Nontechnical guide to petroleum geology, exploration, drilling, and production

THE NATURE OF GAS AND OIL: Petroleum

Chemical composition

Crude oil

Natural gas

Reservoir Hydrocarbons

THE EARTH'S CRUST-WHERE TO FIND IT: Rocks and minerals

Types of rocks

Structure of the Earth's crust

IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON ROCKS AND MINERALS: Identification of minerals

Minerals

Identification of rocks

Rocks

GEOLOGICAL TIME: Radioactive age dating

Relative age dating

The geological time scale

Earth history

DEFORMATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: Weathering, erosion, and unconformities

Anticlines and synclines

Domes

Homoclines

Fractures

SANDSTONE RESERVOIR ROCKS: Dune sandstones

Shoreline sandstones

River sandstones

Delta sandstones

CARBONATE RESERVOIR ROCKS: Reefs

Limestone platforms

Karst limestone

Chalk

Dolomite

SEDIMENTARY ROCK DISTRIBUTION: Basin formation

Sedimentary rock facies

Subsurface rock layers

MAPPING: Topographic maps

Geologic maps

Base maps

Subsurface maps

OCEAN ENVIRONMENT AND PLATE TECTONICS: Ocean topography

Ocean sediments

Earth's interior

Continental drift

Seafloor spreading

Plate tectonics

Failed arm basins

Middle East oil fields

SOURCW ROCKS, GENERATION, MIGRATION, AND ACCUMULATION OF PETROLEUM: Source rocks

Generation

Migration

Accumulation

Age

Reservoir rocks

Saturation

Oil shales

Tar sands

PETROLEUM TRAPS: Description

Structural traps

Stratigraphic traps

Combination traps

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION-GEOLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL: Seeps

Geological techniques

Geochemical techniques

Plays and trends

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION-GEOPHYSICAL: Gravity and magnetic exploration

Seismic exploration

DRILLING PRELIMINARIES: Land and leasing

Foreign contracts

Authority for expenditure

Drilling contracts

Joint operating agreements and support agreements

Site preparation

Types of wells

Government regulations

Cable tool rigs

DRILLING A WELL-THE MECHANICS: Power

Hoisting system

Rotating system

Circulating system

Drilling operations

DRILLING PROBLEMS: Risk

Subsurface conditions

Problems while drilling

DRILLING TECHNIQUES: Straight hole

Directional drilling

Air and foam drilling

TESTING A WELL: Sample or lithologic log

Drilling time log

Mud log

Wireline well logs

Measurements and logging while drilling

Drillstem test

Repeat formation tester

COMPLETING A WELL: Casing

Bottomhole completions

Tubing

Wellhead

Chokes

Surface equipment

Multiple completions

Intelligent wells

SURFACE TREATMENT AND STORAGE: Flowlines

Separators

Gas treatment

Storage and measurement

OFFSHORE DRILLING AND PRODUCTION: Preliminaries

Top drive

Offshore crews

Exploratory drilling

Spudding an offshore exploratory well

Developmental drilling and production

Subsea work

Subsea completions and wells

Unstable sea bed

WORKOVER: Equipment

Well intervention on offshore wells

Preparing the well

Well problems

RESERVOIR MECHANICS: Equipment

Well intervention on offshore wells

Preparing the well

Well problems

RESERVOIR MECHANICS: Reservoir drives

Maximum efficient rate

PETROLEUM PRODUCTION: Well and reservoir pressures

Well testing - Cased-hold logs

Production logs

Decline curves

Bypassng and coning

Cycling

Well stimulation

Oilfield brine and solution gas disposal

Surface subsidence

Corrosion

Production maps

Stranded gas

RESERVES: Recovery factor

Shrinkage factor and formation

Volume factor

Reserves calculations

Types of reserves

IMPROVED OIL RECOVERY: Waterflood

Enhanced oil recovery

Efficiency unitization

Plug and abandon

GLOSSARY

Figure references

Unit Conversions

Oil and gas records

Index