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Oil wells are drilled to recover crude petroleum products and undergo several stages of development. The first recorded oil well was built in China in 347 CE, and modern drilling techniques allow for near-horizontal drilling. A casing is placed inside the hole, and a pump is installed if pressure is insufficient. Oil wells can produce oil, gas, or both, and can be located onshore or offshore, with offshore wells being more expensive and requiring more planning and security.
An oil well is a well drilled through a portion of the earth’s crust for the purpose of recovering crude petroleum products. From conception to its abandonment, the well undergoes several stages of development. Oil wells can be drilled in a variety of locations and not all of them produce the same product. They will always produce at least a small amount of natural gas, which may or may not be captured for sale.
The first recorded oil well was built in 347 CE in China and the technology had spread to Japan by the seventh century. These simple drill constructions, made from bamboo, have been replaced as technology and processes have been perfected. The modern age brought oil wells drilled with a rigid cable and then rotary drills. Modern drilling techniques allow for near-horizontal drilling, providing access to oil reserves that lie deep underground.
Drilling begins once a suitable site has been selected and all designs have been finalised. A hole between 5 and 50 inches (12.7 to 91.4 cm) is drilled. This section is the largest segment of the hole, as each successive segment drilled will be slightly smaller, in order to reduce any pressure build-up from below. After each section has been drilled, a casing, made of steel, is placed inside the hole and cemented in place. There are usually no more than five successive segments drilled into a hole.
The oil well needs to be completed, which means it needs to be adapted for oil production and harvesting. Often the pressure that has built up within the reservoir is strong enough to force the oil out on its own, but if the pressure level is insufficient, a pump is installed. The oil is then collected by a series of valves known as production shafts located at the top of the plant. These keep track of the oil pressure within the well and adjust accordingly. Eventually, the installation will be abandoned when it is no longer profitable to operate.
An oil well can mainly produce either oil or gas, and it can produce both. Small amounts of natural gas, which is a byproduct of the creation of oil itself, are present in every oil well. Some wells produce almost entirely gas.
Oil wells can be located both onshore and offshore. The function of the well is the same regardless of location, but due to the difficulty of drilling and maintaining a well in the ocean, offshore wells are much more expensive. These wells are only drilled when a significant amount of oil has been demonstrated to be present. They also require more planning and have more security requirements.
