The process to provide energy involves many people with different skills and backgrounds. From the worldwide search for oil and gas to retail operations at your local gasoline station, thousands of people are working to supply low-cost, reliable energy. The following sections describe the activities of some of the key players. Geologists develop surface and subsurface maps to locate oil and gas resources. They locate rock layers cropping out on the surface of the ground in order to locate anticlines and domes.
Geologists use data from existing wells to make subsurface maps of the reservoir rocks.
By matching rock layers between wells, they can draw cross sections to find petroleum traps. Geologists study the physical aspects and history of the Earth. They identify and examine rocks, study information collected by remote sensing instruments in satellites, conduct geological surveys, construct field maps, analyze information collected through seismic studies, and use instruments to measure the earth's gravity and magnetic field. Geologists study the composition, structure, and history of the earth's crust. They try to find out how rocks were formed and what has happened to them since formation.