Artificial Lift Oil Well

This video is shows the typical artificial lift mechanism of an oil well.

Enhanced Recovery by Siesmic waves 2

Here is another video explaining the phenomena of seismic stimulation in more detail.

Enhanced Recovery by Siesmic waves 1

There are several methods to increase the recovery of oil. The following video show how the recovery of oil can be enhanced through seismic stimulation of the reservoir.This technique can increase oil production by 15-20%. It is low cost yet effective over large distances.

Secondary recovery by Gas lift

This is a video animation of a gas lift system from Weatherford. The gas (shown in red) enters the tubing through the SPM (side pocket mandrel) via a gas valve. The high pressure gas drives out the fluid in green (either water or lighter oil) reducing the hydrostatic head over the heavy oil in the reservoir. This sucks the heavy oil out of the reservoir and it enters the tubing through the perforations.

Oil and Gas Exploration

This is a great video about oil exploration. It explains the whole process of seismic exploration in a very simple manner.

Oil and Gas supply vs demand

The following videos gives a good account of future projections of oil and gas supplies against its demand. The production of oil has started to level out while the demand will continue to rise. As this gap widens, the price of oil will rise creating an economic crises in the world. On the other hand this gap in supply and demand has made investing in oil companies very profitable and has initiated an investment boom in oil stocks.

Plugging Abandoned Wells

Following is a video presentation report on plugging abandoned oil and gas wells in Ohio. These unplugged wells can harm the environment. Abandoned wells can be dangerous because of gas leaks that could cause explosions. Moreover underground water aquifers can also get contaminated with well fluids. Therefore plugging abandoned wells is absolutely essential.

Petroleum Engineer's Job Description

This video is a provides a comprehensive overview of the petroleum engineering industry and the job of a petroleum engineer. A must watch video for all those who are interested in doing a major in petroleum engineering.

How bad can a blowout get?

The damage caused by blowouts varies for different types of wells. However, gas wells generally are high pressure wells and so pose the greatest risk of a blowout. Moreover if the gas catches fire than it can bring even greater devastation. The video below gives a good idea of how devastating blowouts can become.



P.S. the music is not too bad either!

Life on an Offshore Rigs

This post is about the offshore drilling enthusiasts. It gives a good account of life on an offshore rig, covering pretty much all its aspects. A must see if you are interested in working on an offshore oil rig.

How to make a drill pipe connection

Making a drill pipe connection is one of the basic jobs of a floor worker or rough-neck. There are two floor workers on the rig floor while pulling and running pipe. The more experienced individual is usually referred to as the lead and operates the lead tong. The second person on the floor operates the back-up tong and may be referred to as the back-up. The floor workers are generally the least experienced members of the crew. Team-work is therefore absolutely essential. The video below demonstrates how to making a perfect connection.

Blowouts - dangerous but spectacular at the same time

Theoretically speaking, a blow out is the ncontrolled flow of gas, oil, or other well fluids from a well during drilling due to formation pressure exceeding the pressure exerted by the column of drilling mud. Physically however, a blowout appears as a devastating gush of formation fluid (along with drilling mud), creating a spectacular jet of pressurized fluid.

Extreme oil drilling and recovery methods

This video is part of a TV show on National Geographic. Owing to the high demand for oil, enhanced recovery methods have to be utilized. This video discusses the steam injection techniques employed to extract the heavy oil by Chevron. The BP is also applying the same technique to keep producing from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Chevron has also drilled the deepest off-shore well in the Gulf of Mexico.

Lost circulation drains lake

This is an amazing video about an extreme case of what can go wrong on a well site; one mistake and that may be the last thing you do. A must-see video!