2023考研英語閱讀石油勘探
Prospecting for oil
石油勘探
Grains of truth
千慮一得之法
Putting rocks in medical scanners may help thesearch for oil and gas
采用醫(yī)學(xué)掃描儀對(duì)巖石樣本掃描，可幫助尋找石油和天然氣
STRIKING oil is one thing.
開采石油是一回事。
Getting it out of the ground in economic quantities is quite another.
然而從經(jīng)濟(jì)角度考慮，能從地下開采出多少石油又完全是另一回事。
Doing so depends on understanding the granular structure of the rock it is trapped in,
要做到這點(diǎn),人們需要對(duì)某些巖石的顆粒結(jié)構(gòu)有所了解，而這些巖石是有石油困于其中的。分
and analysing that is a tedious business of placing countless samples in pressure vessels toassess their capacity to hold hydrocarbons and to estimate the flow rate of thosehydrocarbons through them.
析巖石顆粒結(jié)構(gòu)是極其枯燥乏味的事情，研究人員需要將無數(shù)個(gè)樣本放置在壓力容器內(nèi)以評(píng)估它們含納碳?xì)浠衔锏哪芰Σ⒐烙?jì)其中蘊(yùn)藏的碳?xì)浠衔锏漠a(chǎn)量。
This can take years.
這可能需要花費(fèi)數(shù)年的時(shí)間。
Help, though, is at hand.
然而可施之法即在眼前。
Computerised tomography scanninghas been used in medicine for several decades.
計(jì)算機(jī)X線斷層照相掃描術(shù)在醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域應(yīng)用已有幾十年時(shí)間。
Now it is being applied to geology.
目前它正被應(yīng)用于地質(zhì)學(xué)。
In alliance with electron microscopy, the geological use of CT scanning has given birth to anew field, digital rock physics.
在與電子顯微鏡配合使用下，CT掃描術(shù)在地質(zhì)上的應(yīng)用孕育了一個(gè)新的領(lǐng)域數(shù)字巖石物理。
The field s proponents believe it will let oil companies decide far more quickly than they couldin the past which strikes are worth exploiting, and which should be abandoned.
該領(lǐng)域的倡導(dǎo)者認(rèn)為，該項(xiàng)技術(shù)能使石油公司較之以往更加快速地判斷哪些石油礦值得開發(fā)，哪些應(yīng)該放棄。
One of those proponents is Amos Nur, chief technology officer at, a company based inHouston, Texas.
科技公司Ingrain總部設(shè)在得克薩斯州休斯敦，其首席技術(shù)官阿莫斯?努爾是該技術(shù)倡導(dǎo)者之一。
His firm is one of three independent digital-rock-physics laboratories in the world.
他所在公司是全球三家獨(dú)立數(shù)字巖石物理實(shí)驗(yàn)室之一。
According to Dr Nur, the new technology is capable of creating three-dimensional picturesof a sample s structure with a resolution of 50 nanometres.
努爾博士表示，這項(xiàng)新技術(shù)能為巖石樣本結(jié)構(gòu)創(chuàng)建分辨率為50納米的三維立體照片。
That is enough to work out how oil and gas trapped in the pores between the grains of such arock might be expected to behave.
這足夠預(yù)測(cè)出困在巖石顆粒細(xì)孔間的石油和天然氣的表現(xiàn)方式。
Most of the samples analysed by Ingrain start as cylindrical cores brought up from deep belowthe Earth s surface by drills.
開始分析的大部分樣本都來自于地下深層鉆探得到的圓柱形巖石核。
A typical core is several metres long, so it is first subject to a rough and ready CT scanusing a standard medical scanner.
典型的巖石核有幾米長(zhǎng)，因此首先要采用標(biāo)準(zhǔn)醫(yī)學(xué)掃描儀對(duì)其進(jìn)行粗略的CT掃描。
The scanner is fitted with calibration rods made of a proprietary material whose propertiesprovide reference points for the creation of an image.
該掃描儀安裝了許多由專利材料制成的調(diào)校棒，這種材料有為圖像創(chuàng)建提供參考點(diǎn)的屬性。
This initial scan yields a picture that has a resolution of about 500 microns.
初始掃描會(huì)得到一張分辨率為500微米的圖片。
That done, sections of the core 2-3cm long, whose porosity is of particular interest, aresubject to further study.
這些完成之后，將一些長(zhǎng)度在2至3厘米間，其孔隙度有特殊研究?jī)r(jià)值的小巖石塊做進(jìn)一步研究。
This involves scanning them in a special micro-CT machine, of a sort developed originally tolook at computer chips.
這包括將巖石核樣本放入一臺(tái)特殊的微CT機(jī)進(jìn)行掃描微CT機(jī)原是為了觀察電腦芯片而研制的。
The sample is placed on a turntable and rotated inside this microscanner.
將小巖石核樣本放置在微掃描器內(nèi)部的轉(zhuǎn)盤上并使其旋轉(zhuǎn)，
The result is a 3D image with a resolution of 40 microns.
結(jié)果得到一個(gè)分辨率為40微米的三維圖像。
This allows sections requiring further study to be identified.
這就使得需做進(jìn)一步研究的小巖石塊能夠被標(biāo)識(shí)。
These sections are dissected, using a laser, into slices a millimetre or less thick, and thenscanned again, either with the micro-CT or with a scanning electron microscope.
采用激光將這些小巖石塊切分成一毫米或不太厚的薄片，然后用微CT機(jī)或電子顯微掃描鏡對(duì)其再次掃描。
That brings the resolution to half a micron, or 500 nanometres.
這樣便將圖象分辨率提高到了0.5微米或500納米。
Finally, the image is cleaned up by a computer program and the 50-nanometre-resolutionpicture emerges.
最后，將該圖像進(jìn)行計(jì)算機(jī)降噪去斑處理，得到一張50納米分辨率的圖片。
This image, which shows the porosity of the rock, and the channels between the pores,
然后將能夠顯示巖石孔隙度和巖石內(nèi)部毛孔間通道的圖像用計(jì)算機(jī)分析，
is then subject to a computer analysis that reveals how easily hydrocarbons will flow throughit under pressureand thus the likely productivity of a well dug at that site.
結(jié)果會(huì)顯示在有壓力情況下碳?xì)浠衔镌趲r石塊內(nèi)部流動(dòng)的容易程度從而得知樣品來源之處那口鉆探井的可能產(chǎn)量。
Whether digital rock physics will actually replace traditional methods is unclear.
數(shù)字巖石物理技術(shù)是否能夠取代傳統(tǒng)方法，目前尚無定論。
Sceptics, such as Anthony Kovscek of Stanford University, think the claims being made for itare exaggerated.
許多人對(duì)此持懷疑態(tài)度，斯坦福大學(xué)的Anthony Kovscek就是其中之一，他認(rèn)為該技術(shù)的聲明有夸大成分。
Though analysis of a rock s structure in this way will, in his opinion, be able to tell you that astrike is unlikely to yield a commercial return,
在他看來，盡管采用這種方法得出的巖石結(jié)構(gòu)分析結(jié)果能夠告知人們哪個(gè)鉆探點(diǎn)不可能產(chǎn)生商業(yè)回報(bào)，
the reverse is not true.
但其反面結(jié)論卻未必正確。
He does not believe that the technique can predict flow rates,
他不相信這種技術(shù)能預(yù)測(cè)石油的流量，
even from rock that contains a lot of hydrocarbonsand flow rates are crucial to an oil field seconomics.
即使對(duì)于含有大量碳?xì)浠衔锏膸r石也無法預(yù)測(cè)石油流量是油田經(jīng)濟(jì)中至關(guān)重要的指標(biāo)。
The new discipline of digital rock physics has, nevertheless, attracted considerableattention within the industry.
但是數(shù)字巖石物理這門新學(xué)科在行業(yè)內(nèi)引起了相當(dāng)大的關(guān)注。
Smaller oil companies are using the facilities of Ingrain, Numerical Rocks and Digitalcore.
小型石油公司正在使用Ingrain、Numerical Rocks和Digitalcore的設(shè)備。
Larger ones, such as BP, Chevron and Shell, are setting up their own digital-rock-physicslaboratories.
而大型石油公司如BP、雪佛龍和殼牌正在創(chuàng)建自己的數(shù)字巖石物理實(shí)驗(yàn)室。
As the supply of crude oil dwindles and the price thus rises, anything that makes the processof prospecting new wells cheaper is to be welcomed. This new technique may be such athing.
當(dāng)原油供應(yīng)下降并導(dǎo)致價(jià)格上升之時(shí)，任何能使新井勘探成本更低的技術(shù)都將受到歡迎。數(shù)字巖石物理可能就是滿足此要求的新技術(shù)。
詞語解釋
1.prospect n.希望;前景;景色
I see little prospect of an improvement in hiscondition.
我看他的情況沒有什么改進(jìn)的希望。
2.quantity n.量;數(shù)量;大量
This company is more concerned with qualitythan with quantity.
這家公司對(duì)質(zhì)量比對(duì)產(chǎn)量更重視。
3.granular a.由小粒而成的;粒狀的
She embraced the post and forced her head upward beside it, scraping one cheek on thegranular ice and the other on the wood.
她緊抱柱子，把頭靠上去用力往上頂去，有一邊的臉頰被融成粗粒狀的冰層邊緣劃傷了。
4.tedious a.單調(diào)乏味的;沉悶的
The tedious job simply ate me up.
那單調(diào)乏味的工作簡(jiǎn)直把我煩死了。
5.estimate v.估計(jì);估價(jià);評(píng)價(jià)
This is an outside estimate of the price.
這是最高的估價(jià)。
Prospecting for oil
石油勘探
Grains of truth
千慮一得之法
Putting rocks in medical scanners may help thesearch for oil and gas
采用醫(yī)學(xué)掃描儀對(duì)巖石樣本掃描，可幫助尋找石油和天然氣
STRIKING oil is one thing.
開采石油是一回事。
Getting it out of the ground in economic quantities is quite another.
然而從經(jīng)濟(jì)角度考慮，能從地下開采出多少石油又完全是另一回事。
Doing so depends on understanding the granular structure of the rock it is trapped in,
要做到這點(diǎn),人們需要對(duì)某些巖石的顆粒結(jié)構(gòu)有所了解，而這些巖石是有石油困于其中的。分
and analysing that is a tedious business of placing countless samples in pressure vessels toassess their capacity to hold hydrocarbons and to estimate the flow rate of thosehydrocarbons through them.
析巖石顆粒結(jié)構(gòu)是極其枯燥乏味的事情，研究人員需要將無數(shù)個(gè)樣本放置在壓力容器內(nèi)以評(píng)估它們含納碳?xì)浠衔锏哪芰Σ⒐烙?jì)其中蘊(yùn)藏的碳?xì)浠衔锏漠a(chǎn)量。
This can take years.
這可能需要花費(fèi)數(shù)年的時(shí)間。
Help, though, is at hand.
然而可施之法即在眼前。
Computerised tomography scanninghas been used in medicine for several decades.
計(jì)算機(jī)X線斷層照相掃描術(shù)在醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域應(yīng)用已有幾十年時(shí)間。
Now it is being applied to geology.
目前它正被應(yīng)用于地質(zhì)學(xué)。
In alliance with electron microscopy, the geological use of CT scanning has given birth to anew field, digital rock physics.
在與電子顯微鏡配合使用下，CT掃描術(shù)在地質(zhì)上的應(yīng)用孕育了一個(gè)新的領(lǐng)域數(shù)字巖石物理。
The field s proponents believe it will let oil companies decide far more quickly than they couldin the past which strikes are worth exploiting, and which should be abandoned.
該領(lǐng)域的倡導(dǎo)者認(rèn)為，該項(xiàng)技術(shù)能使石油公司較之以往更加快速地判斷哪些石油礦值得開發(fā)，哪些應(yīng)該放棄。
One of those proponents is Amos Nur, chief technology officer at, a company based inHouston, Texas.
科技公司Ingrain總部設(shè)在得克薩斯州休斯敦，其首席技術(shù)官阿莫斯?努爾是該技術(shù)倡導(dǎo)者之一。
His firm is one of three independent digital-rock-physics laboratories in the world.
他所在公司是全球三家獨(dú)立數(shù)字巖石物理實(shí)驗(yàn)室之一。
According to Dr Nur, the new technology is capable of creating three-dimensional picturesof a sample s structure with a resolution of 50 nanometres.
努爾博士表示，這項(xiàng)新技術(shù)能為巖石樣本結(jié)構(gòu)創(chuàng)建分辨率為50納米的三維立體照片。
That is enough to work out how oil and gas trapped in the pores between the grains of such arock might be expected to behave.
這足夠預(yù)測(cè)出困在巖石顆粒細(xì)孔間的石油和天然氣的表現(xiàn)方式。
Most of the samples analysed by Ingrain start as cylindrical cores brought up from deep belowthe Earth s surface by drills.
開始分析的大部分樣本都來自于地下深層鉆探得到的圓柱形巖石核。
A typical core is several metres long, so it is first subject to a rough and ready CT scanusing a standard medical scanner.
典型的巖石核有幾米長(zhǎng)，因此首先要采用標(biāo)準(zhǔn)醫(yī)學(xué)掃描儀對(duì)其進(jìn)行粗略的CT掃描。
The scanner is fitted with calibration rods made of a proprietary material whose propertiesprovide reference points for the creation of an image.
該掃描儀安裝了許多由專利材料制成的調(diào)校棒，這種材料有為圖像創(chuàng)建提供參考點(diǎn)的屬性。
This initial scan yields a picture that has a resolution of about 500 microns.
初始掃描會(huì)得到一張分辨率為500微米的圖片。
That done, sections of the core 2-3cm long, whose porosity is of particular interest, aresubject to further study.
這些完成之后，將一些長(zhǎng)度在2至3厘米間，其孔隙度有特殊研究?jī)r(jià)值的小巖石塊做進(jìn)一步研究。
This involves scanning them in a special micro-CT machine, of a sort developed originally tolook at computer chips.
這包括將巖石核樣本放入一臺(tái)特殊的微CT機(jī)進(jìn)行掃描微CT機(jī)原是為了觀察電腦芯片而研制的。
The sample is placed on a turntable and rotated inside this microscanner.
將小巖石核樣本放置在微掃描器內(nèi)部的轉(zhuǎn)盤上并使其旋轉(zhuǎn)，
The result is a 3D image with a resolution of 40 microns.
結(jié)果得到一個(gè)分辨率為40微米的三維圖像。
This allows sections requiring further study to be identified.
這就使得需做進(jìn)一步研究的小巖石塊能夠被標(biāo)識(shí)。
These sections are dissected, using a laser, into slices a millimetre or less thick, and thenscanned again, either with the micro-CT or with a scanning electron microscope.
采用激光將這些小巖石塊切分成一毫米或不太厚的薄片，然后用微CT機(jī)或電子顯微掃描鏡對(duì)其再次掃描。
That brings the resolution to half a micron, or 500 nanometres.
這樣便將圖象分辨率提高到了0.5微米或500納米。
Finally, the image is cleaned up by a computer program and the 50-nanometre-resolutionpicture emerges.
最后，將該圖像進(jìn)行計(jì)算機(jī)降噪去斑處理，得到一張50納米分辨率的圖片。
This image, which shows the porosity of the rock, and the channels between the pores,
然后將能夠顯示巖石孔隙度和巖石內(nèi)部毛孔間通道的圖像用計(jì)算機(jī)分析，
is then subject to a computer analysis that reveals how easily hydrocarbons will flow throughit under pressureand thus the likely productivity of a well dug at that site.
結(jié)果會(huì)顯示在有壓力情況下碳?xì)浠衔镌趲r石塊內(nèi)部流動(dòng)的容易程度從而得知樣品來源之處那口鉆探井的可能產(chǎn)量。
Whether digital rock physics will actually replace traditional methods is unclear.
數(shù)字巖石物理技術(shù)是否能夠取代傳統(tǒng)方法，目前尚無定論。
Sceptics, such as Anthony Kovscek of Stanford University, think the claims being made for itare exaggerated.
許多人對(duì)此持懷疑態(tài)度，斯坦福大學(xué)的Anthony Kovscek就是其中之一，他認(rèn)為該技術(shù)的聲明有夸大成分。
Though analysis of a rock s structure in this way will, in his opinion, be able to tell you that astrike is unlikely to yield a commercial return,
在他看來，盡管采用這種方法得出的巖石結(jié)構(gòu)分析結(jié)果能夠告知人們哪個(gè)鉆探點(diǎn)不可能產(chǎn)生商業(yè)回報(bào)，
the reverse is not true.
但其反面結(jié)論卻未必正確。
He does not believe that the technique can predict flow rates,
他不相信這種技術(shù)能預(yù)測(cè)石油的流量，
even from rock that contains a lot of hydrocarbonsand flow rates are crucial to an oil field seconomics.
即使對(duì)于含有大量碳?xì)浠衔锏膸r石也無法預(yù)測(cè)石油流量是油田經(jīng)濟(jì)中至關(guān)重要的指標(biāo)。
The new discipline of digital rock physics has, nevertheless, attracted considerableattention within the industry.
但是數(shù)字巖石物理這門新學(xué)科在行業(yè)內(nèi)引起了相當(dāng)大的關(guān)注。
Smaller oil companies are using the facilities of Ingrain, Numerical Rocks and Digitalcore.
小型石油公司正在使用Ingrain、Numerical Rocks和Digitalcore的設(shè)備。
Larger ones, such as BP, Chevron and Shell, are setting up their own digital-rock-physicslaboratories.
而大型石油公司如BP、雪佛龍和殼牌正在創(chuàng)建自己的數(shù)字巖石物理實(shí)驗(yàn)室。
As the supply of crude oil dwindles and the price thus rises, anything that makes the processof prospecting new wells cheaper is to be welcomed. This new technique may be such athing.
當(dāng)原油供應(yīng)下降并導(dǎo)致價(jià)格上升之時(shí)，任何能使新井勘探成本更低的技術(shù)都將受到歡迎。數(shù)字巖石物理可能就是滿足此要求的新技術(shù)。
詞語解釋
1.prospect n.希望;前景;景色
I see little prospect of an improvement in hiscondition.
我看他的情況沒有什么改進(jìn)的希望。
2.quantity n.量;數(shù)量;大量
This company is more concerned with qualitythan with quantity.
這家公司對(duì)質(zhì)量比對(duì)產(chǎn)量更重視。
3.granular a.由小粒而成的;粒狀的
She embraced the post and forced her head upward beside it, scraping one cheek on thegranular ice and the other on the wood.
她緊抱柱子，把頭靠上去用力往上頂去，有一邊的臉頰被融成粗粒狀的冰層邊緣劃傷了。
4.tedious a.單調(diào)乏味的;沉悶的
The tedious job simply ate me up.
那單調(diào)乏味的工作簡(jiǎn)直把我煩死了。
5.estimate v.估計(jì);估價(jià);評(píng)價(jià)
This is an outside estimate of the price.
這是最高的估價(jià)。
