Glosario minerals managements

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AAPG American Association of Petroleum Geologists

AAPL American Association of Petroleum Landmen

Abaft 1. toward the stern of a ship or mobile offshore drilling rig

2. behind.
3. farther than aft

abandon 1. to cease efforts to produce oil or gas from a well, and to plug a depleted formation and salvage all material and equipment.

2. to cease producing oil and gasfrom a well when it becomes unprofitable.  A wildcat well may be abandoned after it has proven nonproductive.  Several steps are involved in abandoning a well; part of the casing may be removed and salvaged; one or more cement plugs are placed in the borehole to prevent migration of fluids between the different formations penetrated by the borehole; and the well is abandoned.  In many states, itis necessary to secure permission from official agencies before a well may be abandoned.

abnormal pressure pressure exceeding or falling below the normal pressure to be expected at a given depth.   Normal pressure increases approximately 0.465 psi per foot of depth (10.5kPa per meter of depth).  Thus, normal pressure at 10,000 feet is 4,650 psi; abnormal pressure at this depth would be higher orlower than 4,650 psi. See pressure gradient.

Aboard on or in a ship, offshore drilling rig, or helicopter

Abrasion wearing away by friction.

ABS American Bureau of Shipping

absolute humidity the amount of moisture present in the air, usually expressed in grains of water per 100 cubic feet of air (milligrams of water per cubic meter of air).

absolute permeability a measure of theability of a single fluid (such as water, gas, or oil) to flow through a rock formation when the formation is totally filled (saturated) with a single fluid.   The permeability measure of a rock filled with a single fluid is different from the permeability measure of the same rock filled with two or more fluids.  See effective permeability.

absolute porosity the percentage of the total bulkvolume of a rock sample that is composed of pore spaces or voids.  See porosity.

absolute pressure total pressure measured from an absolute vacuum.  It equals the sum of the gauge pressure and the atmospheric pressure corresponding to the barometer (expressed in pounds per square inch).

absolute temperature scale a scale of temperature measurement in which zero degrees is absolute zero.  On theRankine absolute temperature scale, in which degrees correspond to degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes at 273 degrees and boils at 373 degrees.  See absolute zero.

absolute zero a hypothetical temperature at which there is a total absence of heat.  Since heat is a result of energy caused by molecular motion, there is no motion of molecules with respect to each other at absolute zero.

absorb,absorption 1.To take in or make part of an existing whole.

2. to recover liquid hydrocarbons from natural or refinery gas in a gas-absorption plant.   The wet gas enters the absorber at the bottom and rises to the top, encountering a stream of absorption oil (a light oil) traveling downward over bubble-cap trays, valve trays, or sieve trays.  The light oil removes, or absorbs, the heavier liquidhydrocarbons from the wet gas. 

3. to soak up as a sponge takes water.

Absorbent also called absorption oil. See absorption oil.

Absorber a vertical, cylindrical vessel that recovers heavier hydrocarbons from a mixture of predominantly lighter hydrocarbons.  Also called absorption tower.  See absorb.

absorber capacity the maximum volume of natural gas that can be processed through anabsorber at a specified absorption oil rate, temperature, and pressure without exceeding pressure drop or any other operating limitation.

Absorption the process of sucking up; taking in and making part of an existing whole.  Compare adsorption.

absorption gasoline the gasoline extracted from natural gas by putting the gas into contact with oil in a vessel and subsequently distilling the...