A Brief Look at Some of the Forces Behind Our Petroleum

Glossary

barrel: a unit of measurement for oil.  One barrel is 42 gallons or nearly 159 liters.
darcy:
a non-SI unit for measuring permeability.
derrick: the metal tower that supports the weight of the drill stem in a drilling rig.
downhole: in the drill hole.  In the ground.
drill stem: the thick, hollow pipes that are used to drill into the ground.
fault: a fracture in the earth's crust, usually involving a shift in the position of one or both     of the sides.
newton: a measurement of force.  One newton is the same as a kilogram-meter per             second squared.
pascal: a measurement of pressure.  One pascal is equal to a newton per meter squared.
permeability: how easy it is for a liquid or gas to pass through the tiny spaces within the     rock.  This is usually expressed in darcys.
porosity:
the amount of empty pore space within the rock.  This is usually expressed as a     percentage of empty space within the rock.
pressure: the amount of force exerted over an area.  Pressure is usually expressed in            pascals, which is one newton per meter.
sedimentary rock: organic and inorganic particles which are buried and then moved deep     into the earth.  Exposed to high temperatures and pressures, they become rock.             Sandstone is a common example of a sedimentary rock.
tension: a contact force we see when a string or wire pulls on an object.  This is usually     expressed in newtons.
torque: a force that rotates around a central pivot point.  Torque is usually expressed in     newton-meters.
viscosity: a measure of how "sticky" a liquid is.  Honey has a higher viscosity than water.