How to be an Expert in the Oil & Gas Industry

In this lecture we will go back in time to look at how the petroleum industry evolved from the first oil discovery in China to Standard Oil and how the seven sisters were formed.

In this lecture you will learn details on where the top oil producing countries are located and how important OPEC is for stabilizing the supply of crude oil in world markets.

What are IOC's, NOC's and OSC's? We will present to you the most influential corporation's in the oil and gas industry. We will explain the roles they play and how they differ from each other.

This module is focused on the formation of oil and gas from plant and animal planktons to their deposition over millions of years.

Having understood how hydrocarbons are formed, in this lecture we will discover the source rock where the hydrocarbons are “cooked”, the importance of oil and gas migration through permeable layers and the accumulation in a geological trap.

How do we find hydrocarbons? In this lecture we will cover the life cycle of an oil and gas field. Importantly, we will explain how companies initiate an exploration quest.

In the petroleum industry a number of survey methods exist, which help to locate potential hydrocarbons. After this lecture you will learn the different photographic methods, survey methods and geochemical reports that can be used to locate oil and gas.

Seismic Surveys are sound waves, which are generated and send down through the different geological layers and reflected back to the surface. Hydrocarbons, geological layer and faults have different speeds. The industry utilizes this feature by creating a seismic image. From this lecture you will understand both onshore and offshore seismic surveys and the fundamental principles involved.

How will you ever know if there is oil when you have not physically drilled a well? In this lecture we will explain the various drilling stages: Exploration, Appraisal and Production drilling. There a number of drilling rigs depending whether you are onshore or offshore. All will be discussed in this lecture.

This lecture will explain the entire drilling process using drilling fluids for lubrication, the different drill bits, and wellbore is completed.

Well logging is a very important process in drilling, a measuring tool is sent down the wellbore to measure hydrocarbon and rock formation properties. In this lecture we will explain the details of well logging as well as describing the characteristics of a well in terms of pressure and temperature.

Now you have drilled, cased and cemented the well in place, what next? There is no connection between the formation and the wellbore! The next phase is to perforate the well so it can start producing. All will be discussed in this lecture.

Once oil and gas production starts, it is unprocessed and needs to be treated before exporting it to the supplier. This lecture will provide you with an insight into the separation process of oil, gas and water.

We have identified from the previous lectures that each reservoir is different. It is important to understand the various drive mechanisms to maximize recovery. This lecture will explain all.

Each reservoir can go through primary, secondary and tertiary recovery. In this lecture you will learn the differences between them and the stage at which the recovery method is used.

You will learn how crude oil is exported either for storage and refining. We will also cover the concept of a distillation tower and how the various products are processed according to the molecular weight and temperature gradient.

The reservoir has reached the end of its life time. In this lecture you will learn how offshore oil and gas platforms are decommissioned and reused.

What is it like to work Offshore? How do workers get to work? Where do they live? In this lecture you will learn the answers to these question as well as the importance of safety offshore.