And the evolution of the stages involved in the oil and gas

2.7 Completion 
Drilling operators constantly monitor the progress of a well so they can quickly make 
decisions about whether to “complete”
the well so it can be used for production or “abandon” 
it as a dry hole. Throughout the drilling operation, rock cuttings are examined for traces of 
hydrocarbons, and other evaluations and analyses are made. If the well is judged a dry hole, it 
will be plugged with cement and abandoned. However, if the tests show promise, the well will 
be completed. 
The first step in completion is the installation of production casing, a tubular steel pipe that is 
cemented in place down the length of the wellbore. After this process, the drilling rig is usually 
removed from the well and a truck-mounted service rig is moved into place. The production 
casing is perforated to allow entry of fluids and gases into the wellbore. The perforations also 
provide access to the producing formation for other completion activities that may be 
undertaken. 
For example, fracturing, or “fracking,” is a common completion technique. In this process, 
materials are pumped down the well under high pressure to pop open cracks in the reservoir 
rock so that the oil or gas can move more freely through the formation. 

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P a g e
3.0 PRODUCTION 
Production is the long-term process of drilling and extracting oil and gas. Most countries grant 
oil and gas development rights to private companies through a process of either negotiation or 
bidding. Because crude oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources, optimizing recovery 
is critical. Only about 25 per cent of the oil can be recovered from a typical reservoir by natural 
means or primary recovery techniques. Enhanced-recovery techniques permit production of 
more oil from many reservoirs. The most common enhanced-recovery method, water 
injection, involves injecting water into the oil-bearing formation, and the water then forces the 
oil toward the producing well bore. Such techniques can result in recovery rates that can 
exceed 80 per cent of the oil in place. 
Natural gas generally flows to the surface through its own pressure; thus, a natural gas 
wellhead is usually composed of only a series of chokes and valves to control flow. This 
wellhead structure is called a "Christmas tree." Crude oil, which typically contains some 
natural gas or solution gases, is sometimes produced through its natural pressure, but most 
crude oil wells in Canada require some method of lifting or pumping the oil to the surface. 
Pumping equipment is known by various names, including "pump jack," "horse head pump" 
and “walking beam” pump.
4.0 Conclusion 
There is what is termed as offshore and onshore production, and development is after the 
exploration which comprises the installation of facilities to become a platform for production 
of Oil and Gas. After the Exploration and Production, if crude oil is produced must be sold 
and transported from the wellhead to a refinery, and If natural gas is produced must be moved 
into markets via pipeline or ship, Crude oil has little or no value until is refined into products 
such as gasoline and diesel. 
The marketing of crude oil, natural gas, their products and by-products is complex. Various 
regulations, both federal and provincial, govern all aspects of production and sales. Although 
the provinces have jurisdiction over the oil and gas produced within their boundaries, the 
federal government has the ultimate jurisdiction over oil and gas pricing, transmission and 

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