Before an oil well can extract oil or gas, O&G firms, or their contractors, engage in a lengthy site preparation process that includes not only clearing the site and placing the pad but also drilling and securing the well itself.
Firms engaged in fracking (injecting pressurized liquid into subterranean boreholes to open existing fissures and extract oil or gas), face an especially tough challenge. The wells must not only travel deep into the earth but also move horizontally, sometimes for miles, to reach the resource.