05.07.2009
The hole drilled for the purpose of producing oil and gas, or to inject water or other fluids. The wellbore includes the openhole or uncased portion of the well
A mixture of crude oils, blended in the pipeline to create a crude with specific physical properties. Because heavy and extra-heavy crudes or bitumens cannot flow from the field to the refinery in their original state and at normal surface temperatures, they are blended with lighter crude oils primarily to reduce viscosity, thereby enabling transportation to a refinery
A type of mobile offshore drilling unit that has a part of its structure in contact with the seafloor when it is on site and drilling a well. The remainder of the rig is supported above the water. The rig can float, however, allowing it to be moved from one drill site to another. Bottom-supported units include submersible rigs and jackup rigs
An uncontrolled flow of reservoir fluids into the wellbore, and sometimes catastrophically to the surface. A blowout may consist of salt water, oil, gas or a mixture of these. Blowouts occur in all types of exploration and production operations, not just during drilling operations. If reservoir fluids flow into another formation and do not flow to the surface, the result is called an underground blowout. A blowout can occur when formation pressure exceeds the pressure applied to it by the column of drilling fluid.
Most blow-outs are due to gas, not to oil, but it is the oil associated in the gas that causes the pollution. The gas will just be emitted unseen into the air. In a drilling for natural gas, one needs to remember that gas is rarely found without oil
The theory that holds that living matter can only be created by other living matter; created from living organisms, such as fossil fuels that are believed to be biogenic in nature
Refers to an oil and gas limited partnership which has not committed to specific prospects, leases, or properties at the time of capital formation
Such as in to erect boundary marks on the lease area
Bolivia has the largest reserves of natural gas in South America but needs extensive foreign investment to be able to produce and deliver the gas
Natural gas can be biogenic (bacterial in origin) or thermogenic in origin. Two distinct processes produce hydrocarbon gas: biogenic and thermogenic degradation of organic matter. Biogenic gas is formed at shallow depths and low temperatures by anaerobic bacterial decomposition of sedimentary organic matter.
Thermogenic gas is formed at deeper depths by (1) thermal cracking of sedimentary organic matter into hydrocarbon liquids and gas and (2) thermal cracking of oil at high temperatures into gas.
Biogenic gas is very dry (i.e., it consists almost entirely of methane). In contrast, thermogenic gas can be dry, or can contain significant concentrations of “wet gas” components (ethane, propane, butanes) and condensate (hydrocarbons).