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If a wildcat well discovers oil or gas, the company may drill
several confirmation wells to verify whether the wildcat well tapped a
rock layer with enough hydrocarbons for the company to develop it.
One well, that finds oil and gas, may not produce enough to justify the
company’s preparing it for production. Usually, several wells must
produce for the company to get its money back and to make a profit.
A development well is drilled in an existing oilfield. A
company drills this type of well so it can remove more hydrocarbons
from the field. Engineers carefully study a field's producing
characteristics. They then determine the number of wells required to
produce it efficiently. They sometimes call development wells
“infilling wells" if a contractor drills them between existing wells. If
the company drills wells on the edge of an existing field, perhaps to
determine the field’s boundaries, they may call them “step-out wells",
or “outpost wells."
The number of development wells drilled into a particular
reservoir depends mainly on its size and characteristics. A reservoir
can cover several acres (hectares) and may be only a few feet (metres)
thick or hundreds of feet (metres) thick. In general, the larger the
reservoir, the more wells it takes to produce it. Reservoir
characteristics, such as porosity and permeability, also play a role. For
example, a reservoir with high porosity and permeability, which allow
the hydrocarbons to flow easily, may not require as many wells to
produce as a reservoir with low porosity and permeability.
Regardless of the type of well, before the drilling contractor
can drill it, the operator must make the drill site ready. So, let’s next
examine drill site preparation.

4 Find synonyms in the text for the following words.
stratum accumulate
permeate modify
ooze to be worn away by natural agents

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