oil well

noun

1. a well that yields or has yielded oil.

oil well

noun

1. a boring into the earth or sea bed for the extraction of petroleum

Word History and Origins

Origin of oil well¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

The driller responsible for it, Patton Exploration, solicited companies to extend a pipeline to the oil well to capture the gas and evaluated whether the gas could be used to mine bitcoin.

From Salon

When an oil well comes to the end of its life, its operator has a responsibility to permanently decommission it.

From BBC

"In an oil and gas field, high resolution could be the difference between isolating the methane emissions from an oil well head from an adjacent pipeline," he says.

From BBC

In June the UK Supreme Court ruled in a separate case, involving plans to drill an oil well near London's Gatwick Airport, that both types of emissions should be included in an environmental impact assessment.

From BBC

“If a company is drilling for oil in California, they should be responsible for cleaning and closing that oil well,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gusher 
• oil rig 
• oilfield