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Waterflooding

A method of secondary recovery in which water is injected into an oil reservoir through which oil and gas are produced.

Wet Gas

Gas containing recoverable liquid hydrocarbons.

Whipstock

A special tool used at the bottom of the hole to change the direction of the drilling bit.

Wildcat Well

An exploratory well drilled some distance from known production. This distance from production determines whether the wildcat is low, medium, or high risk. An exploration well or wildcat is one that is drilled primarily for the purpose of determining that oil or gas actually exists in a subsurface rock formation. Before a well is drilled, it is at best an educated guess that petroleum exists in a formation. It is only after a well is drilled into the formation that the presence of oil or gas can definitely be confirmed or denied to be present.

Wire Line

Wire that is run in the hole through production tubing with tools at the end of the wire that either open valves, pull plugs or obtain data. When this wire parts and becomes lodged in the tubing then "fishing" is required with fishing tools run on yet more wire.

Wellhead

Surface control equipment for a well that includes the casinghead, control valves, testing equipment, take-off piping, and the Christmas tree.

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