How is oil mined? and describe the mining process?

Question

How is oil mined? and describe the mining process?

Answer 1

Oil is generally accessed by drilling a long steel auger into the ground.  What you do is make big vibrations in the ground and use special microphones to listen to the echos.  These echos paint a picture of the underground layers.  You examine the layers and try to find places that might be good for oil to accumulate.  Usually it will be like an upside down sauser shape that will restrict the oil from migrating upward.  After you find a likely place, you drill down to and hopefully set a well and Eureka, your rich.   It may be mined in oil shales but that is a technology that hasn't been used much yet, as far as I know, except in Canada.