why not just drill on dry land 6 miles and see what you find? It seems to mee you find oil anyplace you drill deep enough, and it would be much safer- or am I missing something?
Yep, the history of dry holes.
Oil isn't found everywhere, but in many sedimentary basins of ancient seas, it is found.
Hi Mr. K —
Yes, I think you are missing something. Major oil companies drill where they are fairly certain there will be oil/gas. They just don’t plop down a rig and start drilling. That is for wildcatters. Oil companies (Devon, in particular) has a 97% success rate. All/most of the majors do as well. A person can’t punch a hole in the ground and hope for oil. I haven’t seen cost figures on this well, but my limited experience is that the consortium of companies has probably expended North of $15 Million to find the pool. Completion costs will equal, or surpass that amount. It will be years before they get a payback.
That is why companies don’t just drop a string of drill pipe anywhere.
I hope this was helpful. I am willing to be corrected by fellow FReepers with more experience than my small well at 12,000 feet on dry land.
Gwjack
Also understand that before a major oil company spends these kind of dollars to send down a drill, they send down ultrasonic sound waves and spend significant effort evaluating the bounce back and what may lay at that depth.
It isn’t perfect revealing what is down there, but it gives very good information with 3D seismic where structure may contain a petroleum trap in the sedimentary rock.
3D seismic data
http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/en/Terms/sym/3d_seismic_data.aspx
What you are missing is that our government has made it way to much trouble to drill on shore. Yes some drilling does happen but there are way too many people that complain about it and way too many regulations.
When I was a kid I thought if I dug a hole deep enough I’d end up in China.
Missing a lot..............
Oil is usually found under and around the bases of salt domes and/or sand domes. It is not everywhere.
Flying high over the Gulf and looking down upon some of the oil platforms out there, one can see that the platforms are in a circular pattern with one platfrom being directly in the middle of the circular pattern/dome.
That is the same pattern that exists on shore-based wells but are not readily visible because of topography.