How is oil Extracted?
- First the oil needs to be identified before drilling can begin. This identification process happens by using a technique called Geo-Seismic research; Geo-Seismic research is done by making an underground explosion nearby the estimated site and observing the seismic response that provides information about the geological structures under the ground. The most common areas where oil is extracted is from oil wells which are found within oil fields.
- Extracting the oil comes in 3 forms: Primary methods, Secondary methods, and Tertiary methods.
- Primary: Primary recovery methods are used to extract oil that is brought to the surface by underground pressure, this process usually gets out about 20% of the oil in the well.
- Secondary: Secondary recovery methods increase the reservoir's pressure by water injection and/or natural gas re-injection and gas lift. The gas lift is when air, carbon dioxide or some other gas is injected into the bottom of an active well, reducing the overall density of fluid in the wellbore causing it to rise to the surface.
- Tertiary: Tertiary recovery methods reduce the viscosity of the oil by heating it in order to bring more to the surface.
Processing
- There are 2 Different ways of processing oil: Fractional Distillation and Chemical Processing
- Fractional Distillation: This process is where the oil is heated so it becomes vaporized and is released of some of the impurities. Then the oil is then condensed back into a liquid form.
- Chemical Processing: breaks down the oil to make it more use able. Breaks chains to create areas that are more pure and areas that are more thick.
Transportation
- Land: On land oil is transported by use of trucks, trains, and oil pipelines that can run across countries
- Sea: Oil is transported overseas by use of tankers and barges