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| kind | description | status |
|---|---|---|
| wildcat | A exploratory wellbore drilled in an unproved area to test for a new field, a new pay, a deeper reservoir, or a shallower reservoir. Also known as an exploration well. | current |
| new-field wildcat | An exploratory wellbore drilled to search for an occurrence of hydrocarbon at a relatively considerable distance outside the limits of known pools of hydrocarbon, as those limits were understood at the time. | current |
| new-pool wildcat | An exploratory wellbore drilled to search for additional pools of hydrocarbon in close proximity and at the same stratigraphic level as known pools. | current |
| shallower-pool wildcat | An exploratory wellbore drilled to search for additional pools of hydrocarbon in close proximity, but at a shallower stratigraphic levels than the known pools. | current |
| deeper-pool wildcat | An exploratory wellbore drilled to search for additional pools of hydrocarbon in close proximity to known pools of hydrocarbon but at a deeper stratigraphic levels than the known pools. | current |
| outpost wildcat | An exploratory wellbore drilled to search for additional pools of hydrocarbon or to extend the limits of a known pool by searching in the same interval at some distance from a known pool. | current |
| stratigraphic test | A research wellbore drilled for the purpose of gathering geologic information on the stratigraphy of an area. A C.O.S.T. well would be included in this category. | current |
| appraisal | A wellbore drilled into a formation shown to be potentially productive of oil or gas by an earlier well for the purpose of obtaining more information about the reservoir. | current |
| delineation | A wellbore drilled outward from a successful wildcat well to determine the extent of the oil find, the boundaries of the productive formation. | current |
| development | A wellbore drilled in a zone in an area already proved productive. | current |
| infill development | A developmental wellbore drilled to fill in between established wellbores, usually part of a drilling program to reduce the spacing between wellbores to increase production. | current |
| injection | A wellbore that is drilled with the purpose of injecting fluids into a reservoir, usually for enhanced recovery. | current |
| general service | A wellbore drilled to provide a service such as subsurface fluid monitoring, waste disposal, fluid storage, blowout relief and borehole re-acquisition. Not necessarily an E & P wellbore. | current |
| monitor | A service wellbore drilled to allow continuous or periodic measurement of a property of the subsurface through time. | current |
| waste disposal | A service wellbore drilled for the purpose of injection of sewage, industrial waste, or other waste fluids into the subsurface for disposal. | current |
| fluid storage | A service wellbore drilled for the purpose of injection of fluids into a reservoir for storage and later withdrawal. | current |
| blowout relief | A service wellbore drilled with the specific purpose to provide communication at some point below the surface to another wellbore which is out of control. | current |
| borehole re-acquisition | A service wellbore drilled to intersect another wellbore below the surface for the purpose of extending the life of a well whose surface borehole has been lost or damaged. | current |
| drilling test | A wellbore drilled to test the suitablity of a particular type of equipment or drilling practice. | current |
| mineral | A non-E&P wellbore drilled for the purpose of locating and/or extracting a mineral from the subsurface, usually through the injection and/or extraction of mineral-bearing fluids. | current |
| research | A wellbore drilled with the purpose of obtaining information on the stratigraphy, on drilling practices, for logging tests, or other such purpose. It is not expected to find economic reserves of hydrocarbons. | provisional |
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