翻譯：A major oil company usually initiates the sequence of events that leads to the drilling of oil and gas wells in foreign fields, but independent oil operators pay for most of the wells in the United States. In fact, about 80% of all wells drilled in the U.S. today are financed by independents.

翻譯：The primary limitations for gas lift operations are the lack of formation gas of an outside source of gas, wide well spacing, and available space for compressors on off-shore plat forms. Generally, gas lift is not applicable to single-well installations and widely spaced wells that are not suited for a centrally located power system.

翻譯：In addition to being useful as an exploration tool, subsurface maps are a necessary part of any reservoir engineering study; and petroleum engineers, as well as geologists, must be completely familiar with their construction and interpretation.

翻譯：A paraffin base crude is an oil whose chief components are paraffins, and which completely distilled, leaves a solid residue of wax. An asphalt base crude is an oil composed primarily of cyclic compounds (mostly naphthenes) which, when distilled, leaves a solid residue of asphalt. Oils which fall in the middle of these categrories are classified as mixed base.

翻譯：The application of physics to the study of rocks (geophysics)is very important in petroleum geology. In its broadest application geophysics makes a major contribution to understanding the earths crust and, especially through the application of modern plate tectonic(板塊構(gòu)造)theory, the genesis and petroleum potential of sedimentary basins. More specially, physical concepts are required to understand folds（褶皺）, faults（斷層）, and diapers（底辟）, and hence their roles in petroleum entrapment.