Drilling (Oil and Gas)

Drilling is the method by which earth is penetrated for the purpose of exploration or production of oil and gas. Exploration wells are intended to gather information about the sedimentary formations that exist beneath the surface, and their structural configuration. Production wells are intended to hit a specific target, or pool, in a place where the production of oil and or gas can be maximized. Drilling is not used exclusively for oil and gas, but is a common method of subsurface exploration and production of groundwater, or even solid mineral resources.

Oil and gas are fluid hydrocarbons that commonly occur in the pore spaces of sedimentary rocks. These hydrocarbons form as the result of organic material, commonly derived from marine plankton, transformed into hydrocarbons. This transformation ...