Umlando Wokutholakala Nokuhlola Uphethiloli
Uphethiloli ungomunye wemithombo yemvelo enethonya elikhulu emlandweni wanamuhla. Ushintshe indlela abantu abahamba ngayo, abakhiqiza ngayo izimpahla, abalwa ngayo, ngisho nokwakha umnotho. Kodwa-ke, uphethiloli awuzange ube "yinkosi yamandla" ngokuzumayo. Luhambo olude: lwaqala ngokuxhashazwa kokuvuza kukawoyela wemvelo ngaphansi komhlaba, lwathuthuka lwaba imboni enkulu ngokusebenzisa izinto ezintsha zokumba, lwabe seluthuthuka ngobuchwepheshe bokuhlola obuyinkimbinkimbi ngokwengeziwe. Lesi sihloko sihlola umlando wokutholwa nokuhlola uphethiloli, kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo kuya enkathini yobuchwepheshe obuphezulu.
Izimpawu Zokuqala: Uphethiloli Ezikhathini Zasendulo
Esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokumba kwesimanje, abantu babechayeka kuphethiloli ngendlela yokuvuza kwemvelo. Kwezinye izindawo, uwoyela ne-bitumen (i-asphalt yemvelo) kwakuphakama, kugeleze emifudlaneni, noma kuhlanganiswe emhlabathini. Impucuko yaseMesopotamiya yayisebenzisa i-bitumen njengento yokunamathisela ekwakheni, ukugqoka izikebhe, kanye ne-ejenti yokuvimbela amanzi. EBhabhiloni nase-Asiriya, i-bitumen yayisetshenziswa nasekwakheni imigwaqo nezindonga, okubonisa ukuthi izinto ze-hydrocarbon bezilokhu ziwusizo iminyaka eyizinkulungwane.
EPheresiya nasezindaweni ezizungezile, ukugeleza kukawoyela kwakwaziwa futhi kwakusetshenziswa ekukhanyiseni okulula. Amarekhodi asendulo akhuluma ngokusetshenziswa "kwamafutha edwala" ezibani noma ezibanini. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, eShayina, imizamo yokusebenzisa izinsiza ezingaphansi komhlaba yathuthukiswa ngesikhathi sayo. Eminye imithombo ikhuluma ngamasu alula okumba usawoti, okwabe sekukhiqiza igesi yemvelo; enye yale gesi yayisetshenziswa njengophethiloli wokuhwamuka kwamanzi anosawoti. Nakuba lokhu kungazange kube imboni kawoyela njengoba kunjalo namuhla, lokhu kubonisa ukuthi ukuhlola ngaphansi komhlaba kwase kuqala ukuqondakala.
Ukusuka Emathunjini Kuya Embonini: Ukuzalwa Kokubhoboza Kwanamuhla
Ushintsho emlandweni we-petroleum wanamuhla luvame ukuhlotshaniswa nokumbiwa komthombo wokuqala kawoyela ophumelelayo kwezentengiselwano eTitusville, ePennsylvania, e-United States, ngo-1859. Lo mthombo waziwa kabanzi ngokuthi “i-Drake Well,” ngemuva kuka-Edwin L. Drake, owayehola lo msebenzi. Ngaphambilini, uwoyela wawutholakala ezindaweni ezivuzayo nasemithonjeni engajulile, kodwa ukukhiqizwa kwawo kwakulinganiselwe. Impumelelo kaDrake ibonise ukuthi uwoyela ungatholakala ngokumba njalo, kunokuthembela kuphela ekumpompozeni.
Isici esiyinhloko esasiqhuba intuthuko yezimboni ngaleso sikhathi kwakuyisidingo sezinto zokukhanyisa. Uwoyela ongahluziwe wawungahlungwa ube uphalafini wezibani, okwakuyindlela engcono esikhundleni samafutha omkhomo, okwakubiza kakhulu futhi kuntuleka kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi. Njengoba isidingo sasikhula, ukuhlungwa kwanda, kwasungulwa iziteshi zokusabalalisa, kwavela izinkampani ezinkulu zamandla. Lokhu kwaba ukuqala kwemboni yamafutha yesimanje, ehlanganisiwe kusukela phezulu kuya phansi.
Ukwanda Komhlaba Wonke: iRussia, iMpumalanga Ephakathi, kanye ne-Asia
Ngemva nje kwe-United States, ukukhiqizwa kukawoyela kwanda nakwezinye izindawo. Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, isifunda saseBaku (manje esiyi-Azerbaijan) soMbuso WaseRussia sase sibe esinye sezikhungo ezinkulu kakhulu zokukhiqiza uwoyela emhlabeni. IBaku yayaziwa isikhathi eside ukuthi inezindawo zokugeleza kukawoyela, kodwa ukuthuthukiswa kwezimboni kwasheshisa ukusetshenziswa kwawo ngokumba kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwengqalasizinda. Lokhu kwaholela ekuthuthukisweni kwemikhuba yokukhiqiza emikhulu, ukusetshenziswa kwamapayipi, kanye nesidingo sezinto zokuthutha uwoyela.
Njengoba ikhulu lama-20 lingena emhlabeni, kwaqala ukunaka eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Lesi sifunda sasinomthombo omkhulu kawoyela kamuva owawuzoba umgogodla wokunikezwa kwamandla emhlabeni jikelele. Kwatholakala izinto ezibalulekile e-Iran, e-Iraq, e-Saudi Arabia, e-Kuwait, nakwamanye amazwe azungezile. Izinto eziningi ezinkulu ezitholakale esifundeni zakhuthazwa ukubambisana—futhi ngokuvamile ukuncintisana—phakathi kwezinkampani zikawoyela zaseNtshonalanga nohulumeni basekhaya. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, uwoyela uye waba ngaphezu nje kwempahla yezomnotho, kodwa futhi waba yinto yezepolitiki engathonya inqubomgomo yezangaphandle, izingxabano, kanye nezivumelwano zomhlaba wonke.
ENingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia, okuhlanganisa ne-Indonesia, umsebenzi kawoyela nawo unomlando omude. I-Indonesia yaziwa njengenye yezifunda zokuqala e-Asia ukuthuthukisa imboni kawoyela, kusukela enkathini yobukoloni lapho izinkampani zaseDashi zenza ukuhlola nokukhiqiza. Amasimu kawoyela eSumatra naseKalimantan abonisa ukuthi ukuhlola kwaletha kanjani izinguquko ezibalulekile ezindaweni zokukhiqiza: ukuvela kwengqalasizinda, izindawo zokuhlala zabasebenzi, ngisho nezinguquko emaphethini ezomnotho endawo.
Ukuvela Kwezindlela Zokuhlola: Kusukela Ku-Instinct Kuya Kusayensi
Ezigabeni zokuqala, ukuhlola uwoyela kwakuvame ukuthembela ezimpawini zobuso: ukuvuza kukawoyela, iphunga lama-hydrocarbon, noma amabhamuza egesi emaxhaphozini. Kodwa-ke, lezi zindlela zazilinganiselwe—izindawo ezinkulu zokugcina amanzi zazingabonakali ngaso sonke isikhathi ebusweni. Njengoba i-geology yathuthuka njengesayensi, ukuhlola kwaba okuhlelekile kakhulu. Ukuma kwedwala, ukuhlaziywa kwezakhiwo ezigoqekayo, amaphutha, kanye nezinhlobo zamadwala asezindaweni ezimanzi kwaba yisisekelo sokulinganisa ukuba khona kwamachibi.
Ushintsho olukhulu lwenzeka lapho izindlela ze-geophysical ziqala ukusetshenziswa. Amasu adonsela phansi kanye nobuchwepheshe be-magnetic asize ekutholeni umehluko ezimpahleni zamadwala angaphansi komhlaba. Kodwa okwashintsha kakhulu kwaba ukubonakaliswa kokuzamazama komhlaba. Ngokuthumela amagagasi emhlabeni nokuqopha ukubonakaliswa, ososayensi babekwazi "ukudweba" isakhiwo esingaphansi komhlaba. Le ndlela yavumela izindawo zokumba ezinamathuba aphezulu okuphumelela, kunciphisa izindleko zokuhlola, ezazincike kakhulu ekuzameni nasekuphutheni.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuqopha imithombo (ukuqopha idatha yemithombo) kuthuthukisa ukuqonda kwezingqimba zamadwala ezifakwayo. Besebenzisa izinzwa ezifakwa emgodini, abaqhubi bangabona ukugoba, ukugcwala koketshezi, kanye nezici zamadwala echibini. Ukuhlanganiswa kwedatha yobunjiniyela be-geological, geophysical, kanye ne-reservoir ekugcineni kwakha indlela yesimanje yokuhlola eqhutshwa idatha.
Isikhathi Sase-Offshore kanye Nese-High Tech
Njengoba izindawo zokugcina amanzi ezifinyeleleka kalula ogwini ziqala ukuncipha kwamanye amazwe, imboni ishintshela ekubholeni ogwini. Ukubhoboza ogwini kuletha izinselele ezinkulu: amagagasi, iziphepho, amanzi ajulile, kanye nesidingo samapulatifomu aqinile navikelekile. Kodwa-ke, ubuchwepheshe bushintsha ngokushesha, kusukela kumapulatifomu angajulile kuya kuma-rig antantayo okuhlola amanzi ajulile. Ukutholakala kwezindawo zokugcina amanzi ezinkulu eGulf of Mexico, eNorth Sea, nakwezinye izifunda kubonisa amandla amakhulu olwandle.
Njengoba kwakusondela ikhulu lama-20 nasekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-21, ukuhlola kwangena enkathini yokubala. Ukucutshungulwa kwedatha yokuzamazama komhlaba ye-3D kanye ne-4D (isikhathi esidlulayo) kwavumela ukumodelwa okuningiliziwe kwe-subsurface kanye nokuqapha izinguquko zamadamu ngesikhathi sokukhiqiza. Ukusungula izinto ezintsha kumasu okumba avundlile kanye nokuvuselela kwenza izinsiza ezazinzima ukuzikhiqiza ngaphambili zasebenza kahle ngokwezomnotho. Nakuba lobu buchwepheshe buvame ukuhlotshaniswa nokukhiqiza okungajwayelekile, umthelela wabo ekufuneni nasekuhloleni izindawo zokugcina uwoyela embonini ube mkhulu kakhulu.
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ukuphepha kanye nemvelo kuyizinto ezibaluleke kakhulu. Izinhlekelele zezimboni kanye nokuchitheka kukawoyela kuye kwaqhuba amazinga amasha ekuklanyweni kwemithombo, ukuvimbela ukuqhunyiswa kwegesi, kanye nokusabela eziphuthumayo. Ukuhlola kwanamuhla akukhona nje ukuthola uwoyela, kodwa futhi nokwenza kanjalo ngokwethembeka.
Iziqondiso zePetroleum kanye nezesikhathi esizayo
Umlando wokutholakala nokuhlola uwoyela ubonisa into eyodwa: ubulokhu uthonywa izidingo zabantu, ukusungula izinto ezintsha kwezobuchwepheshe, kanye nokuguquguquka kwezepolitiki. Kusukela ekuqhekekeni kwemvelo okuxhashazwa yimiphakathi yasendulo kuya ekubunjweni kwesimo sokuzamazama komhlaba okuyinkimbinkimbi, uhambo lwawoyela luwuhambo lwempucuko yezimboni uqobo.
Kodwa ikusasa lamandla liyashintsha. Amazwe amaningi andisa amandla avuselelekayo futhi anciphisa ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni. Noma kunjalo, uwoyela usalokhu uyingxenye ebalulekile yomnotho womhlaba, hhayi nje njengophethiloli kodwa futhi njengokudla kwe-petrochemical kwepulasitiki, imithi, umanyolo, kanye nemikhiqizo ehlukahlukene yesimanje. Ngakho-ke, ukuqonda umlando wokuhlola uwoyela akukhona nje ukubuka okwedlule, kodwa kunalokho ukufunda indlela umhlaba owakha ngayo uhlelo lwawo lwamandla—nokuthi lolo hlelo lungaqhubeka kanjani nokushintsha emashumini eminyaka ezayo.
Ekugcineni, i-petroleum iyindaba yolwazi: indlela abantu abafunda ngayo ukufunda izimpawu zomhlaba, ukungena ekujuleni ngobuchwepheshe, nokuphatha izinsiza ezilinganiselwe. Kusukela emithonjeni yokuqala ephansi kuya emisebenzini eyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu yolwandle olujulile, lo mlando ufundisa ukuthi ukuhlola kuhlala kushintsha—futhi njalo kuletha imiphumela okumele iqondwe ngokuhlakanipha.
