Guide to Oil and Gas Key Terms

Learn more about the oil and gas industry

The oil and gas industry is vital to the United States. Every year, large quantities of domestic and foreign oil are consumed for a number of applications. Similarly, the natural gas industry is booming: More pipelines are being built, and more ways to use natural gas are being developed. New technologies in this industry can help reduce the dependency on foreign oil and make drilling practices better for the environment.

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Oil exploration

Oil exploration is the way that oil companies find land rich in petroleum. This process uses geologists to find hydrocarbon deposits beneath the crust of the earth.

I recommend: The Society of Exploration Geophysicists offers a step-by-step guide on how oil was found in the past and the technologies being used today.

Refinement

Refinement in the oil industry is the process of taking crude oil product from the earth and using a distilling process to turn the oil into a usable product.

I recommend: The Encyclopedia of the Earth offers a detailed entry on the process of petroleum refinement.

Onshore oil

Onshore oil exploration is the practice of finding oil deposits in the earth on the land above sea level.

I recommend: John Perez offers land schematics for onshore oil and gas drilling that points out specific geological features to find or be aware of when drilling.

Offshore oil

Offshore oil is the process of drilling for oil and natural gas in land that is below sea level. The Gulf of Mexico is an example of an oil-rich area located offshore.

I recommend: Santa Clara University offers information on the basics of the offshore drilling process.

Oil and gas lawyer

An oil and gas lawyer is an important legal representative for those who own land where oil and natural gas deposits are found. The lawyer helps to make sure the landowner is paid for the oil collected from the land.

Gas processing

Gas processing varies depending on the location of the source but is a process of turning the raw product into natural gas products for consumers.

I recommend: Penn Energy offers research reports and data on gas processing.