The oil industry has changed considerably over the last fifty years. A once dangerous and risky business is not much safer. That is thanks to improved technology and safety regulations. We’re going to take a look at some of the major advancements that have created the change today. Hopefully, you will see that working in the market is not as bad as it might have seemed in the past. Most people earn a good wage without risking their lives these days. We have the technology to thank for that.
ROVs
Remotely operated vehicles are a Godsend for the oil industry. In the past, company bosses had no choice but to send their workers into risky places. However, that is no longer the case thanks to ROVs fitted with cameras. It is now possible to take a good look around and make assessments without endangering human life. The vehicles can also make air quality calculations. So, no worker should find themselves exposed to harmful gasses.
Hydraulic Fracturing
You’ve probably read a lot of bad news stories about fracking during the last few years. Even so, it has proved to be an excellent technique for the oil industry. People started using hydraulic fracturing in the 1940s. They found it difficult to drill into oil-containing rocks that didn’t have large pores. By pushing water and other chemicals into the ground, it is possible to extract the oil more effectively.
Digital software
Computers have revolutionized the way in which oil companies deal with planning. Orcaflex and other software solutions are now commonplace. Programs of that nature are used by engineers to create offshore and marine structures. Before the technology had been created, complex calculations were performed manually. That left a lot of room for mistakes. Thankfully, everyone is much safer these days thanks to the software used.
Seismic imaging
Finding oil is somewhat of an art form. Drilling companies used to try their luck by setting up machines in random locations. However, that process was very costly, and there were no guarantees. New seismic imaging technology eliminates the problem. Experts can now find the areas most likely to store oil reserves in an instant. That means they should never send their tankers to the wrong place again. They can also get a good view of the rock and any pockets in which oil could form.
Horizontal drills
Until 1929, oil companies could only drill straight down. That meant they couldn’t extract oil from built-up areas. Thankfully, some genius came up with the idea of horizontal drilling. It is a practice used almost every day in the market at the current time. It allows the companies to drill from huge distances. So, they can extract oil from under towns and cities without causing a disturbance.
Having learned about oil drilling technology, we hope you can see the positive changes made. When all’s said and done, the industry would be a much more dangerous place for workers without today’s technology. Just do some research on the amount of drilling-related fatalities before the 1930s. You’ll soon realize there have been some vast improvements. Will things continue to get better for engineers? We sure hope so.
