How to extract oil?

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Oil is flammable oily liquid having color from light brown (almost transparent) to dark brown (almost black).According to the density divided into mild, moderate and severe.

Currently imagine the modern world without oil is not possible.It is the main source of fuel for various transport, raw materials for the production of various consumer goods, medicines and other things.And how oil is extracted?

Development

oil with natural gas is stored in porous rocks called reservoirs.They may be different.A good collector is considered, which is sandstone, which is located between the layers of clay and shale.This avoids leakage of oil and gas from underground reservoirs.

Once the minerals are found, an assessment of their stocks in the formation, quality and developed a way to safely remove and transport to the processing plant.If the estimated oil and gas production in this field is a cost-effective, the installation begins production equipment.

Features oil

in natural reservoirs where the oil is extracted, it is in the raw state.Typically, the combustible liquid mixed with gas and water.Often they are under high pressure, the oil under the influence of which is displaced to the unequipped wells.This can lead to problems.Sometimes the pressure is so low that you want to install a special pump.

process oil can be divided into three stages:

  • movement of fluid through the formation toward the hole.It carried out by the natural or artificially created by the pressure difference.
  • movement of fluid through the well - from the bottom to the mouth.
  • collection of oil with gas and water on the surface of the separation, purification.And then the liquid is transported to the processing plants.

There are various methods of oil production, which depend on the type of mineral deposit (land, sea bottom), the type of reservoir, the depth of the.Also, the method can change as the devastation of the natural reservoir.It should be noted that the offshore oil production - a complex process, as it requires devices subsea installations.

natural prey

How to extract oil?For this purpose, the pressure force of a natural or artificially created.Operation wells at an energy formation called the fountain.In this case, the groundwater pressure, gas oil rises to the top, without requiring additional hardware involvement.However, a gushing method is used only for initial mining operations, when significant pressure and able to lift the liquid up.In the future, the need for additional equipment, allowing fully deflate oil.

Fountain is the most economical method.To adjust the supply of oil is set special fittings, which seals the wellhead controls the amount of feed material.

After the initial extraction uses secondary and tertiary methods to maximize the use of the field.

primary, secondary and tertiary methods

With natural oil extraction method used stepwise method:

  • Primary.Liquid is supplied under high pressure in the reservoir, which is formed from the groundwater and so expansion of the gases.With this method of oil recovery rate (CIN) is approximately 5-15%.
  • secondary.This method is used when the natural pressure is no longer sufficient to lift oil at the well.In this case a secondary process which is externally supplied energy.This serves as the injected water, passing or natural gas.Depending on the reservoir rock and the characteristics of oil in the secondary oil recovery method is 30%, and the total value of - 35-45%.
  • Tertiary.This method is to increase the mobility of the oil to increase its efficiency.One way - this TEOR, whereby due to heat liquid in the reservoir decreases viscosity.For this, the most commonly used steam.Less commonly used partial combustion in-situ, directly in the reservoir.However, this method is not very effective.To change the surface tension between oil and water can enter the special surfactant (or surfactants).Tertiary oil recovery method allows to increase further by about 5-15%.This method is only used if the extraction of oil remains viable.Therefore, the use of a tertiary method depends on the price of oil and the cost of its removal.

mechanized method: gas lift

If the energy to lift the oil supplied from the outside, then this method is called mechanized mining.It is divided into two types: the compressor and pump.Each method has its own characteristics.

compressor is also known as gas lift.This method involves injecting gas into the well, where it is mixed with the oil.As a result, the density of the mixture decreases.Bottomhole pressure also decreases, becomes lower reservoir.All this leads to a flow of oil to the surface.Sometimes gas is supplied under pressure from the neighboring layers.This is called "natural pressure gas-lift."

brownfield applies airlift system, which uses air.However, this method requires the combustion gas, and the conduit has a low resistance to corrosion damage.

Gas lift is used for oil in Western Siberia, western Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan.

mechanized methods: the use of pumps

When the pump is capable of a certain depth of the pumps are lowered.The equipment is divided into different types.The most widely used rod pumps.

Consider how oil is extracted by this method.The principle of operation of this equipment is as follows.Lowered into the well pipe, which are located inside the suction valve and the cylinder.In the latter mounted plunger with a pressure valve.The movement of the oil carried by the reciprocating movement of the plunger.By alternately opening-closing suction and discharge valves.

Performance rod pumps is about 500 cubic meters.m / day at a borehole depth of 200-400 m and with a depth of 3200 m - 20 cu.m / day.

for oil can be used rodless deposits.In this case, through the wellbore to the equipment is supplied electrical power.This is done using a special cable.It may also apply a different kind of energy-flow (heating, compressed gas).

In Russia, more commonly used form of a centrifugal electric pump.With such equipment produces most of the oil.When using electric pumps at the surface should be set management station and a transformer.

mining in the world

were considered as producing oil from natural reservoirs.It is necessary to explore and with the pace of development.Initially, until the mid 70-ies., Oil production doubled almost every decade.Then the pace of development have become less active.The volume of oil has been pumped from the start of production (from the 1850s). Before 1973, amounted to 41 billion tons, almost half of which came in the 1965-1973 biennium.

the world's largest oil producers today are countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, the United States, China, Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Kazakhstan.It is these states are the main market of "black gold."It should be noted that oil production in the US is not on the top positions, but the country has bought large deposits in other states.

largest oil and gas basins, in which the oil and gas are the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico, South Caspian, Western Siberia, the Algerian Sahara, and more.

oil reserves

Oil is a nonrenewable resource.The volume of the known deposits of 1,200 billion barrels, and undiscovered - about 52-260 billion barrels.Total oil reserves, given the current consumption, enough for about 100 years.Despite this, Russia plans to increase the production of "black gold."

Countries that produce oil in the largest amount, the following:

  • Venezuela.
  • Saudi Arabia.
  • Iran.
  • Iraq.
  • Kuwait.
  • UAE.
  • Russia.
  • Libya.
  • Kazakhstan.
  • Nigeria.
  • Canada.
  • USA.
  • Qatar.
  • China.
  • Brazil.

Oil

Russia Russia is one of the leading countries for oil.It is not only widely used in the country, a significant portion is exported to different countries.Where in the Russian oil is extracted?The largest field to date are in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District and Tatarstan.These regions account for over 60% of the total volume of produced fluid.Also, the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Yakutia - the place where the oil is extracted in Russia, showing excellent results in an increase in volumes.This is due to the development of new export destinations Siberia - Pacific Ocean.

Oil prices

The price of oil is formed from the ratio of supply and demand.However, in this case, it has its own peculiarities.Demand remains practically unchanged, and has little effect on the dynamics of prices.Of course, it is growing every year.But the main factor in pricing is to offer.A slight decline in its results in a spike in the cost.

With the increasing number of vehicles and similar equipment, oil demand increases.But the field is gradually drying up.All this, according to experts, will ultimately lead to the oil crisis, when demand far exceeds supply.And then the prices sharply soar.

is also worth noting that the price of oil is one of the most important political tool in the world economy.Today it is around 107 dollars per barrel.