Exploration and Production

Exploring, Drilling, and Production

Americans rely on steady and abundant supplies of petroleum products to power their vehicles, homes, and businesses—an average of three gallons of oil a day per person. Gone are the days when drilling for oil involved massive hit-or-miss operations that spanned acres. Innovative new technologies are making it possible to locate, reach and recover oil and natural gas reserves in a much less disruptive manner.

BLM Honors Energy Companies for Sustainable Development Practices

WASHINGTON – Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Deputy Director Jim Hughes today announced the winners of the 2007 Oil, Gas and Geothermal Development Environmental Best Management Practices (BMP) Awards. The awards recognize oil, gas and geothermal operators or right-of-way grantees and their partners who are demonstrating leadership and creativity in reducing the impacts of developing natural gas, oil, and geothermal resources on public lands... more>

"Smart discovery" means fewer exploratory wells

Three-dimensional seismic imaging technology bounces acoustic or electrical vibrations off underground formations to create multidimensional “maps” and help to identify potential deposits of oil and natural gas.
Time-lapse seismic visualization creates an animated view of the underground flow patterns of oil and natural gas that can help to determine the best approach to tapping and managing a given deposit most efficiently, minimizing environmental impact.

Optimized drilling reduces surface impacts

In the past, oil and natural gas wells were drilled straight down, but new directional drilling technologies allow operators to “steer” wells underground, avoiding sensitive environmental features.
Multilateral drilling allows multiple offshoots from a single wellbore to radiate in different directions and contact resources at different depths, which reduces the surface areas that must be disturbed.

New processes help minimize wastes

Every time a drill bit enters rock below the surface, it displaces bits of rock called “cuttings,” which then become rubble. Recent advancements in slimhole drilling use smaller drill bits and significantly reduce cuttings volumes, which must be disposed.
Extraction operations bring up a significant amount of water along with oil and gas. This water requires special handling because it may contain compounds harmful to the surface environment. New downhole separation technologies separate oil and water underground, reducing the amount of water to be treated on the surface by as much as 97 percent.

New approaches to protecting and restoring wildlife habitats

Advanced drilling systems are both quieter and more compact than their predecessors, making it possible oil and gas production facilities to coexist more comfortably with local plant and animal life.
When appropriate, retired offshore production platforms are lowered to the ocean floor, creating artificial reefs that will, in time, provide food and shelter to a wide variety of marine life. The availability, stability, and durability of these “rigs-to-reefs” structures – including more than 120 in the Gulf of Mexico alone -- have made them some of the most successful artificial reefs in the world.

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