Abstract
Petroleum is regarded as the most important fuel in the modern industrialized world. This resource accounts for 38% of U.S. energy needs (EIA, 1998) Petroleum products make up 97% of transportation fuels along with providing the base for many consumer products (Maldum, 1998). Current technology allows for an estimated 37 percent extraction rate of technically recoverable oil (USGS, 1999). Breakthrough technology such as directional drilling and enhanced computer programs have “helped customers maximize production and increase ultimate recovery” (Baker Hughes, 2001). Such technologies are allowing for greater extraction rates and economic efficiency while creating less of an environmental impact.