New Oil, Gas Production Technologies Do More Than Affect Production

摘要

New technologies used to squeeze oil and natural gas from tight formations like shale do more than just convert barren areas to large producing reservoirs. Production is the sweet smell of success but is really only a part of the overall transformation. Because of this metamorphosis of turning barren areas into producing locations, the total infrastructure comes into play. The major technologies responsible for these monumental changes in oil and gas production are horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. In discussing major changes in hydrocarbon production, improvements in recovering oil from tar sands in Canada should be included. Major capital spending in the U.S. and Canada is helping develop these fossil fuel plays but billions are also funding the collection and delivery systems needed to maximize the returns from the in-the-ground investments.