Saturday, August 9, 2008
Geology
Note that the platforms in the detail are not distributed in a regular pattern; they tend to be located in clusters. Some blocks contain a half-dozen or more platforms, some contain none at all. This is a reflection of the geology of petroleum accumulation.
In other basins (examples: western Kansas, Oklahoma, west Texas), wells can be drilled on regular spacing patterns, as on a checkerboard, and just about every one will be productive to some degree.
By contrast, in the Gulf, geologic structure is everything. Because the young sandstones are highly permeable, oil and gas tend to accumulate in “high spots” in the underlying rock layers, such as around salt domes. A well drilled in a low spot will typically result in a “dry hole”, a totally failed investment.
Offshore GOM 101
