Hi all
I'm not much of an oil geologist but I believe that water that is associated
with the produced oil may be pumped back down into or under the reservoir to
keep the reservoir pressure up. As you can appreciate, the pressure at
depth is very great. This great pressure helps oil come to the surface when
it is tapped, although most often additional pumping is needed. This is the
same reason that natural gas may be pumped back down if it is in association
with a producing oil well. If reservoir pressure gets too low then it may
become uneconomic to pull it to the surface.
There may also be environmental reasons to do this since the water may have
impurities better left at depth.
It is very unusual for a gas or oil reservoir to exist in a giant
underground cavern although some people imagine it this way. Gas or oil is
stored within sedimentary layers. It may be commercially available if the
sedimentary layer is porous and permeable enough. To give you an idea, a
VERY porous rock would be somethimg like 30% porosity. The rock may look
just like sandstone or it may resemble swiss cheese, but when oil is pumped
out, there is not usually a giant hole in the ground. Normally water fills
pore spaces underground if there is no gas or oil but never imagine there
are air holes, big or small at depth.
Having said this I have also heard that drilling near a seismic boundary
could cause slippage and therfore tremors.
Original Message -----
From: "Karen Lamberton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2001 1:23 PM
Subject: Re: Are the seas levels rising globally?
> You are correct in your assumptions. About 15 years ago, the US
government,
> the oil/ gas companies and the State of Nevada (I think this is the right
> state) started looking for the reason that there was an increase in small
> local seismic tremors. What they found was that as the companies pumped
out
> natural gas, which had been stored between low level limestone strata, if
> the gas was removed to an extent, which could be predicted by a
mathmatical
> equasion (I don't have it, just read about it), then the layers of rock
> either collapsed in on themselves because of the weight of the overlying
> earth, or tremors occurred as the rock layers tried to ease the strain.
And
> the situation was totally reversible if gas or water was pumped back in.
> However, the caveat is that if the choice was for water, it had to be
> replaced to a higher than natural pressure or else it acted as a lubricant
> for movement. As usual we ruin whatever we touch! (And for shell content,
> God bless the snail caught between those layers!)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark James Bethke <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Sunday, January 14, 2001 9:44 AM
> Subject: Re: Are the seas levels rising globally?
>
>
> >True, there is a reason that oil companies inject water back into the
void
> >they create, maybe I'm incorrect in assuming this is the reason, I'm sure
> >that they wouldn't waste the monies involved if not needed. On a slightly
> >different subject the 3 gorges damn on the Yangtze river is already
> >suspected of causing minor earth tremors by it's sheer weight and it's
not
> >even 1/2 completed. The damn also straddles two known seismic faults.
This
> >could only prove disastrous.
> >Thank you for your input, Ferret
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Art Weil" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2001 9:06 AM
> >Subject: Re: Are the seas levels rising globally?
> >
> >
> >> Dear Ferrets;-
> >> Conversely, when I lived in the LA area some years ago, there
was
> >some
> >> concern that Long Beach was sinking---mm by mm. The idea was that when
> >they
> >> pumped all that oil from LB and the Signal Hill area, the land around
> >would do
> >> some colapsing. Don't know what the status is today
> >> Art
> >>
> >> Mark James Bethke wrote:
> >>
> >> > Are the sea levels rising ? A question I had asked 2 years back .
> >Several
> >> > opinions were set and much information gathered but as with most
> >important
> >> > questions they most be updated from time to time so let's see what
new
> >> > information we can find .
> >> > If I'm not mistaken , the world is at the post ice age epoch, thusly
a
> >> > gradual rise in sea levels are predicted, if I am mistaken please
> >advise.
> >> > Any replies would be most appreciated ,
> >> >
> >> > BTW, Helmut has convinced me to stay and since marine biology is my
> >primary
> >> > interest it behooves me to stay, that aside , you guys are just to
much
> >fun.
> >> >
> >> > Your curious ferrets
> >> >
> >> > Mark & Peta Bethke
> >> > 3001 South Ocean Drive
> >> > Suite 4-V
> >> > Hollywood, FL
> >> > 33019-2804
> >> > U.S.A.
> >>
>
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