T 3 PETROLIO estrazione modello parte 2

Summary

The video discusses the process of extracting oil, emphasizing that oil isn't easily extracted like liquid but is trapped within porous rocks. These rocks, often millions of years old, contain tiny amounts of oil in pores or fractures. The oil, formed from decomposed microorganisms, moves very slowly through these rocks. To extract it, water or gas is injected to push the oil towards the surface. Different types of oil can be extracted, varying in viscosity and purity. Even after initial extraction, some oil remains trapped, and further efforts are made to recover it by reinjecting water or gas.

Takeaways

• 🛢️ The extraction of oil involves searching in deep and difficult locations, including areas with complex geological formations.
• 🪨 Oil is not found as a free liquid but is stored in rocks, where it is trapped in pores and fractures.
• 📚 These rocks, over 100 million years old, were collected by students from the University of Roma Tre.
• 🧱 Different types of rocks hold oil in different ways: some resemble sponges, while others are like sandwiches filled with oil along fractures.
• 🌍 Oil was formed from the decomposition of microorganisms, mainly algae, over millions of years, and it eventually seeped into these rocks.
• 🚶 The movement of oil through the rocks is very slow, similar to how water moves through underground layers.
• 🔒 Geological formations act as traps, preventing the oil from rising to the surface, leading to the formation of oil deposits.
• 💧 Oil extraction can be compared to cleaning oil stains from stone steps; injecting water or gas helps push the oil upwards.
• 🚰 In deeper reservoirs, artificial methods like water or gas injection are used to help oil move towards the surface for extraction.
• ⛽ Even in 'exhausted' oil fields, some oil remains, and modern techniques are focused on squeezing out the remaining oil by reinjecting water or gas.

Q & A

What is the misconception about how oil is extracted?

The misconception is that oil is a liquid that can be easily sucked up with a straw. In reality, oil is contained within rocks, absorbed capillary into the pores of these rocks.

What are oil reservoirs made of?

Oil reservoirs are made of rocks, not empty spaces filled with liquid oil. These rocks have been absorbing oil over millions of years, with oil filling micro-fractures and pores.

How old are the rocks that contain oil, and who collected them?

The rocks containing oil are over 100 million years old. They were collected by students from Professor Salvini of the University of Rome 3.

How is oil distributed within the rocks?

Oil can be distributed in various ways within the rocks. Some rocks have oil filling micro-fractures like veins, while others, like certain limestones, have oil in their micropores. Oil in sandy rocks fills the spaces between the sand grains.

How was oil formed?

Oil was formed during prehistoric times through the decomposition of microorganisms, particularly algae. These organisms sank to the seabed and, under pressure and heat over time, transformed into oil, which seeped into surrounding rocks.

Why does oil move slowly within the rocks?

Oil moves slowly within the rocks because it travels through micro-fractures at low velocity, similar to how water moves through groundwater reservoirs.

What is a geological trap, and how does it affect oil accumulation?

A geological trap is a formation that prevents oil from rising further due to the structure of the surrounding rocks. This trap allows oil to accumulate over time, forming a reservoir.

What methods are used to extract oil from deep reservoirs?

In deep reservoirs, water or gas is injected under pressure to push the oil upward. This technique is needed because, unlike shallow reservoirs where oil may rise naturally due to pressure, deep reservoirs require assistance to bring the oil to the surface.

What types of oil can be extracted, and how do they differ?

Different types of oil can be extracted based on their viscosity and molecular composition. Some oil is light and clear, others are black and moderately viscous, while some are thick, dirty, and harder to refine.

Why is not all oil extracted from a reservoir, and what can be done to recover more?

Not all oil can be extracted from a reservoir because the extraction process doesn't release all the oil trapped within the rock. However, by injecting water or gas into older reservoirs, pressure can be increased to recover more oil, effectively 'scraping the bottom of the barrel.'