February 6, 2015 Earth Science
Slant drilling, also known as directional or horizontal drilling, allows oil reservoirs to be accessed at an angle other than vertical by manoeuvring the drill bit in the desired direction. This in turn frees directional drilling from the traditional need…
Read more
February 6, 2015 Earth Science
I am baffled by the fact that it has been almost a month since the (latest) Gulf oil disaster, and we have yet to make any significant progress toward stemming the leak. Not only that, but scientists have now confirmed…
Read more
February 6, 2015 Earth Science
BOPs, or “blowout preventers” are valves that can seal off the wellhead, when it needs maintenance, or in case of an emergency. If pressure from underground, or undersea reaches a dangerous level, potentially causing fluids and natural gas to enter…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
A drilling riser, also sometimes known as an oil riser, is a large-diameter pipe or series of concentric pipes which connects the drilling string in a seafloor oil well to a surface drilling platform. Drilling risers are divided into two…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
Of course rocks are everywhere and they come in many forms, from the glassy beauty of volcanic glass or obsidian, to the metallic glint of the metallic rocks, to the magical nature of crystals. Rocks have two major natures: They are crystals, minerals…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
What makes an ecosystem is a unique and dynamic relationship between a group of living things and their non living environment. An ecosystem may be as large as the planet Earth itself with ALL of its life and habitats. But…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
The term Ecology, and it’s identification as a unique field of study began over a century ago as the study of individual species and their relationship with their environment and each other. While the field of study began as a…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
Since the Gulf oil disaster, we have all learned more about how to stop an offshore oil leak than we ever thought we needed to know. It seems that even the oil companies are learning new techniques and methods for…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
Backyard geology is an important hobby that has small beginnings and can have large personnel consequences. As a small boy I was interested in rocks and minerals and 20 years later I graduated as a geologist, and later still qualified…
Read more
February 5, 2015 Earth Science
Water is an amazing compound without it life on Earth would not exist. It also plays a key role in the formation of certain types of sedimentary rocks. These rocks are often referred to as evaporates. Minerals are common in…
Read more