Month: July 2009

Synonymous to “play”, an area in which hydrocarbons occur

Burying of offshore or onshore pipelines

The set of sheaves that move up and down in the derrick.

Sedimentary or tectonic structure where oil and/or natural gas has accumulated. These are structural highs where a porous rock unit is capped by an impermeable rock unit. Oil and gas trapped within the porous rock unit migrate to a high point in the structure because of their low density. A trap is any feature or characteristic of a formation which will allow the accumulation, but not the escape, of oil or gas. Traps can be structural – namely the trap has been produced by deformation of the beds after they were deposited either by faulting or folding or they can be stratigraphic traps – formed by changes in the nature of the rocks or their layering. Structural traps are usually easy to see on seismic; multiple targets are possible in a single prospect and they are usually lower risk. Stratigraphic traps are more difficult to see on seismic and entail higher risks.

Compressor stations are used to help transship gas over a long territory, such as gas from Russia passing over Ukraine on its way to European markets