A natural gas stove burner.
A region of land where large amounts of oil are extracted from the ground is known as an oil field. The area often contains oil wells, large machines that drill into the ground to extract oil or crude oil. Oil fields, pools of hydrocarbons found in rock formations underground, are usually found on large tracts of land, making it necessary for the oil field to be spread over a large area. Oil is naturally trapped by rock and soil in large pools, allowing countless oil wells to penetrate to the surface.
The largest deposits in the world are in the Middle East.
Logistically, oil fields are complicated to establish and represent one of the most advanced exercises in human technology in the 21st century. Oil fields are generally remote and situated far from civilization. This is due to the fact that crude oil is more easily found in desert areas or on the ocean floor.
The oil field platform, the machinery that pumps oil from wells, is large and requires a great deal of manufacturing. Moving equipment from the construction site to the oil field can be quite a task. Land, sea, and air transportation are used to bring the materials to the site. Once in place, the machine must be assembled and a pit dug. This process, from identifying a location to actual oil production, can take years.
An oil well pumpjack in an oil field.
One of the key components that make oil fields work are the human workers who build the platforms and general machinery designed to collect oil. Employees of the companies that operate the camps often remain on site for months due to transportation limitations. In addition, housing requires electricity, water, heat and other resources. Once the oil fields are far from civilization, self-sufficient communities are created within the oil field.
The date when civilization will reach “peak oil” has been pushed back in recent decades by the discovery of new oil fields, such as the Bakken Range in North Dakota, and the development of new technologies.
Along with oil, most oil fields are also filled with excessive levels of natural gas. This gas must be burned to avoid unwanted explosions or fires. Natural gas works very efficiently to supply community facilities. It can be pumped across the vast countryside and used to generate electricity and heat furnaces.
Oil fields are spread throughout the world in many diverse regions. Some are located in hot deserts, like Texas, and cold climates, like Alaska. The world’s largest fields are in the Middle East, notably the Ghawar Field in Saudi Arabia and the Burgan Field in Kuwait. Billions of barrels of oil are produced each year in these fields.