Oil Exploration

Many people mauy like to do oil exploration to look for oil. They may want to explore regions to look for oil or gas to see if people they can drill for the oil with oil rigs, to make money from the industry. Some may want to use the oil for industry. Some may want to do oil exploration.

Some may want to drill for oil. They may need to do oil exploration first.

Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum geologists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface, such as oil and gas. Oil and gas exploration are grouped under the science of petroleum geology.

Visible surface features such as oil seeps, natural gas seeps, pockmarks (underwater craters caused by escaping gas) provide basic evidence of hydrocarbon generation (be it shallow or deep in the Earth). However, most exploration depends on highly sophisticated technology to detect and determine the extent of these deposits using exploration geophysics. Areas thought to contain hydrocarbons are initially subjected to a gravity survey, magnetic survey or regional seismic reflection surveys to detect large scale features of the sub-surface geology. Features of interest (known as leads) are subjected to more detailed seismic surveys which work on the principle of the time it takes for reflected sound waves to travel through matter (rock) of varying densities and using the process of depth conversion to create a profile of the substructure. Finally, when a prospect has been identified and evaluated and passes the oil company's selection criteria, an exploration well is drilled in an attempt to conclusively determine the presence or absence of oil or gas.

A prospect is a potential trap which geologists believe may contain hydrocarbons. A significant amount of geological, structural and seismic investigation must first be completed to redefine the potential hydrocarbon drill location from a lead to a prospect. Five elements have to be present for a prospect to work and if any of them fail neither oil nor gas will be present.

A source rock - When organic-rich rock such as oil shale or coal is subjected to high pressure and temperature over an extended period of time, hydrocarbons form.
Migration - The Hydrocarbons are expelled from source rock by three density-related mechanisms: the newly-matured hydrocarbons are less dense than their precursors, which causes overpressure; the hydrocarbons are lighter medium, and so migrate upwards due to buoyancy, and the fluids expand as further burial causes increased heating. Most hydrocarbons migrate to the surface as oil seeps, but some will get trapped.
Trap - The hydrocarbons are buoyant and have to be trapped within a structural (e.g. Anticline, fault block) or stratigraphic trap
Seal or cap Rock - The hydrocarbon trap has to be covered by an impermeable rock known as a seal or cap-rock in order to prevent hydrocarbons escaping to the surface
Reservoir - The hydrocarbons are contained in a reservoir rock. This is a porous sandstone or limestone. The oil collects in the pores within the rock. The reservoir must also be permeable so that the hydrocarbons will flow to surface during production.


In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as pure hydrocarbons, whereas other hydrocarbons with bonded compounds or impurities of sulfur or nitrogen, are referred to as impure, and remain somewhat erroneously referred to as hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are referred to as consisting of a backbone or skeleton composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen and other bonded compounds, and lack a functional group that generally facilitates combustion.

Petroleum geology refers to the specific set of geological disciplines that are applied to the search for hydrocarbons (oil exploration).

Sedimentary basin analysis

Petroleum geology is principally concerned with the evaluation of seven key elements in sedimentary basins:
A structural trap, where a fault has juxtaposed a porous and permeable reservoir against an impermeable seal. Oil (shown in red) accumulates against the seal, to the depth of the base of the seal. Any further oil migrating in from the source will escape to the surface and seep.

Source, Reservoir, Seal, Trap, Timing, Maturation, Migration

The existence of a reservoir rock (typically, sandstones and fractured limestones) is determined through a combination of regional studies (i.e. analysis of other wells in the area), stratigraphy and sedimentology (to quantify the pattern and extent of sedimentation) and seismic interpretation.

Bituminous rocks are sedimentary rocks, usually shale, sandstone, limestone or dolostone/dolomite, that contain traces of tar, bitumen, asphalt, petroleum or carbon. For example anthraconite is a bituminous form of limestone, calcite or marble. Also can be known as "carbonaceous rocks". See sedimentary organic matter.

An offshore platform, often referred to as an oil platform or oil rig, is a large structure used to house workers and machinery needed to drill wells in the ocean bed, extract oil and/or natural gas, process the produced fluids, and ship them to shore. Depending on the circumstances, the platform may be attached to the ocean floor, consist of an artificial island, or be floating.


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Oil Exploration

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