Oil and gas exploration is one of the most costly endeavors that oil and gas companies fund. This task is entirely speculative--there is no guarantee that it will yield a producing well. The task of finding oil or gas in regions that previously have not had a well drilled is called wildcatting. Many things are considered to select the site of highest probability of striking a pocket of gas or oil.
Instructions
1. Collect information about the soil composition, rock type and geology of the area that is under consideration for drilling the well. The geology of the area can give general information as to the likelihood of a pocket of trapped gas or oil existing.
2. Create a seismic survey of the region. The echoes returned to the survey equipment from a generated event can yield important information about the presence of trapped pockets of liquid, be it water or oil. Even gas pockets can be determined by this method.
3. Obtain a magnetometer scan of the area under consideration. This can detect very small changes in the magnetic field of the earth, which can be due to flowing oil.
4. Survey the area of concern with a "sniffer." These devices can detect extremely low levels of hydrocarbon gases that are often characteristic of oil or gas fields.
Tags: geology area, information about, under consideration
