Petroleum engineers and geologists have developed technology to increase exposure of an oil and gas reservoir by drilling horizontally or at an angle. This method of drilling can produce three to five times more oil and gas than vertical drilling.
Perforation refers to a hole punched in the casing, or liner, of an oil well to connect it to a reservoir of oil or gas. These holes in the horizontal well casing allow oil and gas to flow easily into the wellbore, increasing production of a reservoir.
This activity models the differences in production of a perforated and non-perforated well casing. After the activity, discuss with students the model limitations and ways to improve the experiment.
