The drilling methods used by contemporary oil and gas exploration companies date as far back as the year 347. During that time, the Chinese were able to drill to depths in excess of 800 feet below the surface of the earth using crude drill bits fitted to bamboo rods. The primary use for the oil was to make salt through the burning, and subsequent evaporation, of brine.

By the tenth century A.D., complex bamboo pipelines were constructed to convey oil from wells to salt brine springs. Researchers have actually located records from China and Japan that reference “burning water” during the 7th century A.D., and the phrase seems to be alluding to natural gas. If gas was used to provide heat and lighting in ancient China and Japan, this suggests that oil and gas production is hundreds of years old.

Today, oil and gas production continues to be one of the most valuable natural resources in the world, as a third of the world population depends on oil for energy. However, producing enough oil to go around is a complex and costly process. In 2010, the cost of deep water drilling was around 420,000 dollars per day. Understandably, oil and gas exploration companies are continually seeking out faster, cheaper, and more efficient methods of oil well production.

Advances in oil field management systems have had a nearly revolutionary impact on cheaper and more efficient oil production. For instance, high tech field data capture systems have made it possible for oil field companies to collect and analyze vital production information both remotely and onsite. Field reporting software allows that data to be shared instantly regardless of location.

Naturally, when higher volumes of data can be captured, analyzed, and exchanged at faster rates, production costs are significantly reduced. This means reduced overhead, lower production costs, and, hopefully, cheaper prices at the pump!