What are the main locations for oil exploration?
We already know how important oil is in our daily lives. But what you may not yet know is where it can be explored. It’s common to have already seen photos or images on television related to this subject, but today we’re going to delve even deeper into this topic.
Oil is found in deep pockets on land and beneath the sea floor. But detecting it is not a simple task. First, what we call prospecting is done. In other words, the tracking and location of sedimentary basins through detailed analysis of the soil and subsoil.
This assessment is not a simple task. A specialised geologist determines the probability of there being reservoir rocks with trapped oil. This search can be done, for example, using a gravimeter that detects subtle variations in gravity that indicate the underground flow of oil.
Magnetometers can also be used to identify oil. They measure tiny changes in the magnetic field, also caused by the flow of oil. Another alternative are sniffers: electronic noses that detect the presence of hydrocarbons.
Finally, the seismologists. Devices that create shock waves that pass through rocks and are then reflected back to the surface. These waves can be created by compressed air cannons, which shoot pulses of air into the water and, using hydrophones, capture the reflected waves. It is also possible to use detonations with explosive charges on the ground or impactor trucks that strike heavy sheets placed on the ground. Click Here for Rigging and Slinging course in UAE
Onshore Oil exploration:
Oil exploration carried out on the continent, that is, on dry land, is called onshore.The first discovery of oil was on land. With the drilling of wells in the region in search of black oil, in 1941 the first refinery in was created, which is still active today.
Onshore oil exploration follows some basic steps:
- Geological exploration;
- Installation of the onshore platform;
- Start of well drilling;
- When the hole hits the rock, oil flows through the drill pipes;
- The extracted oil can be transported through pipelines or ships, stored and refined to separate its components.
- Exploration at sea
Maritime oil exploration is called offshore. To carry out offshore oil exploration and extraction, platforms are built equipped with all the instruments that allow oil to be removed from the well. General stages of oil exploration and extraction at sea:
- Seismic studies;
- Installation of the B.O.P (Blow out Presenter), to control and monitor the oil well;
- Well drilling;
The first separation processes (water, oil and gas) take place on platform ships. The primary separation of oil is essential so that problems do not occur during its transportation.
Transport to the coast via ships or pipelines.
If you read this article until the end, you must have realised how complex oil exploration is. Onshore or Offshore, there are many steps to finding this valuable resource. If you want to know more about this subject, read our other articles on oil.
