Oil and gas facilities are specialized infrastructure used for the extraction, processing, transportation, and storage of hydrocarbons. These facilities are integral to the energy industry and are designed to handle complex processes safely and efficiently. They vary depending on the location (onshore or offshore) and the type of hydrocarbon (oil or natural gas) being handled.
1. Exploration Facilities
Drilling Rigs: Mobile or fixed platforms used for drilling wells. Examples include:
- Land Rigs: Operate onshore for terrestrial oil and gas exploration.
- Offshore Rigs: Include jack-up rigs, semi-submersibles, and drill ships for underwater drilling.
Seismic Survey Equipment: Tools and vehicles for conducting geophysical surveys to locate reserves.
2. Production Facilities
These facilities extract and process hydrocarbons from reservoirs:
- Wellheads: Installed at the surface of wells to control the flow of oil or gas.
- Production Platforms (offshore): Fixed or floating structures that house equipment for extraction and initial processing.
- Central Processing Facilities (CPF): Onshore facilities where oil and gas are separated, treated, and processed before transportation.
3. Processing Facilities
Facilities designed to make hydrocarbons market-ready:
Oil Processing Units:
- Separators: Divide oil, gas, and water produced from wells.
- Dehydrators and Desalters: Remove water and salt from crude oil.
Gas Processing Units:
- Compressors: Increase the pressure of natural gas for processing or transportation.
- Gas Sweetening Units: Remove impurities like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).
- Liquefaction Plants: Convert natural gas into LNG (liquefied natural gas) for transport.
4. Storage Facilities
Oil Storage Tanks: Cylindrical tanks designed to hold crude oil or refined products.
Gas Storage:
- Underground Storage: Depleted reservoirs or salt caverns used to store natural gas.
- Aboveground Tanks: For LNG or pressurized gas.