Learning Objectives

Notes

6.1
To understand the distinction, in land ownership, between mineral rights and surface rights, will outline the steps an oil company must take in acquiring mineral rights and property access prior to drilling and will identify some potential positive and negative consequences for landowners.

Students should be aware of the treaties between the First Nations and the government of Canada and how they impact exploitation of sub-surface minerals. An investigation of reserve lands and land claims in the context of mineral and subsurface rights and oil and gas exploration could be done. Numerous websites discuss this issue; a search using keywords like “First Nations” + “land” + “oil exploration” should get them started.

Students should understand the basic structure of the Saskatchewan land survey system and how land titles are identified under that system.

Students could explore land titles and rights, including the rights of those who hold leases for grazing rights on Crown land, by interviewing local landowners, leaseholders, or municipal officials. Students could explore why ownership of most mineral rights is in the hands of the provincial government, with only a small portion held by landowners.

The right to exploit a subsurface deposit is usually gained through a government sale of mineral rights. A simulated sale could be carried out in class, using data similar to that collected in Module 5 about several pieces of property that are up for option. Students, or teams of students, could estimate the value of different properties, before bidding on them in an auction. The auction simulation could be extended into the access rights to drilling sites, with the buyers of rights in the auction having to negotiate with "landowners".

6.2
To describe site preparation, the parts and operation of a drilling rig and the jobs associated with a working rig

Students could continue adding terms to a glossary, if they began one in Module 5.

Students could construct scale models of rigs and drilling sites. They should be familiar with the space requirements, site preparation, rig set-up and procedures such as rotating, hoisting and circulating. The environmental impact of drilling a well and measures that are taken to minimize the impact should be investigated.

Different depths of holes require different rigs. Students could compare depth of wells drilled in Saskatchewan fields to those in other places. What is the deepest well ever drilled and what are special challenges that accompany deep wells? What is the average well depth in the foothills of Alberta? In the Arabian peninsula?

6.3
To identify specific safety procedures, blowout prevention and other environmental protection procedures normally observed at a drilling site.

This objective can be expanded in Module 8. It is introduced here in the event that a tour of a drilling site can be arranged in conjunction with this module.

6.4
To describe the roles of various specialist services associated with drilling sites.

Such services might include

• mud logging
• well geology
• well logging
• coring
• drillstem testing
• casing and cementing
• environmental assessment.

6.5
To identify major factors affecting whether a well, once drilled, is brought into production.

Students could investigate the rates of success, costs and other factors in the decision to produce a well. Royalties on production and government incentives for drilling should be included in the costs. A comparison of royalties and incentives in Saskatchewan with those in Alberta is instructive.

Students should also be aware of the costs and requirements for abandonment of a “dry hole”-- a well that is not economical to produce.

6.6
To recognize the steps necessary to bring a well into production.

Such steps might include:

• installation of production casing
• installation of production tubing
• identification of producing zones and packer installation
• perforation
• pumping
• stimulation, including acidizing and fracturing.

Students should learn about the differences between oil and gas wells and the way that both oil and gas can be produced from a single well.

6.7
To describe the operation of a typical producing well, including the purpose and procedures of well servicing and the methods of transporting and collecting the products at the production field.

Students should be familiar with the operation of service rigs and the functions they perform.

Consideration should be given to various types of wells and recovery methods used in Saskatchewan oilfields. For example, different production zones need different equipment at the wellhead to extract the product, e.g., free flowing wells, wells that require pumps and pump jacks. Here the principles of a lift pump might be explored by means of diagrams or working models. Further, different recovery methods are used for light and heavy crude oil. Students could inquire as well into the CO2 enhanced recovery project on which Pan Canadian and the University of Regina are working.

As an enrichment topic, some students might like to explore the purpose and method of horizontal drilling and how the resulting wells are operated and serviced.

Students might also explore the technology by which petroleum is extracted from oil sands and tar sands.

As a concluding activity and a transition to Module 7, an oil extraction and refining simulation could be conducted in which each team is provided with a 2 litre plastic pop bottle containing a mixture of sand, salt, vinegar and used engine oil, sealed with a layer of paraffin that has been melted, poured in and allowed to harden. The teams then work to see who can safely and effectively extract the most oil from their bottle. Teams could then be asked to explore refining methods to separate their oil from the salt and vinegar.