upstream oil and gas

Upstream oil and gas refers to the initial stages of the industry involved in exploring for and extracting crude oil and natural gas. This includes locating potential oil and gas reserves in the earth through geological surveys and drilling exploratory wells. Once a viable source is found, production wells are drilled to extract these resources. Essentially, upstream activities focus on finding and bringing raw energy resources to the surface, while downstream activities—like refining and distribution—come later. Together, these processes form the complete oil and gas supply chain.