Why is there always a flamethrower next to an oil field? Is it dangerous to light an open flame?

Although mankind is moving towards energy diversification, it is undeniable that oil is still one of the most important energy sources in the world today.

Since humans entered the industrial age, oil has been called the "blood of industry", and this name is well deserved. So how did humans find the oil buried deep underground? How do we determine the specific location of an oil field? Whether it is at sea or on land, why is there always a pipe spewing fire next to the oil field? Let's talk about the discovery and exploitation of oil fields at once.

The history of human use of petroleum can be traced back to ancient Egypt, when people collected natural asphalt to build, glue and decorate houses. my country was also one of the earliest countries to use petroleum.

In the "Book of Han" written by Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, we can find such a record: "Gaonu has flammable Wei water, and there is fertilizer on the water, which can be collected and used." The "fertilizer" here refers to petroleum.

Although the ancients were able to use oil, they had no way to actively discover the location of oil fields. They could only wait for the crustal activity to cause the oil to naturally seep out under the action of internal pressure before they could use it. But now it is different. With the help of modern technology, we can actively explore the location of oil fields. Currently, three-dimensional seismic detection technology is used for oil field exploration. Simply put, it is to artificially create seismic waves, and then monitor the propagation speed and propagation path of seismic waves in different geological environments to identify different underground substances. Using three-dimensional seismic detection technology, we can not only discover underground energy such as oil and natural gas, but also understand the geomorphic features of the underground.

After determining the exact location of the oil field, the next step is to drill.

As the drill bit digs downward, a pipe must be placed to ensure that the rock wall does not collapse. When the drill bit breaks through many obstacles, oil can be seen. The so-called oil can be divided into narrow oil and broad oil. The narrow oil refers to the black viscous liquid substance, while the broad oil includes narrow oil and natural gas associated with oil. Why is there always natural gas where there is oil? Because in essence, oil and natural gas are basically the same substance, but they show different forms due to the different heavy hydrocarbon content and the different environments.

After finding oil, the next step is to extract it, and while extracting oil, the associated natural gas must be properly handled.

How to deal with this natural gas? It's simple, just use a pipe to let the natural gas discharge naturally, and then ignite it, so a pipe that spews fire appears. Is it not dangerous to light an open fire next to an oil field? In fact, igniting natural gas is precisely for safety. If the associated natural gas is left alone and allowed to be naturally discharged into the air, once it reaches a certain concentration, it will burn when it encounters an open flame, and it may also ignite the oil field and cause an explosion.

Are there open flames in oil fields? Of course there are. First of all, the drill bit may produce sparks during the drilling process, which can be very dangerous if the concentration of flammable gases in the air exceeds the standard. So it is better to ignite them to prevent them from escaping into the surrounding air.

The flammable gases in oil fields include not only natural gas, but also some gases that are extremely dangerous to humans, such as hydrogen sulfide.

A small amount of hydrogen sulfide gas can irritate the respiratory tract, and once it reaches a certain concentration, it will affect the human nervous system and cause suffocation, so it is also for the safety of the workers to lead the gas out of the oil field and ignite it. Then the question is, natural gas, like oil, is also a very important energy source, why waste it? Wouldn't it be better to collect it? In fact, it is not difficult to collect the natural gas associated with the oil field, but not all oil fields have the conditions to collect natural gas. "Oil field" is just a general term. In fact, the oil fields commonly referred to include several different types: oil fields, oil and gas fields, and gas fields.

Although there is natural gas wherever there is oil, the ratio of oil to natural gas is different.

Fields with only a small amount of associated natural gas are called "oil fields", fields with a large amount of associated natural gas are called "oil and gas fields", and fields with mainly natural gas are called "gas fields". For oil fields, since there is less associated natural gas, they are not worth mining. To mine natural gas, a complete set of independent equipment and corresponding staff are required. If the natural gas finally mined is not enough to cover the cost, or there is only a meager profit, then it will be a loss-making business, and no one will do that, so the best way is to burn them. However, it is still energy, and it is a bit of a pity to waste it. I believe that with the continuous advancement of science and technology, we will have more advanced mining technology, and one day the cost of mining associated natural gas will drop significantly, and perhaps we will no longer need this flame-breathing pipe.

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