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An oil gusher (or just ''gusher''; also sometimes called a ''wild well'') is an uncapped Oil Well connected to a Reservoir of Petroleum oil that is under high pressure. The oil can shoot 200 Feet (60 Metre s) or higher into the air. {Link without Title} In addition to oil, the output of a gusher can include sand, mud, rocks, Natural Gas , water, and other substances. A gusher which is primarily composed of natural gas is known as a ''gas gusher''. HISTORY Gushers were an icon of ''blew in'' in 1910 . Despite being symbols of new-found wealth, gushers were dangerous and wasteful. They could kill workmen involved in drilling, destroy equipment, and coat the landscape with thousands of Barrels of oil. In addition, the freely-flowing oil was in constant danger of catching fire. {Link without Title} One dramatic account of a blow out reads, "With a roar like a hundred express trains racing across the countryside, the well blew out, spewing oil in all directions. The derrick simply evaporated. Casings wilted like lettuce out of water, as heavy machinery writhed and twisted into grotesque shapes in the blazing inferno." It was not until 1924 that the first successful Blowout Preventer , a valve affixed to the well head that is closed in the event of high pressure fluid backflow, was brought to market. {Link without Title} As the technology developed, blowout preventers became standard equipment and gushers became largely a thing of the past. THE CAUSE OF GUSHERS Most petroleum is formed when the remains of Plankton accumulate in Sediment s on the ocean floor. As the sediments build up, the deeper layers are subjected to increasing pressure and heat. Over millions of years, these forces transform the sediment into Sedimentary Rocks , and if the sediments are Oxygen-poor , the plankton will decay into an Organic substance known as Kerogen , the precursor of petroleum. {Link without Title} Petroleum is usually less . {Link without Title} The formation of petroleum itself can also contribute to overpressure, as petroleum has a larger Volume than the kerogen from which it is formed. When a drill head pierces through the impermeable layer of rock above the reservoir, the pressure in the reservoir forces the mobile fluids up through the open pipe to the surface, forming a gusher. NOTABLE GUSHERS The Lakeview Gusher in Kern County, California of 1910 is believed to be the largest-ever U.S. gusher. At its peak, more than 100,000 barrels (16 000 m³)of oil per day flowed out, reaching as high as 200 feet (60 m) in the air. It remained uncapped for 18 months, spilling over nine million barrels (378 million Gallon s/1.4 million M³ ) of oil, less than half of which was recovered. {Link without Title} The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas in 1901 spewed out 100,000 barrels (16 000 m³) of oil per day at its peak, but soon slowed and was capped within nine days. The well tripled U.S. oil production overnight and marked the start of the Texas oil industry. {Link without Title} The Barroso 2 well in Cabimas , Venezuela in December 1922 spewed out around 100,000 barrels (16 000 m³) of oil per day for nine days, plus a large amount of natural gas. {Link without Title} The Wild Mary Sudik gusher in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1930 flowed at a rate of 72,000 barrels (11 500 m³) per day. {Link without Title} Baba Gurgur near Kirkuk , Iraq , an oilfield known since Antiquity , erupted at a rate of 95,000 barrels (15 000 m³) a day in 1927 . {Link without Title} A short-lived gusher at Alamitos #1 in Signal Hill, California in 1921 marked the discovery of one of the most productive oil fields in the world. {Link without Title} Masjed Soleiman , Persia in 1908 marked the first major oil strike recorded in the Middle East . {Link without Title} The Daisy Bradford gusher in 1930 marked the discovery of the East Texas Oil Field , the largest oilfield in the Contiguous United States . {Link without Title} SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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