Crude Oil Extraction and Drilling Methods | CAPP

Oil is a black, brownish or amber liquid. A complex mix of hydrocarbons including carbon, hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen, oxygen and metals, oil formed millions of years ago from animal and plant remains deposited in sand and silt, and pressurized by layers of sedimentary rock.

Oil is classified as light, medium, heavy or extra heavy. Light and medium oil can flow naturally to the earth’s surface and is generally extracted from the ground using vertical drilling and pumping – this includes Canada’s offshore oil. Some light oil is trapped in “tight” (non-porous) rock formations, usually shale. This “light tight oil” can be recovered using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Heavy oil has a thick consistency that does not flow easily, often requiring advanced technology to extract.

The Canadian regions with tight oil reservoirs include the Bakken, which is found primarily in Saskatchewan; several fields in Alberta including Cardium and Viking; and the Montney and Duvernay in Alberta and B.C.

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