翻譯：The total quantity of petroleum now thought to exist on Earth is about 14 trillion gallons. In weight that is only one-ninth as much as the total existing quantity of coal and ,at the present moment, petroleum is being used up much more quickly. At the present rate of used, the worlds supply of petroleum may last for only thirty years or so.

翻譯：A third means of assessing the maturity of rocks is by the pyrolysis of a small amount of the source rock. The temperature is raised rapidly and the material vaporized or formed by thermal breakdown of the kerogen is passed through a detector which records, on a temperature base, peaks representing these two bursts of volatile material. To a first approximation the peak at the lower temperature represents oil already generated; the peak at the higher temperature indicates oil capable of being generated at adequate maturity.

翻譯：If Colonel Drake, Uncle Billy smith , Anthony Lucas , and the untold thousands of other members of the fraternity of drilling pioneers were alive today , they would no doubt be fascinated and amazed by the proliferation of drilling tools and techniques that have been developed since those primitive days in Pennsylvania and Texas . Undoubltly , they would also be impress by the great numbers of drilling rigs at work today-------over two thousand in the USA alone.

翻譯：A paraffin base crude is an oil whose chief components are paraffins, and which completely distilled, leaves a solid residue of wax. An asphalt base crude is an oil composed primarily of cyclic compounds (mostly naphthenes) which, when distilled, leaves a solid residue of asphalt. Oils which fall in the middle of these categrories are classified as mixed base.

翻譯：Classification of reservoirs can be made on the basis of the texture, composition, and origin of the containing rock or the geometric configuration of the reservoir trap. Classification of reservoirs in the basis of rock texture and composition can assist in the prediction of reservoir performance. Variations in the mineralogy of reservoir rocks can be as important in reservoir performance as structural configuration or areal extent of the reservoir rock.

翻譯：The application of physics to the study of rocks (geophysics)is very important in petroleum geology. In its broadest application geophysics makes a major contribution to understanding the earths crust and, especially through the application of modern plate tectonic(板塊構造)theory, the genesis and petroleum potential of sedimentary basins. More specially, physical concepts are required to understand folds（褶皺）, faults（斷層）, and diapers（底辟）, and hence their roles in petroleum entrapment.

翻譯：THE OPEC oil cartel is about to turn 40, and the mood in the run-up to the grand heads-of-state party in Venezuela in less than three weeks time is jubilant. Not quite two years ago,oil was $10 a barrel and the cartel was on the brink of collapse. Now the oil price is well above $30 a barrel, and it shows little sign of coming down.

翻譯：Gas lift is particularly applicable for lifting wells where high-pressure gas is available.Gas compressors may have been installed for gas injection, or high-pressure gas wells may be nearby. Since the cost of compression far exceeds the cost of down hole gas lift equipment, gas lift always should be considered when an adequate volume of high-pressure gas is available for wells requiring artificial lift. Most wells can be depleted by gas lift,which is particularly true since the implementation of reservoir pressure maintenance programs in most major oil fields.

翻譯：Nearly three-fifths of all known petroleum reserves on Earth is to be found in the territory of the various Arabic-speaking countries. Kuwait , for instance , which is a small nation at the head of the Persian Gulf , with an area only three-fourths that of Massachusetts and a population of about half a million , posseses about one-fifth of all the known petroleum reserves in the world.

翻譯：Other additives are often added to the fracturing fluids for special proposes. Corrosion inhibitors may be used if the fracturing fluids might cause corrosion in the tubular goods in the well.Other additives are used to make the part of the fracturing fluid which is moving against the pipe walls behave almost like lubricating oil while the remaining fracturing fluid take an almost solid form to carry the maximum amount of proppant.