New Technologies To Map Oil Production
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios


Defined Tag: Map Oil Production.

What does the process of mapping oil production entail? It entails creating maps to determine the exact positions of oil deposits. In general, an oil firm will hire a team of geologists to map out likely deposits and areas in which they have or are currently drilling. In the past, firms used to test drill to find oil deposits. This is no longer a reasonable option, as oil extraction is extremely labor and capital intensive. Thus, it is much cheaper and more effective to use geologists to plan the drilling, rather than doing it by trial and error.

Crude oil exists in porous rock formations deep underground. There is often no visible sign of these oil deposits on the surface. Oil companies need to be able to examine the rock strata below the surface to create an estimated map of oil production locations. A gravity survey is one such method of mapping potential oil production areas. A gravitometer is used to measure the local gravitational field. The field can vary with the density of the rock underneath. Comparing gravitometer maps of known oil production areas with new areas allows geologists to identify potential oil sources.

The magnetic survey is another method of producing maps of potential underground oil production areas. A magnetometer is used to measure the direction and strength of the Earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the instrument. A map of the magnetic field varies based on the rocks below the measured area. For example, iron deposits can often be located with a magnetometer due to their strong magnetic field. Magnetometer readings can be used to create maps of potential oil producing areas. These maps are compared to readings from known oil production areas to identify areas of interest.

Once oil production areas are identified and mapped, seismic surveys are often employed to refine these maps. Seismic surveys operate in a way similar to radar or sonar. They send a sort of shock wave into the ground and then monitor how that wave is scattered by what lies beneath. Underground oil reserves have a signature which can be identified on these oil production maps. Any underground location that appears on all three oil production maps is likely to contain sufficient oil for drilling.

Believe it or not, the oil market is far too competitive to allow hit or miss drilling today. Rather, oil firms pump massive amounts of money into getting it right the first time (note, this is less than they would pay to get it wrong several times) and then exploiting those crude oil reserves once they find them. Oil producers must therefore have the most accurate information available before committing their resources to drilling. That is why it is essential to map oil production as accurately as possible.