How oil drilling works howstuffworks

Oil drilling, though difficult, is pretty simple when compared to oil shale extraction. Getting oil shale, solidified oil trapped inside rock, to the surface is currently more expensive and environmentally harmful than conventional drilling. How much do you know about this potential fuel source trapped beneath the Earth's crust? Oil drilling a complex process that involves the drilling and pumping of oil from underground wells. Learn about oil drilling and the oil drilling process. How Offshore Drilling Works

Derrick - support structure that holds the drilling apparatus; tall enough to allow new sections of drill pipe to be added to the drilling apparatus as drilling progresses. Blowout preventer - high-pressure valves (located under the land rig or on the sea floor) that seal the high-pressure drill lines and relieve pressure when necessary to prevent a blowout (uncontrolled gush of gas or oil to The process begins by drilling a hole deep into the earth. To do this, a long bit attached to a "drilling string" is used. The bit varies in diameter from five to 50 inches. After each section is drilled, a steel pipe slightly smaller than the hole diameter is dropped in and often cement is used to fill the gap. A rectangular pit called a  cellar is dug around the location of the actual drilling hole. The cellar provides a work space around the hole for the workers and drilling accessories. The crew then begins drilling the main hole, often with a small drill truck rather than the main rig. Drill ships are ships that have a drilling rig on the top deck. The drill operates through a hole in the hull. Drill ships can pilot to the drill site and then use a combination of anchors and propellers to correct for drift as the rig drills for oil. They can operate in deep water conditions. But whatever drives humanity to carry on from day to day, our dependence on fossil fuels leaves one fact for certain: The axle of our spinning globe is greased with oil. We consume more than 80 million barrels of the stuff every day [source: CIA ]. To meet our ravenous demand for fossil fuels,

How Oil Drilling Works In 2008 alone, the United States produced an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil per day and imported 9.8 million barrels per day from other countries [source: U.S. Energy Information Administration].

Deepwater drilling, or Deep well drilling, is the process of creating holes by drilling rig for oil Both are anchored to the sea floor and both work places are above the water surface. However, the compliant tower is HowStuffWorks "Ultra Deep Water Oil Drilling". science.howstuffworks.com. Rigzone - Deepwater Gulf of  To keep up with our consumption, oil companies must constantly look for new sources of petroleum, as well as improve the production of existing wells. How does  Offshore drilling means combing Earth for new underwater oil reserves. Learn more about offshore drilling and finding oil in the midst of rough seas. How much do you know about the oil drilling process? DCI. Remember those orange juice commercials? The ones where people tried to poke a rolling orange  

Offshore drilling (i.e. the process of extracting petroleum from rock formations under the ocean floor) is high-risk at even the most routine stages of exploration,  

Oil drilling a complex process that involves the drilling and pumping of oil from underground wells. Learn about oil drilling and the oil drilling process. How Offshore Drilling Works But modern oil production is quite different from the way it's portrayed in the movies. Now, we will examine how modern oil exploration and drilling works. We will discuss how oil is formed, found and extracted from the ground. Oil Exploration. Oil is a fossil fuelthat can be found in many countries around the world. In this section, we will How Oil Drilling Works In 2008 alone, the United States produced an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil per day and imported 9.8 million barrels per day from other countries [source: U.S. Energy Information Administration]. And if it's been disposed of properly, waste oil can be collected and recycled, prolonging its usefulness. According to the U.S. EPA, somewhere between 380 and 800 million gallons of waste oil are collected by recyclers for reuse. Several types of oil and other petroleum-based products can be recycled or re-refined, Locating Oil. Whether employed directly by an oil company or under contract from a private firm, geologists are the ones responsible for finding oil. Their task is to find the right conditions for an oil trap -- the right source rock, reservoir rock and entrapment. Oil drilling a complex process that involves the drilling and pumping of oil from underground wells. Learn about oil drilling and the oil drilling process. How Offshore Drilling Works 10 High-paying Dirty Jobs. And the business side of oil drilling isn't the only part that's booming -- the machinery is extremely loud. But if you can stand the strenuous work and the time away from home, you'll be sitting pretty. Even lowly workers can get a nice annual pay over $40,000 [source: Miller].

Engine oil lubricates the engine, absorbs heat and allows the moving parts of your engine to work properly with one another. Over time, heat breaks down the oil and reduces its lubricating properties. Oil also helps to neutralize acid in the engine, but this process breaks down over time.

But modern oil production is quite different from the way it's portrayed in the movies. Now, we will examine how modern oil exploration and drilling works. We will discuss how oil is formed, found and extracted from the ground. Oil Exploration. Oil is a fossil fuelthat can be found in many countries around the world. In this section, we will

In 1949, the earliest year with data available, the average depth of oil wells drilled was 3,635 feet. By 2008, the most recent data available, we were drilling an 

Deepwater drilling, or Deep well drilling, is the process of creating holes by drilling rig for oil Both are anchored to the sea floor and both work places are above the water surface. However, the compliant tower is HowStuffWorks "Ultra Deep Water Oil Drilling". science.howstuffworks.com. Rigzone - Deepwater Gulf of  To keep up with our consumption, oil companies must constantly look for new sources of petroleum, as well as improve the production of existing wells. How does  Offshore drilling means combing Earth for new underwater oil reserves. Learn more about offshore drilling and finding oil in the midst of rough seas. How much do you know about the oil drilling process? DCI. Remember those orange juice commercials? The ones where people tried to poke a rolling orange   Learn how crude oil is converted into everything from butane to gasoline. seen images of thick, black crude oil gushing out of the ground or a drilling platform.

How much do you know about the oil drilling process? DCI. Remember those orange juice commercials? The ones where people tried to poke a rolling orange   Learn how crude oil is converted into everything from butane to gasoline. seen images of thick, black crude oil gushing out of the ground or a drilling platform. So what would happen to the environment if U.S. federal lands were open to drilling? Oil companies say not that much. Advertisement. Oil companies have  For more on the rotary drill, as well as an overview of the oil drilling process, take a look at "How Oil Drilling Works." But the rotary drill was only the beginning in  In 1949, the earliest year with data available, the average depth of oil wells drilled was 3,635 feet. By 2008, the most recent data available, we were drilling an