The majority of all oil companies do not manufacture the machinery and equipment that is necessary for drilling. Most times, the drilling is done by hired independent drilling contractors/companies which produce the drilling equipment themselves. These companies are high in demand and usually very expensive. Once hired and available, the drilling contractor will set up the drilling rig on the requested area. Drilling contractors earn profit based on the total amount of time they work for their current oil company. Therefore, most oil companies do everything they can to get the drilling companies on and off their land as soon as possible.
In general, there are two different kinds of oil rigs used to locate and drill for oil: land-based oil rigs and ocean offshore oil rigs. Both are built sturdily to withstand harmful weather and big enough to hold all the materials required for the rig to operate. Because most natural oil is found in remote places away from large masses of people, the oil rigs have to be very self-sufficient. Often immersed in nature as well, the manufacturers of oil rigs strive to be eco-friendly.
Did you Know???The U.S. Department of Energy and the oil industry are working on new ways to drill oil, including horizontal drilling techniques, to reach oil under ecologically-sensitive areas, and using lasers to drill oil wells. |
Did you Know???In the movies, you see oil gushing (a blowout), and perhaps even a fire, when drillers reach the final depth. These are actually dangerous conditions, and are (hopefully) prevented by the blowout preventer and the pressure of the drilling mud. In most wells, the oil flow must be started by acidizing or fracturing the well. |