Final answer:
Oil is acquired from the Earth primarily through the discovery of new deposits, the development of active wells, and the use of advanced extraction technologies to efficiently recover the resource from challenging environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three main ways that we acquire oil from the Earth are through discovery, development, and extraction techniques. To harness this finite resource, extensive exploration is conducted to locate oil deposits, with only about one in ten exploratory wells being successful and the chances of striking oil at a random location being approximately 0.01%.
Discovery
New deposits, such as oil, are discovered through innovative exploration techniques. Once discovered, these deposits increase the overall supply of oil.
Development
After discovery, developments are made to turn the deposit into active wells, whether onshore or offshore. This process involves drilling through layers of sand, silt, and rock to reach the oil-containing formations.
Extraction
Ongoing advancements in extraction technologies have improved the ability to extract oil, particularly from challenging environments. Modern extraction uses a combination of techniques such as pumps, high-pressure water injection, horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing to extract the remaining oil from porous rocks. These advancements have increased the amount of accessible oil and extended the timescale for oil use.