Drilling and production

From OOGEEP

Once the geoscientists find a possible trap, a drilling rig is used to bore a hole (about the size of a soccer ball) several thousand feet deep to learn if the trap actually contains oil and gas. Next, sensitive electronic instruments, called logging tools, are lowered into the hole. These tools send data back to the surface through an electric line. The geoscientists then analyze these data to identify rock types and whether a trap contains water, oil, or natural gas. If a reservoir is large enough, the oil and gas is produced to the earth’s surface. When drilling is finished, the drilling rig is removed and a pump is placed over the hole to keep the oil flowing into storage tanks and natural gas into pipelines.

Contents 1 Career connection 2 True or false? 3 Graphic organizers 4 National standards 5 Resources 5.1 Web links 5.2 Printable documents

[edit] Career connection

There is something truly exciting about the idea of reaching miles below ocean and rock and tapping into the energy source that drives the world. As a petroleum engineer, you will work on land or offshore to produce oil and gas. You will be challenged to design and build wells that are among the most complex engineering projects on earth. And you will keep the energy flowing to light and heat our homes, fuel our transportation systems, and keep our industries operating.

[edit] True or false?

After a well has produced for some period of time, the amount of oil and gas it makes will remain constant.

FALSE. All oil and natural gas wells are depleting resources. This means their production will always begin falling at some point until it reaches zero.

[edit] Graphic organizers

Data displayed visually in graphics, charts, graphs, and tables can be found everywhere in our world. It is important for students to not only be able to interpret visual displays but to create their own ways to show data.

[edit] National standards

• Physical Science
  • Explore the laws of motion and the effects of forces on motion
  • Understand gravitational force Earth and Space Science
  • Explore movement of matter between reservoirs
• Inquiry Science
  • Conduct investigations
  • Formulate scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence

[edit] Resources

[edit] Web links

• A crude story: horizontal drilling

[edit] Printable documents

• Drilling and production experiment 1: A model oil well
• Weighty problems
• Floating Oil Rig and Stationary Oil Rig

The roadmap
preceded by Exploring	Drilling and production	followed by Refining