Basic Stages

• Drill to extract oil
• Exploratory drilling is done by an oil company once geologists have identified a location that is likely to contain a profitable oil field.
• Most oil deposits consist of small droplets adhering to the surfaces of holes in porous rocks, just like a sponge whose pores are full of oil.
• Drilling for oil and natural gas takes place not just on land but also under many meters of ocean water, in the seadloor on continental shelves.