Science Common Sense

663 - What is the process of drilling for oil like?

Imagine you're trying to get water from a deep well. You need a long straw that goes all the way down to the water. Drilling for oil is similar.

Here's the process:

1. Exploration: Scientists use special tools to find where the oil is hidden underground.
2. Setting up the rig: A big machine (the drilling rig) is moved to the area to dig the hole.
3. Digging the hole: The rig uses a long pipe (the drill) with a sharp end to dig into the ground. The pipe spins around to make the hole deeper.
4. Making the hole stable: As the hole gets deeper, a special liquid (mud) is poured in to keep the walls from falling in.
5. Looking for oil: The drill goes through many layers of rock until it finds the one with oil.
6. Getting the oil out: Once oil is found, a special pipe (well) is put in to let the oil come out and be collected.
7. Collecting the oil: The oil is pumped up to the surface and stored in big tanks or pipes.

That's the basic process of drilling for oil.