Learn about how oil and gas go from underground to usable products, along with the processes, equipment, and smart technologies that help make production smoother and more efficient.
Oil and gas production is the general process of manufacturing oil and natural gas from wells and turning them into the final petroleum products that consumers can use. It includes systematic steps, starting with site exploration, to the extraction and distribution of products to businesses and the general public. It plays a central role in various industries like transportation, manufacturing, chemicals, and energy, solidifying itself as one of the largest and most influential sectors of the global economy.
Efficient oil and gas production is important because it keeps energy supplies stable and helps control prices. However, like all commodity-based industries, it's highly sensitive to geopolitical developments and supply-demand balances.
Global oil production growth in 2025 has outpaced demand growth, contributing to downward pressure on crude prices. Following this, Brent crude oil has averaged about $64 per barrel in late 2025. Based on these findings, prices may fall further in 2026 as global inventories continue to grow. This situation could also affect prices across other industries due to the interconnected nature of the markets.
This shows how important oil and gas production is to global economic stability. The demand for steady products and sufficient supply makes the market balanced, which then goes to benefit consumers, industries, and national economies. Overall, the oil and gas production industry is one of the most important pillars of the global economy, as it relates to almost every aspect of people’s everyday lives.
The process of oil and gas production is divided into three major stages. Each stage is regulated, and laws can vary per locality or state. There are also international agreements that have to be observed and complied with. The stages of oil and gas production are the following:
This stage refers to the primary process of oil and gas production, including exploration, drilling, and extraction.
Exploration: The step where geologists and other industry experts search for rock formations or areas where oil and gas are commonly found. After a site is selected, it will be prepared and developed for the actual production process.
Drilling: This step requires the use of specialized drilling equipment to safely penetrate rock layers and gain access to the resources. Oil and gas sites are commonly drilled vertically, but newer technologies offer various advantages such as time-saving opportunities, lower operating costs, and reduced negative environmental impact.
Extraction: This step is the process of extracting conventional oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs and wells through pumps, natural pressure, or other recovery methods. This is also the step where fracking and recycling of fracking fluid are done.
As the secondary stage, midstream refers to the processing, storing, and transportation of oil and gas products. The steps include:
Processing: This step is where oil and natural gas are separated. After, they are transferred to gas processing plants where unnecessary products and non-hydrocarbon gases are removed.
Storing: The step involves storing raw oil and gas in underground facilities like depleted reservoirs, while crude oil, refined products, and finished oil goods are generally kept in above-ground tanks. The proper storage of the products is essential to keep up with demand and prevent inventory discrepancies, which is simplified with asset management software that centralizes asset data and maintenance schedules.
Transportation: This step refers to the movement of oil and gas from extraction to processing plants, to companies and businesses, and finally to the general public or primary consumers. Unrefined oil is typically transported by tankers and pipelines, while final petroleum products reach the market by truck, rail, tankers, and additional pipelines.
Downstream is the third stage and final process of refining and distribution of petroleum products. This stage is divided into two steps, namely:
Refining: This step is the process of oil refining, where oil and natural gas are converted into finished petroleum products that can be used for transportation and electricity fuels, asphalt and road oils, kerosene, or as raw materials for making plastic and synthetic materials.
Distribution: This is the final step where the finished petroleum products are transported and distributed to businesses, government agencies, and the general public (e.g., industrial consumers, electrical providers, heating of residential and commercial establishments, etc.)
The oil and gas industry significantly impacts the environment through its byproducts and processes, particularly when regulatory standards are not enforced.
Oil and gas production sites release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, warming the planet and contributing to climate change. Methane emissions have a greater impact, trapping 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide within 20 years of their release. Due to venting, leaks, and flaring, the industry is responsible for approximately a quarter of these human-made methane emissions.
A major study led by Stanford examined about 1 million aerial measurements across major U.S. oil and gas regions: the Permian Basin (Texas/New Mexico), San Joaquin (California), and the Denver‑Julesburg Basin (Colorado). It found that these operations were releasing more than 6 million tons of methane per year, which was three times the official U.S. government estimate.
Drilling projects and production often use large amounts of water, depleting local water supplies that local communities might also depend on. On top of this, oil spills, leaks, and drilling fluids can contaminate rivers, lakes, and groundwater with salts, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and in some cases, even radioactive materials.
According to a scientific study of shale oil and gas production in the Permian Basin, water use for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) peaked in 2019 and made up about 35% of all non‑mining water use in the region. Most of this water was pumped from underground aquifers like the Ogallala, threatening the local water supply of nearby farmers and communities.
A well-known byproduct of oil and gas production is produced water, which is the contaminated water released from the ground during extraction. Produced water is often injected into shallow underground formations to avoid contamination with nearby water reservoirs. However, there were about 11,000 reported oil and produced‑water spills in the Permian between 2009 and 2018, each with the potential to contaminate soil and nearby surface waters.
Building well pads, access roads, and pipelines clears vegetation, compacts soil, and increases erosion and sediment in streams. Spills of oil, drilling muds, and other wastes can leave soils loaded with hydrocarbons, salts, and metals. These factors combined allow contaminants to enter the food chain and make it hard for plants to grow.
At Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, researchers tested soil samples from 18 oil and gas drilling and production sites within a protected coastal area. They found that 16 sites had elevated levels of heavy metals (barium, chromium, lead, and zinc), higher salinity, and petroleum hydrocarbons (oil residues) compared with normal background soil.
These changes in soil chemistry can harm plants, soil organisms, and long‑term soil health, even if the pollution is not immediately lethal.
Clearing land for drilling sites, roads, and pipelines destroys or disrupts habitats for birds, mammals, and other wildlife, reducing biodiversity. Pipelines and roads act as barriers, breaking up animal migration routes, isolating populations, and making them more vulnerable to disease and inbreeding.
Evidence of this is seen in a study of a greater sage grouse, a bird that depends on large, continuous sagebrush landscapes. The study notes that in one coalbed methane gas field project, about 5,000 acres of sagebrush habitat were directly lost to nearly 12,000 wells, roads, power lines, and other infrastructure. This affected roughly 28% of known sage grouse habitat in that area.
Oil and gas production is complex and involves multiple processes, which are then broken down into smaller steps. A significant number of oil and gas production equipment is used to ensure an efficient procedure from start to end. Some of the primary industry equipment and asset management solutions used in oil and gas production include:
Drilling rigs: Drill wells into the ground using rigs to access oil and gas reserves.
Storage tanks: Store oil and gas securely throughout various stages of production.
Pumping units: Lift oil from wells when natural reservoir pressure is insufficient.
Refinery units: Refine crude oil in specialized refineries to produce products tailored to demand.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants: Liquefy natural gas to enable its transport and long-term storage.
Separators: Separate oil, gas, water, and sand during extraction using separator systems.
Aside from machinery, the oil and gas industry has also seen the benefits of utilizing new technologies to ensure efficiency and maintain safety in production. Some of these advanced technologies include the use of:
Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for real-time monitoring: Detect process deviations, anomalies, and hazards, and trigger alerts for timely response using IoT sensors.
Analytics and dashboards: Use oil and gas analytics software to analyze inspection and sensor data, uncover root causes, and forecast trends for proactive maintenance and safer operations
Integrations: Centralize data from multiple systems into a single view, improving visibility across production operations and enabling faster decision-making.
Lone worker solutions: Support in-app connectivity and check-ins using oil and gas maintenance software to monitor worker safety during remote or hazardous tasks.
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