Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the origin of the word 'petroleum'?
What is the origin of the word 'petroleum'?
What was the primary use of oil in ancient China?
What was the primary use of oil in ancient China?
What replaced cable tools in the 20th century?
What replaced cable tools in the 20th century?
What is a characteristic of most oil wells drilled before the 1970s?
What is a characteristic of most oil wells drilled before the 1970s?
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What is petroleum, chemically speaking?
What is petroleum, chemically speaking?
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In what year did Edwin Drake drill for oil in Pennsylvania?
In what year did Edwin Drake drill for oil in Pennsylvania?
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What is the primary function of the midstream sector in the oil and gas industry?
What is the primary function of the midstream sector in the oil and gas industry?
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What technique is used to identify potential oil and gas reserves beneath the earth's surface?
What technique is used to identify potential oil and gas reserves beneath the earth's surface?
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What is the term for the process of extracting oil and gas from the reservoir during the production stage?
What is the term for the process of extracting oil and gas from the reservoir during the production stage?
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In what year was the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) established?
In what year was the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) established?
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Study Notes
Petroleum Origin and Composition
- Derived from Latin words "petra" (rock) and "oleum" (oil)
- Refers to crude oil and related hydrocarbons
- Mixture of hydrocarbon molecules and inorganic impurities
- Can exist in solid, liquid (oil), or gas phase
- Found in geological formations below the earth's surface at varying depths
Brief Historical Perspective
- First oil wells drilled in China around 4th century AD
- Used simple bamboo poles for drilling
- Extracted dark, sticky material used as fuel
- Automobile industry developed at the end of 19th century, adopting oil as fuel
- Rotary drilling replaced cable tools in the 20th century
- Modern directional technologies allow for strongly deviated and horizontal wells
Key Dates in Oil and Gas History
- 1846-7: Gesner/Young perfected paraffin distillation
- 1858: First oil well drilled in Canada (Cable Tool Percussion Drilling)
- 1859: Edwin Drake drilled for oil in Pennsylvania
- 1930: Rotary Drilling
- 1956: First crude oil discovery in Nigeria by Royal Dutch Shell
- 1958: Commercial production began in Nigeria with an output of 5,100 bopd
- 1960-1: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) established
- 1965: Shell Refinery (35,000-barrels) established
- 1971: Nigeria joined Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- 1977: Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) was established
Oil and Gas Industry Sectors
- Upstream sector: finding, discovering, and producing oil and gas
- Midstream sector: transportation, storage, and wholesale marketing of hydrocarbons
- Downstream sector: crude oil refining, natural gas processing, and marketing and distributing products
The Upstream Sector
- Exploration: identifying potential oil and gas reserves using techniques like seismic surveys and exploration drilling
- Drilling: creating a hole in the earth's surface to extract oil and gas using vertical or horizontal drilling
- Production: bringing oil and gas up from the reservoir using primary, secondary, and tertiary recovery techniques
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Description
Learn about the origin of the word petroleum, its composition, and its forms. Also, discover the brief history of oil wells and the early days of petroleum exploration.
