Oil and Gas: Terms & Glossary (4)

Face	The mating surface of flanged fittings or valves.
Face-to-face	Measurement from the mating surface on one end of a flanged valve to the mating surface on the other end.
Feed	The initial fluid material used in the fractional distillation process.
Feed, boiler	Water piped through a boiler to produce steam.
Female thread	Internal thread grooves cut into pipes, fittings or valves.
Field pipe	A run of pipe configured, cut, and pieced together at the time of installation.
Filter	Basket-type strainer used to collect solid waste and contaminants circulating through the piping system.
Fin-fan	See air cooler
Fired heater	Mechanical device used to elevate circulating liquids to extreme temperatures.
Fire proofing	Generally brick, concrete, or gunite, applied around vessel skirts or structural columns to prevent damage in case of fire.
Fitting	Generic name for components used to make turns, branches, or reductions in a run of pipe.
Flange	Ring-shaped device that is welded or screwed on the end of a pipe that permits the pipe to be attached to other similarly prepared piping components.
Flare stack	Vertical column that uses an open flame to burn waste gases.
Flash zone	The position in a fractionation column where the incoming feed separates into vapor and liquid states.
Flat face	Flange facing that has no raised surfaces.
Floating roof	The type of storage tank roof that is suspended by the commodity being stored. The floating prevents the collection of harmful gases and vapors in tanks that store flammable liquids.
Flow diagram	Schematic drawing depicting the equipment and instrumentation of a piping facility.
Flow displacement meter	Instrument installed within a piping configuration that measures the flow rate of the commodity within the pipe.
Flow element.	Set of orifice flanges used with test equipment that measures rates.
Flow indicator	A local or board mounted instrument that registers flow rates.
Flow meter	A device used to indicate or record the amount of commodity flowing through a pipe.
Flow rate	The amount of flow passing a given point in a pipe for a predetermined amount of time, for example, gph, gpm.
Flow ratio recording controller	A combination of control valve and recorder that records the flow within a pipe then controls the flow as required.
Flow recorder	Instrument that makes a permanent record of flow measurement.
Flow recording controller	A control valve that records measurements of flow through a pipe.
Foundation	Grade-level concrete support for buildings, equipment, and structural members.
Foundation location plan	Plan drawing depicting the coordinate location of buildings, equipment, and structural concrete supports.
Fraction	By-products of a feed supply.
Fractional distillation	The chemical process of separating a feed supply into its various molecular components (by products).
Fractionation column	A vertical vessel having internal plates, called trays, which aid in the separation and collection of the various molecular compounds of a feed stock (fractional distillation).
Fuel oil	Combustible material used as a heat source for fired equipment in a process facility.

Money in the Ground-Insider's Guide to Oil and Gas Deals (4th Ed.)