Blowout preventer

A blowout preventer (BOP) is a big machine that helps prevent oil spills from happening when oil is being drilled from deep under the water. It's like a giant rubber stopper that sits at the bottom of the drilling well and keeps the oil from coming out all at once.

There are a lot of different parts to a BOP, but some of the most important are the shear rams and the blind rams. Think of the shear ram like a pair of scissors that can cut through really thick things. It's there to cut through the pipe that connects the drilling rig to the oil well in case there's an emergency. When the shear ram closes, it chops the pipe to stop the oil from flowing out.

The blind rams are like big doors that can close over the top of the well. They're there to stop the oil from flowing out if the shear rams can't cut the pipe. If oil is leaking out of the well, the blind rams will close over the top to create a seal.

The BOP is controlled by people who work on the drilling rig, and they can use it to shut off the oil well if something goes wrong. It's important to have a BOP because if oil spills out of a well, it can cause a lot of damage to the ocean and the animals that live there.