I thought you might like to see a short QuickTime video of an oil well near us. I took the video at night because it's the gas vent fire they keep going all the time. The well is already in place, so there isn't anyone much around at night.
See, in this part of the country there is a lot of shale. That has led to a booming oil business since oil can be extracted from shale. There are natural gas pockets in the shale and the vent is to prevent those pockets from exploding. The shale oil business has supplied a lot of good paying jobs for folks who are willing and able to work long, hard hours.
When the wells are first drilled, the place reminded us of Area 51. There are lots of bright lights going up a tower where the drilling rig is being used. It's a pretty eerie sight at night.
