In this series, we’re breaking down how blockchain can impact the complex segments of the oil and gas industry: upstream, midstream, and downstream.
There are three main sectors in the oil and gas industry: upstream, midstream, and downstream. These categories denote where the relevant resource is in the process of traveling from underground reservoirs to its final destination, whether that be in the tank of a car or a gas stove in an apartment. For this initial installment in the series, we’ll explore blockchain’s use in upstream oil and gas.
Possibly the most complex part of the oil and gas industry — and definitely one of the most technology-heavy — upstream oil and gas refers to both the search for natural resources and their extraction. Upstream oil and gas is also known as exploration and production (E&P).