formation around the outside of the conductor which would create an unrecoverable situation.

The diverter and blowout preventer (BOP) are probably important items of equipment on a drilling rig and their  description has been Left until last because to understand their  function one must first have a basic appreciation of drilling operations  Basically  diverters and BOPS are the last line of defiance which provides the drill crew with a breathing space to take corrective action, or abandon the installation when control of the well is lost .The initial stages of drilling a well are without doubt the most dangerous due to the ever present risk of penetrating shallow gas bearing sands, a hazard which has resulted in numerous fatalities and the complete destruction of both drill ships and jack-ups. The diverter is used in preference to a BOP to provide a degree of protection against  these hazards because attempting to confine hydrocarbons within a shallow conductor may lead  to a blowout of the formation around the outside of the conductor which would create an unrecoverable situation.

The diverter and blowout preventer (BOP) are probably important items of equipment on a drilling rig and their  description has been Left until last because to understand their  function one must first have a basic appreciation of drilling operations  Basically  diverters and BOPS are the last line of defiance which provides the drill crew with a breathing space to take corrective action, or abandon the installation when control of the well is lost .The initial stages of drilling a well are without doubt the most dangerous due to the ever present risk of penetrating shallow gas bearing sands, a hazard which has resulted in numerous fatalities and the complete destruction of both drill ships and jack-ups. The diverter is used in preference to a BOP to provide a degree of protection against  these hazards because attempting to confine hydrocarbons within a shallow conductor may lead  to a blowout of the formation around the outside of the conductor which would create an unrecoverable situation.