How Do You Decide Where To Drill For Oil?
No oil was extracted in the United States until Edwin Drake dug the first oil well in 1859. Other companies that were drilling for salt knew there was oil to be had, but they were not convinced that there was enough oil beneath the earth’s surface to warrant the expense of drilling for it. It was not until later that geologists refined the process of finding oil, and the oil industry quickly grew from there. Basically, there are three ways that geologists look for places to drill for oil. Read on. Use seismic waves to determine if a piece of land has an oil reserve beneath its surface. Seismic waves are sent into the ground, and they are recorded when they bounce off of the rocks. It isn’t unlike how geologists monitor earthquakes, but on a much smaller scale. Seismic waves are read by instruments called geophones, and the information is recorded in a log. In addition to the presence of oil, the seismic waves indicate the different layers of rock as well as any faults or other anomalie
