wildcatter
Risky oil seeker
A wildcatter is someone who drills for oil or gas in unproven territory, away from established fields—a speculative venture with high risk and potential high reward.
The term extends to anyone pursuing risky independent ventures, especially in business: He was a wildcatter who made and lost fortunes in Texas oil.
The drilling itself is wildcatting.
Natural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- crude oilUnrefined fossil fuel
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
- upstreamToward a river's origin
offshore · onshore · shale · fracking · extraction · wellhead · production · refinery
Equipment arrangement or vehicle
- derrickMovable boom apparatus
- drillshipMaritime drilling vessel
- bitSmall amount or portion
- wellboreDrilled subsurface hole
casing · completion · perforation · blowout · gusher · dry hole · rotary · kelly
Stake on uncertain outcome
- riskPossibility of harm
- ventureRisky new undertaking
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
fortune · windfall · bonanza · jackpot · ruin · bankroll · stake · independent
petroleum
Natural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- crude oilUnrefined fossil fuel
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
upstream · offshore · onshore · shale · fracking · extraction · wellhead · production · refinery · pipeline
rig
Equipment arrangement or vehicle
wellbore · casing · completion · perforation · blowout · gusher · dry hole · rotary · kelly · drawworks
gamble
Stake on uncertain outcome
speculation · fortune · windfall · bonanza · jackpot · ruin · bankroll · stake · independent · outsider
leasehold
Rented property interest
- mineral rightsClaim to underground resources
- explorationTraveling through unknown regions
- seismicRelating to ground tremors
geology · reservoir · survey · landman · scout · claim · staking · acreage · basin · formation
self-made
Successful through own efforts
- tycoonDominant industrial leader
- magnateWealthy business leader
- oil baronWealthy petroleum industrialist
founder · pioneer · visionary · capitalist · investor · dealmaker · promoter · hustler · operator · startup
- independencefreedom, liberty, Independence Day, autonomy, sovereignty
- oil industrypetroleum, oil fields, oil well, oil rig, oil production
- minersminer, coal miner, gold miner, forty-niner, overman
- oilfield workersroughneck, roustabout, rig worker, pumper, company man
- Primetime SoapsDallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, J.R. Ewing, cliffhanger
- seek one's fortunegold rush, prospecting, treasure hunt, new beginning, fresh start