Oil Geology, Oil Plays, and Oil Drilling

Overview

Trace the history of oil exploration and recovery, focusing on the geology of petroleum and natural gas formations. To strike oil, you need to find a source rock, a reservoir rock, a caprock, and a structural feature called a trap where oil can pool. Survey some of the world’s most productive oil fields, and investigate the plusses and minuses of hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking.”