The so-called oil zones are large geographical areas that have a series of characteristics that allow us to know and extract the natural resource. The main activity of a certain area is the extraction of oil, being then the main socio-economic interest of those who are there. There are diverse areas where this mineral can be extracted, known as black gold for its multiple uses in world society, with the Middle East being the region with the most oil reserves on earth.
In oil areas, also known as oil fields, is where the hydrocarbon is extracted from the subsoil, since the underground formations that contain this mineral can extend for several hundred square kilometers. In these areas there are not only the machinery for the extraction but also pipes for its transportation and support facilities.
An oil field is always far from civilization and establishing it most of the time is very complicated, given the logistics it needs. For example, workers have to work there for months or years, and require lodging. Likewise, accommodation and equipment require electricity and water. Pipes in cold areas may need to be heated. An excess of natural gas makes it necessary to burn it if there is no way to make use of it, which requires a furnace, warehouses, and pipes to transport it from the well to the furnace.
Most of the time an oil field looks like a small, self-sufficient city in the middle of a landscape dotted with drilling towers or the pump jacks, known as “head donkeys”, due to their moving arm, which are also known as rockers. in some countries.
There are more than 40,000 oil fields spread throughout the globe, both on land and offshore. The largest is the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia and the Burgan field in Kuwait, with more than 60 billion barrels estimated in each. Most oil wells are much smaller. In the modern age, the location and known reserves of oil fields are a key factor in many geopolitical conflicts.
