Oil and Gas Terminology Flashcards
Shale
A fine-grained sedimentary rock formation that contains trapped oil and gas.
Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)
A method of extracting oil and gas from shale formations by injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to create fractures in the rock.
Unconventional Resources
Oil and gas resources that cannot be produced using conventional methods, such as shale gas, tight oil, and coalbed methane.
Reservoir
A porous and permeable underground rock formation that contains and stores hydrocarbons.
Wellbore
The hole drilled into the earth for the purpose of exploring for or producing oil and gas.
Casing
Steel pipe that is inserted into the wellbore to provide structural integrity, prevent the collapse of the borehole, and isolate different formations.
Perforating
The process of creating holes in the casing and cement to allow oil and gas to flow into the wellbore.
Completion
The process of preparing a well for production after it has been drilled.
Workover
Any operation performed on a well after it has been completed and put into production.
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
Techniques used to increase the amount of oil that can be recovered from a reservoir, such as water flooding, gas injection, or chemical injection.
Drilling Rig
The equipment and machinery used for drilling oil and gas wells.
Drill Bit
The cutting tool at the end of the drill string that breaks up and cuts through the rock formations.
Drilling Mud
A mixture of fluids and additives used to lubricate and cool the drill bit, control formation pressures, and remove cuttings from the wellbore.
Formation Evaluation
The process of analyzing the characteristics of rock formations encountered during drilling to determine their potential for hydrocarbon production.
Well Logging
The process of recording and analyzing information about the subsurface formations and fluids encountered during drilling.
Directional Drilling
The practice of deviating the wellbore from a vertical orientation to reach specific targets or access reservoirs that are not directly below the surface location.
Horizontal Drilling
A type of directional drilling where the wellbore is drilled horizontally or at a high angle to maximize exposure to the target formation.
Offshore Drilling
The process of drilling for oil and gas in bodies of water, such as oceans, lakes, or gulfs, using specialized equipment and techniques.