METHODS OF EXTRACTION OF OIL
Oil is composed of a combination of organic materials, especially water-insoluble hydrocarbons. It is generated inside the earth through a process of transformation of organic matter from sediments and that accumulate in geological traps that occur naturally in the earth.
The processes that are applied for oil exploitation depend in large part on factors such as the geographical location of the deposit or the characteristics that this deposit possesses. Once an area with the presence of oil has been identified, a certain depth is drilled to reach it, in some cases, these perforations can be up to 6000 meters deep.
The drilling and extraction process is usually easy at first. A type of cannon is inserted and lowered and the casing is drilled just at the point where the bag has been identified. The common thing is that the oil runs through the holes that have been created and can be extracted through a pipe that has a smaller diameter. To this pipe of the denominates pipe of production.
There are two situations:
That the deposit contains its own energy that is commonly produced by the underground pressure itself and by the elements that are usually present in oil such as gas and water. In this case, the oil comes out only at the time of drilling. What is usually done is to connect in the upper part of the well a device called Christmas tree that is constituted by a series of valves that are used to regulate the passage of oil.
On the other hand it can also happen that the deposit does not have its own energy, specific forms of extraction are used. The most commonly used method is the rocker through which a permanent swing is driven by a pump in the depths of the well that performs the absorption of the oil to the surface.
Usually the oil that is absorbed from the wells is often accompanied by sediment, water and natural gas, which means that the environment is first conditioned to be able to carry out the production, separation, organization, and storage of these derivatives. In these processes the maximum of elements is used, for this reason the elements that are separated from oil, such as natural gas, are used to send it to a previous treatment to the consumption centers through gas pipelines.
Extraction systems
We are going to analyze now the most common systems that are used for the absorption of oil in a field. The only way to know if in a certain place where there is believed to be oil there actually is, is through drilling. The first drilling that is usually done is known as the exploratory drilling and aims to confirm if there is really oil in the field.
The most used methods to achieve oil extraction are the following:
Percussion method.
This method is almost obsolete and lies in the implementation of heavy trephine that adhered to a reference bar increases its weight. This bar is fastened with a steel cable connected to a rocker arm. Through the rocker an alternative up and down movement that is produced by a motor is emitted. With some frequency, the trephine is removed to remove the materials or debris using a tool called a spoon.
The biggest disadvantage of this method is that it is a very slow process and this means that less and less is implemented every time. Even, its use is made only in very small deposits.
Method in rotation.
This method is somewhat more cumbersome than the previous one because through the trepan that is hollow, it is screwed to a series of steel pipes that form what is called the drill rods. These bars rotate stimulated by a rotary table that is located at the base of the tower and that is linked by a transmission using chain with the motors of the control panel.
The so-called rotary table has a square hole in the center in which a drilling column slides downwards as the trepan advances. In the highest part of the tower there are rigs that make it possible to raise and lower the equipment. It is precisely the movement of the rotary table that causes the perforation to start. When necessary, new drill rods are added, which are screwed in and measure around 9 meters.
This method is the most implemented in most of the reservoir exploitations. This detailed operation is repeated as many times as necessary. Due to the movement the debris crawls to the surface.
Once the drilling has been carried to 100 or 150 meters, the well is poured using a metal pipe and cement almost instantaneous setting (cementing process) so as to avoid landslides due to leaks of the water layers that are generally they go through.
Underwater drilling
In most cases, in order to benefit from larger oil deposits, excavations and drilling are carried out on the sea. It consists of equipment that is installed on a platform located far from the coast in deep water up to several hundred meters. There are several types of platforms, some are floating and others are anchored to the seabed on stilts. These second ones support well to the waves and the wind, as well as to the ice.
Regardless of the methods implemented for the extraction, depending on the materials and the geographical area, the most punctual materials and drilling equipment are usually chosen.
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