Exploration and Development

Exploration for oil and natural gas includes all activities related to the search for oil and natural gas from beneath the Earth's surface. Development of an oil or natural gas source includes all those activities need to extract that oil or gas from the subsurface. Exploration and development of land based (i.e., onshore) oil and natural gas deposits include the following basic activities:

• Site Preparation
• Well Drilling
• Well Completion
  • Well Pad Construction
  • Testing
  • Perforation
  • Well Stimulation (hydraulic fracturing and acidizing)
  • Production Equipment Installation
  • Well Closure (Plugging and Abandonment)

Each activity may have potential applicability to federal environmental regulations. Click on the links above to learn more.

More Resources

NaturalGas.org - Exploration. An educational website maintained by the Natural Gas Supply Association that covers a variety of topics related to the natural gas industry. The purpose of this website is to provide visitors with a comprehensive information source for topics related to natural gas, and present an unbiased learning tool for students, teachers, industry, media, and government.