Oil Processing

oil is made up of living things from this period, which over years died and built up. These small creatures and plants, such as plankton built up and over the year's large amounts of sediment and other materials became layered on top of them. This created weight, heat and pressure on the plants below. This eventually turned mud into rock, and the dead animals and plants turned into oil and gas.

These fossil fuels are held at the bottom of the ocean for millions of years in cavities with sponge like qualities. Inside these rocks, which have capped tiny pores the gas or the oil lies dormant and is stopped from escaping. Over millions of years these rocks fold and often form a dome shape where oil and gas are stored. This oil is then positioned in an area of non porous where it can't escape and can't get through the cap rock in the dome. In some cases, these rocks break, and the oil comes to the surface.

When oil is located it is then extracted from the earth. There, however, are a number of complicated processes to do this, and it is not often as easy as it seems to get oil for your energy needs and low domestic business electricity prices.

Land must be prepared for drilling and a source of water must be found. When this is done a narrow cellar hole is dug around the drill area. Before a full rig is brought in the company will use a drill truck to dig a shallow hole where a conductor pipe is fitted, this pipe is to provide stability for the rig.

The rig is then positioned over the hole and uses its spinning blades to go downward. This creates mud, which needs to be removed with a circulation system. When the hole is deep enough, an encasing pipe is let in order to prevent it from falling in on itself.

Testing for oil begins and core samples to test the shaft length is sufficient to reach the oil deposits that lie below. When this is certified the oil pump is run down the shaft, and the company will then begin to extract the oil from below the earth's surface.

This oil will come through the pump and placed into barrels in what is known as crude oil. This is sent to the refinery. If oil doesn't come out and there is not enough pressure, the company will pump steam down a second hole to create upward pressure.

The oil goes through certain measures to be refined and is used for everyday needs from heating to, car engine oil, to low home and business electricity prices