Technology is in a constant state of development. Every few years a device or machine is created that make jobs easier and more efficient. One area of interest of development is the area of petroleum technology. There are several areas in the petroleum industry that have experienced technological advancement.
The ability to measure oil reserves accurately is crucial to the future of petroleum. Devices are used to seismically image current oil fields. The devices that are used have been improved to the point that estimated oil reserves are fairly accurate. Currently 3D imaging allows for an accurate picture of the oil deposit. It has been found that the 3-D imaging devices can be used together to produce a 4-D image that shows the level of an oil reservoir as the oil is extracted.
In order to get to underground reservoirs of oil holes must be drilled into the ground to provide an access point to tap the oil. In the past large oil rigs were used to drill the hole needed to reach the oil. These large rigs often did massive amounts of damage to the environment. Today’s technology allows for smaller rigs that impacts the environment less. Some drills also allow multi-directional drilling options which make it easier to reach hard to access deposits. Read the full story
